Can music teaching be a powerful tool for social justice?

This chapter reflects on how practitioners may differently relate to social justice issues in music education according to their personal and professional priorities. The relative merits of micro- and macro-approaches to social justice in music are discussed. It is argued that social justice goals are particularly strongly linked to the development and support of musical cultures that are sustainable beyond specific educational contexts, and that are embedded in the wider society. Music may not always be a very effective means of promoting social justice, as exemplified by the experience of using musical activities for conflict resolution and inter-group reconciliation. For greater understanding, long-term evaluation of social justice outcomes is required, measured by explicit and agreed metrics.