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Effects  of  Arts  Education 
on  Participation  in  the  Arts 


Louis  Bergonzi  and  Julia  Smith 


Research  Division  Report  #36 


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Table  of  Contents 


List  of  Tables 
List  of  Figures 

Executive  Summary 

Introducrion 
Measures 
Research  Focus 
Findings 


VI 

vii 

1 
1 
2 
3 
3 


Introduction 


PART  I: 


PART  II: 


The  Roie  of  Arts  Education  in  Defining  a 

Uniquely  Diverse  American  Culture 
Connecting  Arts  Education  and  Arts  Participation 
-Analytical  View  of  Arts  Participation 
Organization  and  Content  of  This  Report 

Summary  of  Research  Methods  Used 

Description  of  the  SPPA  Surveys 
Determining  the  Effects  of  .Arts  Education  on 

Arts  Participation 
General  Analytic  Plan 

Description  of  Variables 

Effects  of  Arts  Education  on  Arts  Participation 

Data  Source 
Measures 

Understanding  .Analysis  Tables 

Analysis 

Results 

Conclusion 


11 

11 
11 
12 
14 

15 
15 

15 
17 

18 

23 
23 
23 
24 
26 
26 
30 


PART  III:  Comparative  Effects  of  Arts  Education  and 

Overall  Education  on  Arts  Participation 

Introduction 
Method 
Results 
Summary 


34 
34 
34 
35 
44 


PART  !V:  Summary  and  Conclusions  45 


c 


Introduction  4j> 

Analytical  Process  45 

Summary  or  Results  47 

Conclusions  50 

Further  Research  52 

Appendix  A:    1992  Survey  of  Public  Participation  in  the  Arts  54 

Appendix  B:    Adjusting  for  the  Effects  of  Leisure  61 

Appendix  C:   The  Effects  of  Education  on  Arts  Participation  62 

Appendix  D;  Technical  Information  64 

Path  Analysis  64 

Data  Analysis  65 

Notes  66 

Bibliography  71 

About  the  Authors  74 

Other  Reports  on  Arts  Participation  75 

Tables 

Table  1 .       Arts  Education  Indices  I  SPPA92)  1 9 

Table  2.       Arts  Activities  bv  Art  Forms  Surveyed  20 

Table  3.  Arts  Participation  Indices  (SPPA92)  21 
Table  4.       Respondent  Background  and  Lifestyle  \  ariabies 

Used  in  Analyses  (SPPA92)  22 
Table  5.       Effects  of  Arts  Education  and  Sociodemographic 

Characteristics  on  Arts  Participation  25 
Table  6.       Differences  in  Arts  Education  by  Race/Ethnicitv. 

Gender,  and  Socioeconomic  Status  28 
Table  7.       Differences  in  Arts  Participation  by  Race/Ethnicity, 

Gender,  and  Socioeconomic  Status  29 
Table  8.       Comparison  of  Effects  of  School-Based  and 

Community-Based  Arts  Education  on  Arts  Participation  31 


Table  9.       Effects  of  Arts  Education  on  Arts  Participation: 

Summary  of  Predictors  from  Final  Models  32 

Table  10.     Comparison  of  Effects  of  Overall  Years  of  Education 

and  of  Arts  Education  Density  on  Arts  Participation  36 

Table  B.l.   Changes  Due  to  Adding  Leisure  Index  to  the  Analyses  61 

Table  C.  1 .  Arts  Consumption  by  Sociodemographic  Background 
(Model  I)  and  Years  of  Education  After  Taking  into 
Account  Sociodemographic  Background  (Model  II)  63 

Table  C.2.  Arts  Production  by  Sociodemographic  Background 
(Model  I)  and  Years  of  Education  After  Taking  into 
Account  Sociodemographic  Background  (Model  II)  63 

Figures 

Figure  1.      General  Analytic  Model  17 

Figure  2.      Complete  Theoretical  Model  18 

Figure  3.     Analytical  Model  Measuring  Demographics,  Arts 

Education,  and  Arts  Participation  27 

Figure  4.      Relationship  Between  General  Education  and  Arts 

Education  35 

Figure  5  A.  Relative  Effect  of  Years  of  Education  on  Arts 

Attendance  over  Different  Levels  of  Arts  Education  38 

Figure  5B.  Relative  Effect  of  Years  of  Education  on  Audio-Media 

Arts  Participation  over  Different  Levels  of  Arts 

Education  39 

Figure  5C.  Relative  Effect  of  Years  of  Education  on  Video-Media 

Arts  Participation  over  Different  Levels  of  Arts 

Education  39 

Figure  5D.  Relative  Effect  of  Years  of  Education  on  Arts  Creation 

over  Different  Levels  of  Arts  Education  40 

Figure  6A.  Relative  Effect  of  Arts  Education  on  Arts  Attendance 

over  Different  Levels  of  Education     •  42 

Figure  6B.  Relative  Effect  of  Arts  Education  on  Video-Media 

Arts  Participation  over  Different  Levels  of  Education  42 

Figure  6C.  Relative  Effect  of  Arts  Education  on  Arts  Creation 

over  Different  Levels  of  Education  43 

Figure  6D.  Relative  Effect  of  Arts  Education  on  Audio-Media 

Arts  Participation  over  different  Levels  of  Education  43 


Executive  Summary 


Introduction 

The  arts  education  that  Americans  gain  and  its  potential  effect  on  their  par- 
ticipation in  the  arts  is  an  issue  that  is  central  to  the  development  and 
preservation  of  our  uniquely  diverse  American  culture.  Thus  it  is  critical  to 
look  very  carefully  at  what  kind  of  education  in  the  arts  Americans  receive, 
where  they  receive  it,  and  what  influence  it  may  have  on  active  involvement 
in  the  arts  later  in  life.  Information  regarding  the  impact  of  arts  education  on 
arts  participation  is  necessary  for  any  individual  or  organization  interested  in 
arts  education  at  any  level  or  in  the  broader  range  of  educational  and  cultural 
policy. 

This  report  identifies  broad  patterns  of  arts  participation  and  arts  educa- 
tion among  the  American  public  and  investigates  the  effects  of  arts  education 
on  arts  participation  as  they  apply  to  all  Americans.1  The  focus  is  on  the  fol- 
lowing questions: 

1 .  Do  people  become  more  actively  involved  in  music,  dance,  writing,  act- 
ing, and  visual  arts  as  a  consequence  of  arts  education? 

2.  How  does  arts  education  make  a  contribution  (or  reduce  the  differences) 
to  arts  participation  among  people  of  different  socioeconomic  status,  gen- 
der, racial,  and  ethnic  groups? 

3.  Do  any  of  the  answers  to  the  above  questions  differ  when  distinguishing 
between  arts  education  that  is  based  in  K— 12  schools  and  that  which  is 
based  in  the  private  sector  community  outside  of  school? 

4.  Which  is  more  important  to  increasing  active  participation — arts  educa- 
tion or  general  education? 

This  report  uses  data  from  the  1992  Survey  of  Public  Participation  in  the 
Arts  (SPPA92),  which  was  conducted  by  the  U.S.  Census  Bureau  on  behalf  of 
the  National  Endowment  for  the  Arts,  and  is  to  date  the  most  comprehensive 
indication  of  arts  participation  in  the  United  States.  Data  are  representative  of 
the  population  of  the  United  States  with  respect  to  age,  race,  and  gender.  Even 
the  most  basic  analyses  reveal  important  differences  in  both  arts  education  and 
arts  participation  among  the  racial  and  ethnic  groups  considered  in  the 
SPPA92:  namely,  African  Americans,  Asians,  Hispanics,  Native  Americans, 
and  whites.  Therefore,  in  this  report  each  group  is  considered  separately.2 


Measures 

The  art  forms  from  the  SPPA92  that  were  used  predominantly  in  these 
analyses  are  (depending  on  the  particular  variable)  classical  music,  jazz,  opera, 
musical  play  or  operetta,  non-musical  dramatic  play,  ballet,  other  forms  of 
dance,  poetry,  novels  or  short  stories,  visual  art,  and  video  programs  about  the 
arts  or  artists.  Although  the  SPPA92  does  not  include  all  art  forms  and  types 
of  art  in  which  Americans  participate,  it  does  allow  consideration  of  three  di- 
mensions of  arts  participation:  attendance,  production,  and  accessing  the  arts 
via  the  media.  In  this  report,  participation  in  the  arts  activities  included  in  the 
survey  is  also  considered  as  either  consumptive  (attendance  and  media-ac- 
cessed arts  participation)  or  productive  (performance,  creating)  in  nature. 
With  this  distinction,  it  is  important  to  keep  in  mind  that  consumptive  par- 
ticipation is  not  merely  passive.  Individuals  actively  "consuming"  music,  liter- 
ature, dramatic  performances,  dance,  or  visual  displays  of  art  use  their  active 
perception  and  critical  reasoning  skills. 

For  the  purposes  of  this  report,  the  measures  of  arts  consumption  em- 
ployed were  the  following:  live  attendance  at  arts  performances  (attendance); 
listening  to  radio  broadcasts  or  audio  recordings  on  record,  tape,  or  compact 
disc  (audio  media);  watching  performances  on  television  and/or  using  a 
videocassette  recorder  (VCR)  (video  media);  and  reading  print  literature  or 
listening  to  recordings  of  print  literature  (print  media).  Additive  standardized 
scales  of  arts  consumption  were  constructed,  which  awarded  points  for  the 
number  of  times  the  respondent  consumed  a  particular  type  of  music,  drama, 
dance,  or  visual  art  display  in  the  12  months  that  preceded  the  survey.3  Over 
12,500  Americans  responded  to  questions  of  this  type. 

As  previously  stated,  arts  production  is  defined  as  either  performing  (per- 
formance) or  creating  (creation).  Once  again,  additive  scales  were  constructed, 
awarding  a  point  for  each  type  created  or  performed  and,  for  both  scales,  an 
additional  point  if  the  performance  or  creation  was  publicly  demonstrated. 
The  sample  size  for  arts  production  questions  was  5,701. 

Finally,  an  arts  education  index  (arts  education  density)  was  created  to  rep- 
resent both  the  breadth  and  depth  of  arts  instruction  across  a  lifetime.  One 
point  was  assigned  for  each  type  of  class  taken  and  one  point  for  each  time  pe- 
riod (elementary,  high  school,  college,  or  adult  years)  during  which  the  re- 
spondent took  classes.  On  the  other  hand,  scales  for  school-based  and  com- 
munity-based arts  education  represented  only  the  number  of  art  forms  in 
which  the  respondent  had  lessons  while  of  school  age  (through  age  17). 

The  SPPA92  also  requested  information  about  the  respondent's  back- 


ground,  including  sociodemographic  characteristics  such  as  gender,  race,  and 
ethnicity.  For  the  purposes  of  this  report,  data  indicating  respondent's  family 
income,  parents'  level  of  education,  and  the  number  of  cars  the  respondent 
owned  were  combined  into  a  standardized  measure  of  socioeconomic  status 
(SES).  Respondents  also  answered  questions  about  their  leisure  activities 
(movies,  sports,  amusement  parks,  exercise,  outdoor  activities,  volunteer  or 
charity  work,  home  improvement/repair,  and  gardening)  and  the  number  of 
hours  they  watched  television  on  an  average  day.  These  responses  were  com- 
bined into  a  standardized  measure  of  leisure  activity. 


Research  Focus 

The  purpose  of  this  report  is  not  to  consider  differences  in  arts  participa- 
tion by  race  and  ethnicity.4  However,  from  a  perspective  of  aesthetic  and  ed- 
ucational egalitarianism,  the  question  is  asked:  Does  arts  education  make  arts 
participation  more  accessible  to  Americans?  To  answer  this  question,  arts  par- 
ticipation as  an  outcome  of  arts  education  was  viewed,  taking  into  considera- 
tion one's  lifestyle.  Also  explored  was  the  question  of  whether  arts  education 
reduced  or  possibly  eliminated  observed  gender,  ethnic,  or  socioeconomic  sta- 
tus differences  in  arts  participation. 

Further,  because  the  SPPA92  questions  distinguished  between  arts  educa- 
tion received  in  school  from  that  received  in  the  community  (outside  of 
school),  it  was  possible  to  compare  the  effects  of  these  two  arts  education 
agencies  on  arts  participation  and  to  pay  special  attention  to  the  sociodemo- 
graphic characteristics  of  those  who  receive  arts  education  from  each.  This  was 
done  in  recognition  of  the  view  that  public  schools  emphasize  equality  of  op- 
portunity and  are  therefore  of  somewhat  different  purpose  than  most  arts  ed- 
ucation programs  available  through  the  private  sector,  which  often  require  fi- 
nancial remuneration  from  the  students  or  their  families.5 


Findings 

Effects  of  Arts  Education  on  Arts  Participation 

To  summarize  the  results  in  different  areas  more  specifically,  each  outcome 
has  been  highlighted  with  a  summary  of  findings,  followed  by  some  general 
observations  concerning  patterns  of  effects.6 


Arts  Attendance 

•  Men  and  women  are  about  equally  likely  to  attend  a  performance  of 
music,  opera,  drama,  dance,  or  a  museum  exhibit,  once  one  takes  into  ac- 
count social  and  personal  background  characteristics  and  how  much  time 
a  person  has  available  to  attend  an  arts  performance. 

•  Those  who  had  more  arts  education  were  more  likely  to  attend  arts  per- 
formances— a  relationship  which  was  about  four  times  stronger  than  that 
of  any  other  factor  considered. ' 

•  More  than  half  the  initial  differences  in  attendance  associated  with  SES — 
ones  ability  to  pay — were  removed  by  considering  differences  in  arts  edu- 
cation. 

•  Maintaining  a  busier  lifestyle  reduces  one's  rate  of  arts  attendance. 

Arts  Accessed  Through  Audio  Media 

•  The  number  of  art  forms  Asians  listened  to  via  recordings  and  broadcasts 
of  music  and  drama  was  comparable  to  whites,  whereas  African  Americans 
had  broader  listening  habits. 

•  Arts  education  was  much  more  important  in  predicting  this  type  of  arts 
participation  than  personal  background  or  leisure  and  more  strongly  pre- 
dicts arts  listening  than  any  other  type  of  arts  participation. 

•  Higher  socioeconomic  status  led  to  increased  participation  via  audio 
media  but  was  only  one-third  as  strong  a  predictor  as  arts  education. 

Arts  Accessed  Through  Video  Media 

0  Of  those  factors  considered  in  this  study,  arts  education  was  the  only  pre- 
dictor of  watching  the  arts  on  television  or  via  VCR. 

0  The  variables  in  these  analyses  predicted  very  little  of  this  type  of  arts  par- 
ticipation. Therefore,  many  of  the  influences  as  to  why  people  watch  the 
arts  on  television  remain  unexplained. 

Arts  Accessed  Through  Print  and  Print-Related  Media 

"  Women  read  more  than  men,  even  after  taking  SES  and  level  of  arts  edu- 
cation into  account. 

9  Asian  and  Hispanics  had  less  print-media  involvement  than  whites  and 
African  Americans,  again  after  taking  SES  and  level  of  arts  education  into 
account. 

•  Those  with  higher  levels  of  socioeconomic  status  also  read  more. 


e  Those  with  more  education  in  the  arts  read  more.  This  factor  was  by  far 
the  strongest  single  predictor  of  time  spent  reading  among  the  factors  con- 
sidered. 

Arts  Creation 

•  Men  reported  spending  much  less  of  their  time  creating  (photography, 
needlework,  painting,  musical  composition,  creative  writing)  than  did 
women,  even  after  taking  arts  education,  alternate  leisure  activity  level, 
and  SES  into  account. 

•  African  Americans  reported  spending  less  time  creating  than  did  other 
ethnic  groups,  even  after  adjusting  for  the  amount  of  arts  education  one 
had. 

•    Arts  education  was  the  strongest  predictor  of  arts  creation,  reducing  the  ef- 
fect of  SES  substantially. 

•  Those  more  active  in  other  pursuits  reported  less  arts  creation.  In  fact, 
when  the  amount  of  leisure  activity  was  also  taken  into  account,  SES 
showed  no  independent  effect  on  participation  in  arts  creation. 

Arts  Performance 

•  African  Americans  reported  spending  less  time  performing  than  did  the 
other  racial/ethnic  groups. 

°  Arts  performance  was  the  only  type  of  arts  participation  that  was  not  pre- 
dicted by  arts  education  despite  the  probable  dominance  of  arts  perfor- 
mance as  a  goal  and  instructional  practice  within  arts  education.8 

•  Much  of  the  influence  of  arts  performance  remains  undefined. 

Arts  education  was  the  strongest  predictor  of  almost  all  types  of  arts  par- 
ticipation (arts  performance  being  the  exception).  Those  with  the  most  arts 
education  were  also  the  highest  consumers  and  creators  of  various  forms  of  vi- 
sual art,  music,  drama,  dance,  or  literature.  Similarly,  the  higher  ones  SES,  the 
more  one  participates  in  arts  activities.  On  the  other  hand,  at  least  half  of  the 
effect  of  SES  on  all  types  of  arts  participation  was  attributable  to  differences 
in  arts  education.  Although  SES  was  not  as  important  in  increasing  participa- 
tion as  was  arts  education,  it  did  function  as  a  resource  factor,  contributing  to 
whether  or  not  a  person  received  education  in  the  arts.  In  addition,  of  all  types 
of  arts  participation,  listening  to  the  arts  via  audio  media  was  the  most  de- 
pendent on  SES,  further  revealing  socioeconomic  status  as  a  restrictive  force 
on  arts  participation. 


School-Based  vs.  Community-Based  Arts  Education 

As  a  final  exploration  into  the  impact  of  arts  education,  consideration  was 
given  to  the  question  of  how  respondents'  lessons  in  the  arts  taken  before  the 
age  of  17  in  school  and  in  the  private  sector  contribute  to  arts  participation, 
both  separately  and  together;  and  to  the  impact  of  demographic  background 
of  students  engaged  by  each  type  of  arts  education  agency. 

Findings  indicate  that  the  higher  one's  socioeconomic  status,  the  more  arts 
education  one  received,  regardless  of  where  that  education  was  gained,  even 
after  adjusting  for  personal  background.  It  is  noteworthy  that  SES  was  more 
important  to  increased  community-based  arts  education  than  it  was  for 
school-based  arts.  Whereas  men  were  only  slightly  less  likely  than  women  to 
take  arts  courses  in  school,  they  were  much  less  likely  to  do  so  in  the  commu- 
nity-based arts  education  agencies  outside  of  school. 

After  adjusting  for  socioeconomic  status  and  gender,  African  Americans, 
Asians,  Hispanics,  and  whites  had  about  the  same  level  of  involvement  in  arts 
education  in  schools.  In  sharp  contrast,  white  respondents  reported  much 
higher  levels  of  community  arts  education  than  did  Asian,  African  American, 
or  Hispanic,  even  after  adjusting  for  socioeconomic  status  and  gender. 

Effects  on  Arts  Participation 

For  almost  every  type  of  arts  participation,  the  more  one  received  of  both 
school-  and  community-based  arts  education,  the  more  one  participated  in 
the  arts  as  an  adult,  either  through  consumption  or  creation.9  The  exception 
was  once  again  in  arts  performance,  where  having  received  community-based 
arts  education  as  a  child  or  youth  did  nothing  to  predict  arts  performance,  and 
receiving  school-based  education  actually  decreased  the  likelihood  somewhat 
that  individuals  would  continue  to  perform  as  adults. 

In  sum,  a  comparison  of  school-based  and  community-based  arts  educa- 
tion does  not  yield  a  simple  picture  as  to  their  relative  effects  on  arts  partici- 
pation. When  compared  to  school-based  arts  education,  receiving  arts  educa- 
tion that  is  community-based  tends  to  reflect  individuals  who  were  higher  in 
two  types  of  arts  participation  (attendance  and  video-media  involvement).  Al- 
though arts  education  in  school  contributed  to  more  time  spent  in  arts  cre- 
ation, it  appears  to  slightly  decrease  the  likelihood  of  participation  in  arts  per- 
formance. Each  type  of  arts  education  exerted  comparable  influence  on 
audio-media  involvement.  The  largest  difference  between  them  was  in  con- 
sumption of  arts  via  video  media,  in  which  community-based  arts  education 
was  much  more  important  than  school-based  arts  education. 


Effects  of  General  Education  vs.  Arts  Education  on 
Arts  Participation 

Three  sets  of  analyses  for  each  form  of  arts  participation  were  conducted 
to  compare  the  impact  on  arts  participation  played  by  arts  education  and  by 
the  broader  socialization  context  of  education.10  Because  individuals1  access  to 
these  types  of  education  was  related  to  other  background  features  (SES,  gen- 
der, and  ethnicity),  an  analysis  was  made  of  (1)  the  relationship  between  arts 
education  and  education,  (2)  the  independent  effect  of  each  type  of  education 
on  arts  participation  after  taking  the  other  into  account,  and  (3)  the  contin- 
gent effects  of  education  and  arts  education;  that  is,  the  effect  of  one  depend- 
ing on  how  much  of  the  other  one  received. 

Overall,  education  is  generative — more  education  in  the  arts  also  shows 
higher  levels  of  general  education  and  vice  versa.  Interestingly,  differences  in 
school-  and  community-based  arts  education  primarily  occurred  between  and 
around  the  point  of  high  school  graduation.  High  school  dropouts  reported 
having  received  much  less  school-based  arts  education  than  did  high  school 
graduates. 

Independent  Effects  of  Arts  Education  and  Education  on  Arts 
Participation 

Generally,  more  arts  education  or  education  (hence,  arts/education) 
meant  more  arts  consumption  (attending,  listening  to,  watching,  or  reading) 
and  more  arts  creating  (writing,  composing,  drawing,  painting).  Indeed,  arts 
education  had  a  much  stronger  impact  than  did  overall  educational  attain- 
ment, even  after  taking  personal  background  and  socioeconomic  status  into 
account. 

This  difference  is  not  surprising,  given  that  general  education  is  by  nature 
less  arts-specific.  However,  there  are  two  remarkable  observations.  First,  al- 
though much  arts  instruction,  particularly  in  the  schools,  stresses  the  devel- 
opment of  arts  performance  or  production  skills,  it  was  arts  consumption  and 
creation  that  were  more  related  to  arts  education,  not  the  more  logical  arts 
performance.  Arts  education  (received  in  either  the  school  or  the  community) 
and  overall  education,  once  again,  did  not  impact  arts  performance  at  all.  Sec- 
ond, the  effect  of  education  on  arts  creation  does  not  remain  after  one  con- 
siders differences  in  individuals'  level  of  arts  education.  However,  years  of  ed- 
ucation continued  to  be  a  significant  factor  in  predicting  Americans'  arts 
consumption  habits,  even  after  taking  into  account  the  effect  of  arts  educa- 
tion. This  result  implies  that  education  operates  as  a  socialization  force,  even 
if  not  as  directly  related  to  arts  participation  as  arts  education. 


Interdependency  of  Arts  Education  and  Overall  Education 

Because  both  arts  education  and  general  education  influenced  patterns  of 
arts  consumption,  whether  the  patterns  themselves  were  different  was  ex- 
plored, as  well  as  whether  the  effects  of  overall  education  and  arts  education 
changed  depending  on  how  much  of  the  other  a  person  had  received.  It  could 
be,  for  example,  that  getting  a  solid  arts  education  has  a  stronger  effect  on  stu- 
dents who  have  a  strong  educational  background  in  general,  so  that  arts  edu- 
cation simply  adds  on  to  the  effect  of  other  schooling.  On  the  other  hand,  it 
could  be  the  case  that  arts  education  is  more  important  for  students  with  less 
overall  education.  Put  another  way,  if  schooling  partiallv  compensates  for  a 
lack  of  an  education  in  the  arts,  then  the  specific  influence  of  arts  education 
mav  only  show  up  for  students  who  have  had  limited  schooling.  This  question 
frames  the  last  set  of  analyses. 

When  looking  at  print-media  involvement  (reading  and/or  listening  to 
books,  plavs,  and  poetry),  findings  revealed  that  there  was  no  shift  in  the  ef- 
fects based  on  the  influence  of  the  other  type  of  education.  The  effect  of  arts 
education  on  print-media  involvement  remained  independent  of  overall  edu- 
cational attainment;  in  other  words,  more  arts  education  resulted  in  more  in- 
volvement both  at  the  low  and  the  high  ends  of  the  educational  spectrum. 
This  is  remarkable  considering  the  prominent  role  of  reading  in  so  many  as- 
pects of  education. 

However,  when  looking  at  arts  attendance  and  audio-  and  video-media  ac- 
cessed arts  consumption,  findings  revealed  that  the  effects  of  general  educa- 
tion changed,  depending  on  how  much  arts  education  one  had  received. 
Specificallv.  those  people  with  high  levels  of  general  education  and  a  more  ex- 
tensive arts  education  experience  were  much  higher  in  their  arts  attendance 
and  consumption  than  were  those  with  comparable  general  education  but  lit- 
tle or  no  arts-specific  education.  Similarly,  arts  education  had  a  more  power- 
ful impact  on  arts  attendance  for  individuals  of  greater  overall  educational  at- 
tainment; whereas  arts  education  alone,  without  the  larger  socialization  that 
education  provides,  had  less  of  an  impact  on  arts  attendance.  A  similar  pat- 
tern was  observed  regarding  rates  of  watching  televised  or  video-recorded  arts 
events.  This  would  suggest  that  this  type  of  arts  participation  and  arts  atten- 
dance are  operating  along  the  same  dynamic:  arts  education  makes  more  of  a 
difference  when  students  have  the  larger  socialization  of  education  in  place.  In 
general,  these  two  different  aspects  of  education  reinforced  each  other,  mak- 
ing the  final  impact  on  arts  attendance  much  stronger. 

Curiously,  those  people  with  high  levels  of  general  education  and  a  more 
extensive  arts  education  spent  less  time,  rather  than  more,  creating  arts  (writ- 
ing, composing,  painting,  drawing,  etc.).  The  effect  of  arts  education  on  arts 


creation  had  a  very  different  meaning  relative  to  an  individuals  overall  educa- 
tion. Although  arts  education  did  increase  the  amount  of  arts  creation  for  all 
individuals,  it  was  more  important  for  those  who  had  less  education  in  other 
disciplines.  For  example,  a  student  who  dropped  out  of  high  school  having  re- 
ceived a  great  deal  of  arts  education  (in  or  out  of  school)  created  far  more  arts 
as  an  adult  than  did  a  similar  person  who  attended  college. 

Finally,  it  was  observed  that  arts  education  helped  equalize  the  effects  of 
overall  education  on  arts  listening.  People  without  any  arts  education  were 
very  differentiated  according  to  their  educational  background  with  regard  to 
their  arts  listening.  As  arts  education  increased  they  became  more  similar  to 
each  other,  to  the  degree  that  among  people  with  a  great  deal  of  arts  educa- 
tion, college  graduates  and  high  school  dropouts  exhibited  comparable  arts  lis- 
tening habits. 


Introduction 


The  Role  of  Arts  Education  in  Defining  a  Uniquely 
Diverse  American  Culture 

American  culture  is  unique  in  its  incorporation  of  a  diversity  of  artistic  tra- 
ditions. In  order  to  ensure  the  continued  definition  of  our  American  cul- 
ture, each  successive  generation  of  Americans  must  gain  basic  cultural  experi- 
ences so  that  they  are  accustomed  and  equipped  to  contribute  to  or  participate 
in  their  national  artistic  culture.  Arts  education  lies  at.  the  center  of  this  propo- 
sition, one  that  has  its  place  in  any  discussion  of  national  purpose  and  iden- 
tity. For  the  elements  of  American  culture  are  transmitted  via  exposure,  expe- 
rience, skill,  and  understanding  in  the  arts,  gained  through  socialization  and 
arts  education.  Toward  this  process,  it  is  crucial  to  understand  the  effect  of  arts 
education  on  arts  participation  in  order  to  plan  the  goals,  content,  and  con- 
text (public,  private,  and  parochial  school,  or  private  community-based)  of 
our  efforts  at  arts  education.  The  purpose  of  this  report  is  to  distinguish  broad 
patterns  of  arts  education  and  arts  participation  among  the  American  public 
and  to  investigate  the  relationship  between  arts  education  and  arts  participa- 
tion as  it  applies  to  all  Americans. 


Connecting  Arts  Education  and  Arts  Participation 

Contemporarv  reports  on  arts  education  have  emphasized  the  intrinsic 
value  for  Americans  of  an  education  in  the  arts;  that  is,  the  position  that  it's 
important  to  learn  about  the  arts  because  (1)  they  are  subjects  worth  knowing 
in  their  own  right,  with  identifiable  bodies  of  instructional  content;  and  (2) 
they  are  ways  of  thinking,  knowing,  and  learning  about  the  world. l  ]  From 
this  viewpoint,  arts  education  makes  a  contribution  to  American  society  that 
cannot  be  annexed  by  any  other  opportunities  provided  by  schools  or  any 
other  arts  or  social  agencies;  in  short,  an  education  in  the  arts  valued  for  its 
own  sake.  Also  recognized  is  the  role  arts  education  plays  in  transmitting  and 
understanding  American  culture,  enabling  students  to  become  informed  con- 
sumers of  the  arts;  giving  students  a  sense  of  shared  community;  allowing  stu- 
dents to  discover  their  artistic  potentials,  fostering  their  creativity;  developing 
a  view  of  the  arts  as  essential  to  daily  life,  and  supporting  the  acquisition  of 
knowledge  in  other  subjects. 


Inherent  in  the  intrinsically  artistic  view  of  arts  education,  as  well  as  in  the 
broader  affirmations  about  the  benefits  and  purpose  of  arts  education,  is  the 
goal  of  connecting  people  with  their  national  culture  through  their  participa- 
tion in  the  arts.  For  when  people  attend  an  arts  performance,  create  art,  or  ac- 
cess the  arts  through  the  media  (among  other  possibilities  for  arts  participa- 
tion), this  practice  reflects  not  only  aspects  of  their  life  experience  and 
personal  situation,  or  their  innate  artistic  potential,  but  also  their  education  in 
the  arts.  It  is  these  relationships  between  personal  background,  arts  education, 
and  arts  participation  that  are  explored  in  this  report  using  data  from  the 
SPPA92. 

Understanding  these  associations  is  critical  to  the  discussion  about  arts  ed- 
ucation policy  at  a  time  when  (1)  individuals  and  organizations  concerned 
with  arts  education  have  offered  recommendations  regarding  school  arts  edu- 
cation curricula,  structure,  funding,  testing,  teachers,  policy,  and  research;  (2) 
the  U.S.  Department  of  Education  has  accepted  arts  standards  that  define 
what  every  American  should  know  and  be  able  to  do  in  the  arts  from  the  Con- 
sortium of  National  Arts  Education  Associations  (Associations,  1994);  and  (3) 
the  National  Assessment  of  Educational  Progress,  scheduled  for  1997,  will  be 
a  national  assessment  of  students'  achievement  in  the  arts.  Aside  from  this 
public  attention  to  arts  education,  the  majority  of  Americans  retain  private 
goals  for  their  children  that  include  having  them  learn  about  the  arts  {Ameri- 
cans and  the  Arts  VI,  1992).  In  holding  this  personal  value  system  and  in  un- 
dertaking these  types  of  policy  initiatives  and  recommendations,  as  a  nation 
and  as  individuals,  we  not  only  deem  arts  education  as  a  goal,  but  imply  that 
arts  education  is  a  means  toward  an  end — a  means  toward  participation  in  the 
arts  as  adult  citizens. 


Analytical  View  of  Arts  Participation 

In  this  report,  arts  participation  as  an  outcome  of  arts  education  and  pat- 
terns of  arts  participation  by  personal  background  (gender,  race/ethnicity,  so- 
cioeconomic status)  are  considered.  Through  statistical  analyses  a  determina- 
tion is  made  as  to  how  much  of  the  patterns  of  Americans'  arts  participation 
is  attributable  to  arts  education,  sociodemographic  characteristics,  and  in- 
volvement in  leisure  activities.  The  SPPA92  also  allows  for  the  distinction  be- 
tween arts  education  provided  in  schools  and  in  the  community.  Explored  also 
are  the  effects  of  overall  general  educational  attainment  on  arts  participation 
in  order  to  compare  them  with  the  effects  of  arts-specific  education.  Thus,  it 
is  possible  to  provide  information  to  agencies  and  individuals  responsible  for 
arts  education  policy  on: 


s     the  strength  or  arts  education  as  a  predictor  of  arts  participation,  even  after 
taking  into  account  sociodemographic  characteristics  and  lifestyle. 

•  the  ability  of  arts  education  to  mediate  the  influence  of  sociodemographic 
differences  on  arts  participation. 

•  the  relative  effects  of  school-based  vs.  communitv-based  arts  education. 

•  the  relative  effects  of  arts  education  and  general  education  on  arts  partici- 
pation. 

Sociodemographic  Background 

Obviously  factors  other  than  arts  education  influence  arts  participation, 
including  sociodemographic  characteristics  such  as  gender,  race,  ethnicity,  and 
socioeconomic  status.  In  this  report,  differences  in  arts  participation  based  on 
these  characteristics  are  determined,  along  with  the  effects  of  arts  education 
on  arts  participation,  taking  into  account  the  influence  of  these  other  factors. 

Based  on  previous  research,  it  is  anticipated  that  differences  in  arts  partic- 
ipation by  sociodemographic  background  will  be  discovered.12  However,  it  is 
not  the  aim  of  this  report  to  investigate  the  effects  of  sociodemographic  char- 
acteristics on  arts  participation. 1?  Rather,  the  effects  of  gender,  race,  ethnicity, 
and  socioeconomic  status  on  arts  participation  are  considered  in  order  to  de- 
termine how  arts  education  may  reduce  or  remove  any  differences  in  arts  par- 
ticipation by  sociodemographic  background. 

School-Based  and  Communitv-Based  Arts  Education 

/ 

As  a  nation,  Americans  value  the  concept  of  equal  opportunity  and  view 
schools  as  institutions  charged  with  upholding  this  ideal.  This  educational 
value  is  related  to  David  Pankratzs  (1987)  concept  of  aesthetic  justice,  which 
he  defines  as  the  equitable  distribution  of  aesthetic  wealth  among  members  of 
a  society.  Pankratz  identifies  that: 

To  achieve  an  equitable  distribution  of  aesthetic  wealth,  it  is  essential 
that  a  society's  members  have  ample  opportunities  to  experience  ob- 
jects of  high  aesthetic  value,  whatever  their  geographic  location  or  so- 
cial stratum.  For  aesthetic  justice  to  prevail,  policymakers  have  an  ad- 
ditional obligation  to  increase  the  aesthetic  capability  of  a  society's 
members,  i.e.,  those  critical  and  appreciative  skills  needed  for  persons 
to  best  take  advantage  of  the  aesthetic  opportunities  presented  to 
them  (p.  17). 

In  recognition  of  these  concepts  of  educational  and  aesthetic  egalitarian- 


ism,  it  is  critical  to  view  schools  as  important  arts  education  agencies  and  to 
consider  their  relationship  to  arts  education  institutions  that  are  based  in  the 
larger  community,  outside  of  school.14  The  following  discussion,  therefore, 
considers  the  comparative  effects  of  school-based  and  community-based  arts 
education  on  arts  participation,  paying  particular  attention  to  the  sociodemo- 
graphic  characteristics  of  those  individuals  who  learn  about  the  arts  in  each 
type  of  arts  education  setting. 

Relative  Effects  of  Arts  Education  and  Overall 
Educational  Attainment 

There  are  many  studies  that  substantiate  the  strong,  positive  relationship 
between  overall  educational  attainment  and  arts  participation.15  In  this  re- 
port, the  effects  of  overall  educational  attainment  on  arts  participation  are 
compared  with  those  of  arts  education.  This  is  in  keeping  with  contemporary 
arts  education  writings  that  promote  arts  education  as  an  intrinsically  worth- 
while endeavor,  thus  supporting  the  development  of  an  arts  education-specific 
policy  that  goes  beyond  advocating  increased  levels  of  general  education  as  a 
way  to  increase  arts  participation  for  more  people. 


Organization  and  Content  of  This  Report 

In  Part  1  the  conceptualization  of  arts  participation  and  arts  education  is 
detailed,  and  the  variables  from  SPPA92  that  were  used  in  this  analyses  are  de- 
fined. Also  explained  is  the  general  plan  for  data  analysis.  In  Part  2  a  brief  ex- 
planation is  offered  on  how  to  read  and  understand  the  results  of  these  analy- 
ses as  represented  in  the  tables. 

In  Parts  2  and  3  the  effects  of  arts  education  and  the  comparative  effects 
of  arts  education  and  overall  education  on  arts  participation  are  considered. 
Each  part,  or  section,  (1)  frames  the  analysis  based  on  contemporary  issues  in 
education  or  arts  education;  (2)  presents  the  related  analytical  model,  includ- 
ing discussion  of  any  variables  unique  to  a  particular  section;  (3)  discusses  the 
results  of  the  effects  analyses;  and  (4)  concludes  with  an  overview  of  each  sec- 
tion's results. 


Summary  of  Research 
Methods  Used 


Description  of  the  SPPA  Surveys 

The  1982,  1985,  and  1992  Surveys  of  Public  Participation  in  the  Arts  were 
commissioned  by  the  National  Endowment  for  the  Arts.  They  were  de- 
signed to  be  the  most  comprehensive  national  surveys  on  arts  participation.16 
In  this  monograph  data  from  the  1992  survey  only  is  used.17  The  response 
rate  was  more  than  80  percent  and  the  sample  was  limited  to  individuals  over 
the  age  of  18  at  the  time  of  the  survey.  The  data  are  weighted  so  as  to  be  rep- 
resentative of  the  1992  U.S.  population  with  regard  to  age,  race,  and  gender. 
Questions  about  live  attendance  and  media  participation  during  the  previous 
12  months  were  asked  of  12,736  individuals  during  the  period  January-De- 
cember, 1992.  A  second  set  of  questions  about  arts  education,  leisure  activi- 
ties, music  preferences,  desire  for  additional  arts  participation,  and  personal 
arts  creating  or  performing  was  answered  by  5,701  individuals  during  the  sec- 
ond half  of  1992. 


Determining  the  Effects  of  Arts  Education  on 
Arts  Participation 

There  are  many  reasons  people  participate  in  arts  activities.  One  can  eas- 
ily speculate  that  a  tentative  list  might  include  one's  arts  experiences  as  a  child, 
parental  role  models,  financial  resources,  socioeconomic  status,  degree  of  par- 
ticipation in  leisure  activities,  and  finally,  for  purposes  of  this  report,  one's  ed- 
ucation in  the  arts. 

One  approach  is  to  describe  how  rates  of  arts  participation  increase/de- 
crease for  persons  with  different  amounts  of  arts  education;  to  say,  for  exam- 
ple, that  the  attendance  rate  at  classical  music  concerts  for  people  with  some 
arts  education  was  more  than  twice  that  of  people  with  none.  Examining  arts 
participation  rates  in  this  way  would  describe  a  general  trend  of  increased  arts 
participation  rates  for  people  of  higher  arts  education  levels  but  would  not  ex- 
plain any  underlying  reasons  why  this  was  the  case.18 


Another  approach  would  be  to  conduct  analyses  that  describe  the  type  and 
strength  of  the  relationship  between  arts  education  and  arts  participation.  To 
do  so  one  would  conduct  a  correlation  analysis.  A  positive  correlation  would 
indicate  a  relationship  between  arts  education  and  arts  participation  such  that 
as  arts  education  increased,  arts  participation  increased,  whereas  a  negative 
correlation  would  imply  the  opposite.19  A  positive  correlation  between  arts 
education  and  arts  participation,  no  matter  how  strong,  would  not  indicate 
that  arts  education  caused  increased  arts  participation.  The  possibility  would 
remain  that  another  trait  associated  with  arts  education  is  behind  more  edu- 
cated people's  increased  arts  participation.  For  example,  although  people  with 
more  arts  education  may  have  higher  rates  of  arts  participation,  and  a  strong 
statistical  relationship  may  exist  between  the  two,  this  could  be  explained  by 
the  fact  that  those  with  more  arts  education  have  greater  financial  resources 
with  which  to  support  their  arts  participation. 

Describing  the  rates  of  arts  participation  for  persons  of  different  arts  edu- 
cation levels  and  the  association  between  the  two  addresses  questions  of  how 
much  and  to  what  degree  arts  education  is  relevant  to  arts  participation;  it 
does  not  explain  why.  What  is  needed  is  an  approach  that  contrasts  the  influ- 
ence of  arts  education  on  arts  participation  with  that  of  other  traits  associated 
with  arts  participation;  that  is,  by  taking  into  account  other  known  influences 
on  arts  participation.  Given  the  breadth  of  the  information  supplied  by  the 
SPPA92,  it  was  possible  to  consider  the  effects  of  arts  education  on  arts  par- 
ticipation net  of  socioeconomic  status  and  elements  of  individual  leisure  ac- 
tivity that  may  compete  with  the  arts  for  resources,  such  as  time  and  money. 

Role  of  Personal  Background 

It  would  be  illogical  to  expect  that  arts  participation  would  be  completely 
independent  of  personal  background,  with  members  of  all  groups  (racial,  eth- 
nic, or  gender)  participating  at  a  comparable  degree.  To  do  so  would  be  to  ig- 
nore the  roles  socialization,  personal  preference,  and  personal  history  play  in 
defining  individual  choice  and  developing  group  and  personal  identity.  How- 
ever, in  these  analyses  the  effect  of  those  factors  connected  with  group  status 
were  removed,  thereby  isolating  the  effects  of  birth-determined  membership 
in  a  particular  group;  in  other  words,  to  consider  the  net  effect  of  group  mem- 
bership, or  that  portion  predetermined  by  birth.  To  find  such  net  effects 
would  put  forth  the  unfortunate  proposition  that  access  to  arts  education  in 
the  contemporary  United  States  may  be  determined  by  factors  over  which  a 
person  has  no  control. 


Genera!  Analytic  Plan 

The  analytic  plan  appropriate  for  this  type  of  inquiry  is  based  on  analysis 
of  covariance,  following  a  path-analytic  model.20  Even  in  its  simplest  form, 
the  theoretical  model  demonstrates  the  "path"  quality  implied  bv  its  name  (see 
Figure  1 ). 

In  this  general  analytic  model,  arts  participation  (C)  is  the  outcome;  and 
arts  education  (B)  is  the  factor  of  interest.  Its  effect  on  the  outcome  is  explored 
after  taking  into  account  sociodemographic  characteristics  (A)  of  the  respon- 
dents. Of  equal  importance  (given  the  consideration  of  egalitarian  goals  for 
arts  education  and  participation)  is  the  ability  of  this  model  to  estimate  the 
power  of  arts  education  to  mediate  (reduce  or  remove)  any  effects  of  sociode- 
mographic characteristics  on  arts  participation.  Then  the  effects  of  arts  edu- 
cation on  arts  participation  are  investigated,  after  taking  into  account  various 
aspects  oi  ones  lifestyle  that  may  compete  with  participating  in  the  arts  for 
ones  time  and  other  resources  (Figure  2). 

In  the  complete  model,  arts  participation  occurs  as  the  result  of  arts  edu- 
cation (B),  as  influenced  bv  sociodemographic  characteristics  (A),  and  after 
considering  the  competing  effects  of  one's  lifestyle  (C).  .Although  there  cer- 
tainlv  are  other  factors  that  influence  arts  participation  that  were  not  part  of 
this  survey,  and  therefore  cannot  be  taken  into  account  by  the  model,  data 
from  the  SPPA  do  allow  for  the  consideration  of  how  much  people  participate 
in  the  arts  as  functions  of  arts  education,  sociodemographic  characteristics, 
and  lifestyle. 


FiGURE  1 


General  Analytic  Mode! 


(A) 

Sociodemographic 

Characteristics 


(B) 

Arts  Education 


r 

(Ci 

Arts  Participation 

j 

FIGURE  2.  Coit 

iplete  Theoretical  Mode 

! 

(A) 

Sociodemographic 

Characteristics 

(B) 
Arts  Education 

(D) 

Arts  Participation 

1 

(Q 
Lifestyle 

Description  of  Variables 

This  section  details  the  construction  of  the  measures  of  arts  education  and 
arts  participation,  sociodemographic  background,  and  a  specific  lifestyle  fac- 
tor that  will  be  used  in  all  of  the  analyses  based  on  the  theoretical  model.  Vari- 
ables that  are  unique  to  specific  sections  of  this  report  are  described  therein. 
Because  composite  variables  were  constructed  using  available  information 
rather  than  deleting  cases,  there  were  very  little,  if  any,  missing  data  on  these 
measures. 


Indices  of  Arts  Education  and  Arts  Participation 


Arts  Education 


Because  each  survey  item  has  a  limited  range  of  response,  the  reliability  of 
any  one  item  for  reporting  experience  or  education  in  the  arts  is  very  limited. 
Therefore  it  was  necessary  to  combine  arts  education  in  different  art  forms  at 
different  time  points.21  Thus,  a  person  who  took  only  music  lessons  in  child- 
hood has  a  lower  arts  education  density  score  than  a  person  who  took  both 
music  and  art  lessons  as  a  child,  and  this  person  in  turn  has  a  lower  score  than 
one  who  took  both  types  of  lessons  both  in  childhood  and  as  a  teenager.  This 
combination  allows  for  the  use  of  a  weighted  estimator  of  arts  education  that 
is  more  stable  by  individual  and  that  has  a  more  reliable  distribution,  one  that 
is  necessary  for  the  type  of  statistical  techniques  used. 

Preliminary  analyses  employed  measures  of  arts  education  duration  and 


arts  education  concentration.--  Results  yielded  a  hi°;ri  correlation  between  the 
two  measures  and  overall  results  that  were  not  different  from  those  using  the 
more  comprehensive  measure.  The  more  general  consideration  of  arts  educa- 
tion was  labeled  Arts  Education  Density  (Table  1). 

Arts  education,  whether  received  in  school  or  in  the  community  outside 
the  school,  was  also  considered.  "School"  refers  to  the  respondent's  school  of 
attendance  and  not  necessarily  a  public  institution,  though  the  compulsory 
nature  of  education  in  the  United  States  is  in  contrast  with  the  more  elective 
nature  of  community-based,  private  education.23 


TABLE  1.     Arts  Education  Indices  (SPPA92) 


Index 


Description  (range) 


Arts  Education  Density 


Arts  Education  Agency 
Community 


School 


The  number  of  art  forms  in  which  respondent  had 
ciasses,  summed  across  five  time  periods;  1  point 
awarded  for  each  art  form  and  one  for  each  period. 
This  is  a  standardized  scale  of  duration,  weighted  by 
number  of  art  forms.  (0-40 > 


One  point  awarded  for  each  art  form  in  which  re- 
spondent received  instruction  in  the  larger  commu- 
nity, outside  of  school  while  of  school  age  (through 
1  -  ;  summed  for  all  art  forms  and  standardized.  (0-8) 

One  point  awarded  for  each  art  form  in  which  re- 
spondent received  instruction  in  school  while  of 
school  age  (through  1  7);  summed  for  ail  art  forms 
and  standardized.  (0-8) 


Arts  education  is  described  as  instruction  in  those  art  forms  that  were  in- 
cluded in  the  1992  survey  (Table  2).  Although  the  art  forms  surveyed  are  a 
broad  representation  of  those  in  which  Americans  participate  and  are  more  di- 
verse than  in  earlier  versions  of  the  SPPA,  they  are  primarily  those  art  forms 
of  particular  interest  to  the  National  Endowment  for  the  Arts  as  an  agency  of 
the  federal  government.  Despite  the  great  value  of  this  list,  it  would  be  unwise 
to  interpret  this  list  as  the  only  arts  in  which  Americans  participate. 


TABLE  2.     Arts  Activities  by  Art  Forms  Surveyed 


Arts  Acti\  it\ 

Art  Forms  Considered 

Arts  Education 

Lessons 

music,  visual  arts,  acting,  ballet,  other  dance,  cre- 

ative writing,  art  appreciation/history,  music  appreci- 

ation/?! istory 

Arts  Production 

Art  creation 

pottery,  needlework,  photography,  painting,  creative 

writing,  musical  composition 

Art  performance 

jazz,  classical,  opera,  musical  play/operetta,  choral 

music,  dramatic  acting,  ballet,  other  dance  forms 

Arts  Consumption 

Attendance 

jazz,  classical,  opera,  musical  play/operetta,  nonmu- 

sical  plav.  ballet,  other  dance  forms,  art 

museum/galleries 

Audio  media 

jazz,  classical,  opera,  musical  pla\  operetta,  nonmu- 

sical  play 

Video  media 

jazz,  classical,  opera,  musical  plav  operetta,  nonmu- 

sical  plav.  dance,  program  about  art/artists 

Print  and  print-related  media 

read  plays,  read  poetry,  read  novels  or  short  stories. 

listen  to  a  reading  of  poetry,  listen  to  a  reading  of 

novels  or  books 

Arts  Participation 


Ethnomusicolosists.  sociologists,  and  psychologists  have  considered  arts 
participation  from  various  perspectives.-4  Although  the  SPPA  ma\~  not  allow 
consideration  of  all  theoretical  definitions  of  arts  participation,  it  does  permit 
analysts  to  view  three  dimensions  or  arts  participation  that  are  central  to  anv 
discussion  of  arts  and  arts  education  policies:  attendance  at  arts  events,  arts 
production,  and  accessing  the  arts  through  media.-"  The  questions  and  orga- 
nization of  the  SPPA92  also  allowed  for  consideration  of  arts  consumption 
(attendance  and  media-accessed  participation1  vs.  arts  production  i perfor- 
mance and  creation)  (Table  3). 


TABLE  3. 

Arts  Participation  Indices  (SPPA92) 

Arts  Consumption 

Attendance 

the  number  of  arts  performances  attended,  summed 

across  arts  forms 

Audio  media 

the  number  of  art  forms  respondent  listened  to: 
radio  broadcast  or  audio  recording 

Video  media 

the  number  of  times  respondent  watched  the  arts 
(TV  or  VCRi 

Print  and  print 

-related 

media           the  number  of  times  respondent  engaged  in  reading 
print  literature  or  listening  to  recordings  of  print  lit- 
erature 

Arts  Production 

Creation 

1  point  for  each  art  form  created,  another  point  if 
the  artistic  creation  was  published,  displayed,  or 
performed  in  public 

Performance 

1  point  for  each  type  of  art  form  performed;  another 
point  if  the  performance  was  in  public 

Note:  All  indices  are  standardized  (mean  =  0;  s.d.  =  1 ) 

Respondent  Background  Variables 


Gender,  race/ethnicity,  and  socioeconomic  status  were  considered  as  ex- 
ogenous variables,  since  they  describe  traits  that  are  not  impacted  by  any  other 
variable  in  the  model.  Descriptions  of  these  variables  and  their  construction 
appear  in  Table  4. 

In  all  analyses,  race  and  ethnicity  were  entered  as  dichotomous,  or 
"dummy-coded''  variables.  That  is,  respondents  were  given  a  1  if  they  were  a 
member  of  the  group  in  question;  an  0  if  they  were  not.  As  is  necessary,  one 
group  is  designated  the  comparison  group.  In  this  reports  effect  analyses, 
white  served  this  role. 

In  preliminary  comparisons,  it  became  evident  that  African  American, 
Hispanic,  Asian,  and  white  respondents  had  very  different  experiences  in  both 
arts  education  and  participation.  Thus  it  was  necessary  to  consider  the  effects 
of  each  group  separately.  Although  Native  Americans  had  different  experi- 
ences as  well,  there  were  so  few  of  these  individuals  surveyed  (N=16)  that  it 


TABLE  4.   Respondent 
in  Analyses 

Background  and  Lifestyle  Variables  Used 
(SPPA92) 

Construct 
Variable 

Description 

Gender 

Male 

dummy-coded  Gender  variable.  Female  =  0;  Male  -  1 

Race/Ethnicity 

African  American 

dummy-coded  Race  variable.  White,  Hispanic,  Asian 
=  0;  African  American  =  1 

Hispanic 

dummy-coded  Race  variable.  White,  Asian,  African 
American  =  0;  Hispanic  =  1 

Asian 

dummy-coded  Race  variable.  White,  Hispanic,  African 
American  =  0;  Asian  =  1 

Socioeconomic  Status 
SES 

Standardized  composite  indicator  of  socioeconomic 
status.  Variables  included  were  family  income,  num- 
ber of  cars  owned,  and  level  of  parents'  education 

Lifestyle  Considerations 
Leisure  index 

Number  of  hours  spent  watching  TV  per  day  plus  1 
point  for  each  type  of  leisure  activity  in  which  respon- 
dent participated 

was  appropriate  to  exclude  them  from  these  analyses,  given  the  technical  re- 
quirements of  the  statistical  procedures  necessary  to  answer  the  research  ques- 
tions. 

Lifestyle  Considerations 


Lifestyle  is  represented  as  a  score  on  the  leisure  index  (LI).  The  LI  is  the 
sum  of  the  number  of  hours  the  respondent  reported  watching  television  per 
day  and  the  number  of  leisure  activities  in  which  respondent  participated 
(Table  4).  Leisure  activities  surveyed  in  the  1992  SPPA  include  movies,  sports 
(viewing  and  participation),  amusement  parks,  exercise,  outdoor  activities, 
volunteer/charity  work,  home  improvement/repair,  and  gardening  for  plea- 
sure. 


Effects  of  Arts  Education  on 
Arts  Participation 


This  section  examines  how  an  individuals  access  to  arts  education  might 
reflect  one's  social  background,  leading  to  differences  in  arts  participation. 
Specifically  explored  is  the  question  of  whether  gender  and  racial/ethnicity 
differences,  or  socioeconomic  status  differences  in  access  to  arts  education 
have  consequent  impact  on  arts  participation. 


Data  Source 

This  investigation  uses  information  gathered  from  the  SPPA92.26  Of  the 
total  sample  size  of  the  survey,  12,736,  over  5,000  specifically  responded  to 
items  concerning  (1)  personal  arts  participation  by  performing  or  creating,  (2) 
attendance  at  arts  activities  either  in  person  or  through  the  media,  and  (3)  par- 
ticipation in  other  leisure  activities.  In  addition,  these  individuals  provided 
some  limited  information  about  their  earlier  in-school  and  out-of-school  ed- 
ucation in  the  arts. 


Measures 

Three  sets  of  measures  were  used  for  these  analyses.2  The  first  set,  cap- 
turing individual  demographics,  includes  dichotomous  ethnic  measures  for 
Asian,  Hispanic,  and  African  American  (with  white  as  the  control  group);  a 
dichotomous  measure  identifying  males;  and  a  composite  measure  of  an  in- 
dividuals personal  income,  high-status  possessions,  and  parent  education,  as 
an  indicator  of  SES.  The  second  set  of  measures,  reflecting  arts  education 
background,  used  a  measure  of  arts  education  density,  a  standardized  scale 
weighted  by  the  number  of  art  forms  in  which  an  individual  received  educa- 
tion, as  well  as  by  the  number  of  time  periods  in  which  a  person  received  that 
education.  In  addition  to  this  overall  estimate,  separate  indices  for  education 
received  in  school  were  created  (school-based  arts  education)  and  for  that  re- 
ceived out  of  school  (community-based  arts  education).  These  two  variables 
considered  arts  education  obtained  only  through  age  17,  whereas  the  arts  ed- 
ucation density  index  also  included  lessons  obtained  as  an  adult. 


The  third  set  of  measures  reflects  personal  arts  participation,  which  is  con- 
sidered as  either  consumptive  or  productive  in  nature.  The  first  two  compos- 
ites are  performance  and  creation — each  a  scale  of  the  number  of  art  forms  the 
respondent  reported  producing,  weighted  by  whether  it  was  done  for  public 
display.  The  last  three  measures  in  this  set  indicate  arts  consumption:  atten- 
dance sums  the  number  of  live  performances  attended  weighted  by  the  num- 
ber of  art  forms  attended,  whereas  consumption  through  media  were  sepa- 
rated into  audio  (radio,  compact  disc,  tape  recording)  and  video  media  (TV, 
VCR).  Finally,  an  index  was  constructed  measuring  a  person's  involvement 
with  print  media  and  print-related  media  (audio  recordings  of  print  litera- 
ture). 


Understanding  Analysis  Tables 

The  primary  results  of  these  analyses  using  standardized  regression  coeffi- 
cients are  reported  so  that  the  size  of  each  can  be  compared  accurately.  This 
section  explains  the  relevant  technical  terminology  so  that  readers  can  better 
understand  the  tables  that  are  used  to  present  the  findings. 

The  amount  that  arts  education  contributes  to  later  participation  in  the 
arts  is  referred  to  as  "the  strength  of  relationship"  between  arts  education  and 
arts  participation  after  taking  into  account  other  influences  on  arts  participa- 
tion. This  strength  is  determined  by  comparing  the  relative  size  of  the  stan- 
dardized coefficients  in  the  tables,  ignoring  the  presence  or  absence  of  nega- 
tive signs.  ^OCTien  present,  a  negative  number  indicates  that  as  one  factor  gets 
larger,  the  outcome  gets  smaller;  for  example,  one  might  expect  that  as  one's 
time  in  front  of  television  increases,  one's  participation  in  the  arts  may  de- 
crease. A  positive  number  indicates  that  as  one  factor  gets  larger,  the  outcome 
increases;  for  example,  one  might  expect  that  as  ones  income  grows  larger,  the 
amount  one  spends  on  the  arts  may  increase. 

Each  of  these  standardized  regression  coefficients  (sometimes  referred  to 
by  the  Greek  letter  beta)  indicate  the  unique  relationship  between  that  factor 
and  the  outcome — after  taking  each  of  the  others  into  account.28  For  exam- 
ple, the  third  column  of  coefficients  in  Table  5  (Attendance),  shows  beta  =  .32 
for  Arts  Education  Density,  and  beta  =  .08  for  SES.  Thus,  the  data  indicate 
that  (1)  as  arts  education  increases,  people  participate  in  the  arts  more  (the 
beta  is  .32,  not  -.32),  even  after  ethnicity,  gender,  and  socioeconomic  status 
are  taken  into  account;  (2)  as  SES  increases,  people  participate  in  the  arts 
more,  even  after  taking  ethnicity,  gender,  and  arts  education  into  account 
(beta  for  SES  is  also  positive);  and  (3)  arts  education  is  four  times  as  'strong' 
a  predictor  of  participating  in  the  arts  as  SES  (.32  is  four  times  as  large  as  .08). 


The  variables  that  are  coded  only  with  an  0  or  a  1  (such  as  the  predictor  la- 
beled Male)  show  the  amount  to  which  the  group  coded  1  (in  this  case,  males) 
differs  from  the  group  coded  0  (females).  Thus  males  are  more  likely  than  fe- 
males to  attend  arts  presentations  (the  .02  coefficient  for  Male  is  positive). 


TABLE  5.   Effects  of  Arts  Education  and  Sociodemographic 
Characteristics  on  Arts  Participation 

Production 

Consumption 

Performance 

Creation 

Attendance 

Video 
Media 

Audio 
Media 

Print 
Media 

Predictor 

Beta 

Beta 

Beta 

Beta 

Beta 

Beta 

African  American 

-.06*** 

—  ns*** 

.03* 

.01 

1  9*** 

.01 

Asian 

.01 

.01 

.001 

.01 

.003 

-.02* 

Hispanic 

.01 

.01 

.004 

.02 

.03** 

-.04** 

Male 

-.01 

-.17*** 

.02* 

.01 

.07*** 

-.08*** 

SES 

-.003 

.03* 

r\o*** 

-.005 

1    T*** 

r\Q*** 

Arts  education 

-.01 

1  Q*** 

9  9*** 

i  £*** 

A  9  *** 

40*** 

density 

R2 

.01** 

.08*** 

1  t*** 

.02** 

99*** 

91** 

*p<.05.       **p< 

.01 .       ***p 

<  .001. 

Analyzing  data  sets  as  large  as  the  SPPA92  will  yield  some  statistically  sig- 
nificant results  due  to  chance.  Therefore  it  is  important  to  understand  that  the 
level  of  probability  represents  the  likelihood  that  the  particular  effect  occurred 
due  to  chance.  The  importance  of  any  given  relationship  is  shown  in  the  ta- 
bles by  the  absence  or  presence  of  one,  two,  or  three  stars,  explained  at  the 
bottom  of  each  table.  Looking  specifically  at  the  effect  of  arts  education  on 
video-media  arts  consumption  (column  4,  Table  5),  the  probability  of  ob- 
serving this  relationship  by  chance  alone  would  be  fewer  than  one  time  in  a 
hundred  (**  =  p  <  .01).  Also  note  that  the  difference  between  being  African 
American,  Asian,  or  Hispanic  compared  to  whites  on  watching  arts  events  on 
television  (video  media)  could  occur  as  a  result  of  chance  five  or  more  times 
out  of  a  hundred  (no  stars  on  any  of  the  betas).  Given  that  the  probability  has 
been  set  more  conservatively  than  this,  specifically  less  than  5/100,  findings 
indicate  that  there  are  no  differences  between  ethnic  groups  when  it  comes  to 
arts  television  viewing — in  short,  that  video-media-based  arts  participation  is 
independent  of  race  or  ethnicity,  after  one  takes  into  account  differences  in  so- 
cioeconomic status  and  arts  education. 


Finally,  each  analysis  (columns  in  Table  5) — each  combination  of  predic- 
tors, or  model — explains  some  part  of  the  overall  outcome.  A  perfect  model 
would  be  able  to  predict  the  outcome  100  percent  of  the  time  just  by  know- 
ing the  values  of  those  predictors.  A  totally  useless  model  would  predict  the 
outcome  0  percent  of  the  time.  In  general,  information  from  surveys  is  able  to 
predict  at  most  about  20  to  40  percent  of  the  variance  in  the  outcome,  only 
because  the  responses  people  give  to  surveys  is  quite  random  (Cook  &  Camp- 
bell, 1979).  The  amount  of  the  outcome  predicted  by  each  combination  of 
variables  is  represented  in  the  table  by  the  value  of  R2  as  a  decimal  (convert- 
ing to  a  percent  requires  multiplying  the  R2  value  by  100).  For  example,  look- 
ing across  the  bottom  row  of  Table  5  indicates  that  the  combination  of  pre- 
dictors being  considered  best  explains  audio-media  arts  consumption,  as  the 
amount  of  this  outcome  explained  (22  percent,  as  R2  =  .22***)  is  the  greatest 
of  the  six  types  of  arts  participation. 


Analysis 

First,  differences  in  arts  education  by  respondent's  race/ethnicity,  gender, 
and  socioeconomic  status  were  investigated.  Then  the  combined  effects  of 
these  sets  of  background  measures  were  explored  using  simultaneous  regres- 
sion— demographic  information  combined  with  education  in  the  arts  (both 
general  and  separated  into  inside  and  outside  the  school)  as  mediated  by  com- 
peting leisure  interests.  This  analysis  was  run  for  each  of  the  six  outcomes.  The 
analytical  model  is  shown  in  Figure  3. 


Results 

Sociodemographic  Characteristics  and  Arts  Education 

Data  in  Table  6  show  the  results  of  personal  background  comparisons  on 
arts  education.29  Access  to  arts  education  differed  according  to  a  one's  per- 
sonal background.  First,  males  received  significantly  less  arts  education  than 
females,  more  the  case  in  community  than  in  school-based  environments 
(school  beta  =  -.07***  community  beta  =  -.19***).  In  other  words,  although 
males  were  slightly  less  likely  to  take  arts  courses  in  school,  they  were  at  a 
much  greater  disadvantage  in  getting  additional  lessons  or  education  from  a 
community  setting.  Second,  persons  of  different  racial/ethnic  backgrounds 
gained  different  degrees  of  arts  education,  with  African  Americans  and  Asians 
demonstrating  less  arts  education  than  whites  and  Hispanics,  who  were  com- 


FIGURE  3.  Analytical  Model  Measuring  Demographics,  Arts 
Education,  and  Arts  Participation 


r 

Sociodemographic 

Characteristics 

Race/Ethnicity 

African 

American 

Asian 

Hispanic 

Gender 

Male 

Social  Status 

Personal  SES 

Arts  Education 

Arts  Education 
Density 

School-Based 
Arts  Education 

Community-Based 
Arts  Education 

I 


Lifestyle 

Leisure  Index 


Arts  Participation 

Production 

Performance 
Creation 

Consumption 
Attendance 
Audio  Media 
Video  Media 
Print  Media 


parable  in  this  regard  (column  1).  It  is  noteworthy  that  this  differentiation  of 
arts  education  by  race/ethnicity  was  only  the  case  for  community-based  arts 
education  and  not  for  school-based  arts  education:  whereas  Asians,  African 
Americans,  and  Hispanics  each  participated  less  in  community-based  arts  ed- 
ucation than  did  whites,  the  amount  of  school-based  arts  education  gained  by 
individuals  in  all  racial/ethnic  groups  was  comparable. 

Finally,  in  general,  having  an  education  in  the  arts  had  less  to  do  with 
race/ethnicity  and  more  to  do  with  SES  as  increased  social  resources  corre- 
sponded with  more  arts  education  (betas  =  .32***,  .24***,  and  .26***  for  gen- 
eral, school-,  and  community-based  arts  education,  respectively).  Indeed,  so- 
cioeconomic status  was  the  strongest  determinant  of  arts  education,  even  after 
controlling  for  the  other  sociodemographic  characteristics  in  this  analysis. 

Given  that  arts  education  differed  by  personal  background,  particularly 
SES,  the  research  must  explore  not  only  whether  arts  education  predicts  arts 
participation,  but  if  the  identified  differences  in  arts  education  by  personal 
background  carry  over  to  arts  participation.  In  order  to  do  this,  two  questions 


must  be  asked:  Does  arts  participation  differ  by  personal  background?  and  if 
so,  Does  arts  education  reduce  or  remove  any  of  these  differences?  These  is- 
sues are  now  explored. 


TABLE  6.   Differences  in  Arts  Education  by  Race/Ethi 
Gender,  and  Socioeconomic  Status 

licity, 

Predictor 

Arts  Education 

Density  Index 

Beta 

School-Based  Arts 

Education  Index 

Beta 

Community-Based 

Arts  Education  Index 

Beta 

African  American 

Asian 

Hispanic 

Male 

SES 

-.03* 

-.03** 

-.02 

_   1  A*** 

0  ~)*** 

.02 
-.02 

.02 
—  f)7*** 

04*** 

_  QC*** 

_.04*** 

-.04** 
_  I q*** 

.26*** 

R2 

.12*** 

.06*** 

1  i~i*** 

*p<.05.       **p< 

.01.       ***p<.001. 

Sociodemographic  Characteristics  and  Participation  in  the  Arts 

As  was  the  case  with  arts  education,  differences  in  sociodemographic 
background  extend  to  differences  in  arts  participation  (Table  7).  Of  the  two 
arts  production  measures,  demographic  background  showed  slightly  more  dif- 
ferences in  creating  than  performing  in  the  arts  (R2  =  .05***  and  .01***,  re- 
spectively). In  fact,  the  only  significant  difference  among  groups  for  arts  per- 
formance was  that,  net  of  gender  and  SES,  African  Americans  had  lower 
involvement  with  arts  performance  relative  to  whites  (beta  =  -.06***).  In 
looking  at  arts  creation,  the  same  was  true  for  males  relative  to  females  (beta 
=  -.20***)  and  again  for  African  Americans  relative  to  whites.  Finally,  the 
higher  one's  SES,  the  more  one  created  in  the  arts  (beta  =  .09***),  though  SES 
did  not  indicate  anything  regarding  arts  performance. 

Looking  at  arts  consumption,  SES  strongly  predicted  both  live  attendance 
and  audio-media  arts  involvement  (listening  to  recordings,  radio)  but  was  not 
as  important  for  video-media  arts  consumption.  This  difference  could  reflect 
a  direct  link  to  the  relative  ongoing  cost  of  buying  tickets,  recordings,  and 
books  compared  to  turning  on  a  television,  once  one  owns  it.  Another  ob- 
served difference  was  that  African  Americans  were  significantly  more  likely  to 
listen  to  recordings  of  music  or  stage  presentations  than  their  white  counter- 
parts, after  taking  gender  and  SES  into  account.  Finally,  males  were  noticeably 


less  involved  with  print  media,  and  SES  positively  predicted  this  tvpe  of  in- 
volvement. In  other  words,  higher  income  individuals  from  more  educated 
parents  were  more  likelv  to  read  or  listen  to  a  recording  of  print  literature,  or 
at  least  to  report  having  done  so.  These  results  suggest  that  video-media  in- 
volvement is  the  most  equitable  type  of  arts  consumption,  but  that  SES  still 
plays  a  restrictive  role  in  determining  all  types  of  arts  participation  except  arts 
performance. 


TABLE  7.   Differences 

in  Arts  Parti 

cipation 

by  Race/Ethnicity, 

Gender,  and  Socioeconomic  Status 

Produ 

ction 

Consumption 

Performance 

Creation 

Attendance 

Video 

Audio 

Print 

Beta 

Media 

Beta 

Media 

Beta 

Media 

Beta 

Predictor 

Beta 

Beta 

African  American 

-.06"" 

-.05"** 

.02 

.01 

.12*** 

.003 

Asian 

.01 

.002 

-.01 

.002 

-.01 

-.04** 

Hispanic 

.01 

.       .01 

-.003 

.02 

.02 

-.05*** 

Male 

-.01 

-.20*** 

-.02 

-.02 

.01 

-.13*** 

SES 

-.003 

.09*** 

.18*** 

.04*** 

.26*** 

.22*** 

R- 

.01**" 

.05*** 

.03*** 

.01* 

.07**" 

.07*** 

"p<.05.       *"p< 

.01.        ***p 

<  .001. 

Effect  of  Arts  Education  on  Participation  in  the  Arts 


Having  determined  differences  in  arts  participation  for  people  of  different 
sociodemogtaphic  background,  consideration  was  then  given  to  the  mediat- 
ing effects  of  arts  education  (as  estimated  by  the  arts  education  density  index) 
on  arts  participation.30  As  before,  the  only  background  factor  predicting  par- 
ticipation in  arts  performance  was  ethnicity,  with  African  Americans  being 
somewhat  less  involved  in  this  type  of  arts  participation  than  whites  (Table  5). 
Interestingly,  those  who  had  more  arts  education  did  not  necessarily  perform 
more  than  others.  For  the  other  outcomes,  education  in  the  arts  was  the 
strongest  predictor  (range  of  betas  =  .16***  (video  media)  to  .42*'  '  (audio 
media)),  even  more  powerful  than  SES  or  personal  background.  In  addition, 
taking  differences  in  arts  education  into  account  decreased  the  net  effect  of 
SES  (personal  income,  number  of  high-status  possessions,  and  background 
education  of  parents),  in  most  cases  cutting  the  effect  at  least  in  half.31  Thus, 
the  impact  of  socioeconomic  status  on  involvement  in  the  arts  occurs  through 


differential  access  to  education  in  the  arts.32  In  short,  the  direct  function  of 
SES  on  arts  participation  is  as  a  resource  factor. 

Comparison  of  Arts  Education  Agencies — School  and  Community 

In  this  section,  distinction  is  made  between  the  effects  of  arts  education 
obtained  in  the  school  and  in  the  community  (Table  8).33  For  every  outcome 
except  performance,  both  sources  of  arts  education  have  an  independent  pos- 
itive impact  on  the  measure  of  involvement  in  the  arts.  Oddly  enough,  school- 
based  education  actually  decreases  the  likelihood  somewhat  that  individuals 
will  continue  to  perform  as  adults  (beta  =  —.03*).  Of  the  remaining  five  indi- 
cators of  personal  participation  in  the  arts,  school-based  arts  education  was 
the  weaker  of  the  two  types  of  arts  education  for  every  outcome  except  cre- 
ation of  art  (beta  =  .11***  for  school-based  compared  to  beta  =  .07***  for 
community-based).  The  largest  difference  between  the  effects  of  these  two  arts 
education  agencies  occurred  with  video-media  consumption  (beta  =  .10***  for 
community-based  compared  to  .03*  for  school-based).  There  was  no  differ- 
ence in  predictive  strength  between  these  two  arts  education  systems  with  re- 
gard to  audio-media  participation  (betas  =  .19***). 

When  comparing  the  data  in  Tables  5  and  8,  the  portion  of  the  variance 
explained  by  school-  and  community-based  arts  education  was  slightly  lower 
(the  same  in  the  case  of  arts  performance)  than  that  of  the  full  combined  mea- 
sure of  arts  education  density.34  In  addition,  the  effects  for  SES  were  slightly 
weaker  in  the  case  of  the  more  comprehensive  arts  education  measure. 


Conclusion 

The  questions  of  this  section  were  to  determine  who  received  an  educa- 
tion in  the  arts  and  how  it  may  have  influenced  participation  in  the  arts.  This 
summary  is  organized  around  those  two  issues.  Arts  participation,  both  theo- 
retically and  via  statistical  methodology,  was  viewed  as  an  outcome  of  arts  ed- 
ucation influenced  by  personal  background  (gender,  race/ethnicity,  and  SES) 
that  competes  with  other  leisure  activities  for  resources,  such  as  time  and 
money.  Arts  participation  was  considered  globally  (rather  than  by  individual 
art  form)  and  defined  by  the  nature  of  the  arts  involvement;  that  is,  was  art 
produced  (performed  or  created)  or  was  it  consumed  (via  live  attendance,  lis- 
tening to  the  arts  via  audio  media,  watching  the  arts  via  video  media,  or  being 
involved  via  print  or  print-related  media)? 

Education  in  the  arts  was  viewed  primarily  in  two  ways:  as  a  general  arts 
education  background  gained  across  one's  lifetime,  and  as  delivered  through 


TABLE  8.   Comparison 

of  Effects  of  Schoo 

-Based 

and 

Community- 

Based  Arts  Education  on  Arts 

Participation 

Produ 

ztion 

Consumption 

Performance 

Creation 

Attendance 

Video 

Audio 

Print 

Media 

Media 

Media 

Predictor 

Beta 

Beta 

Beta 

Beta 

Beta 

Beta 

African  American 

-.06*** 

-.05*** 

.03* 

.02 

.13*** 

-.02 

Asian 

.01 

.001 

-.001 

.001 

-.001 

-.01 

Hispanic 

.02 

.01 

.002 

.02 

.02* 

-.03** 

Male 

-.01 

-.18*** 

.02 

.004 

.05*** 

r\y  *** 

SES 

.001 

.05*** 

1 1  *** 

.01 

I  -**** 

-i  2*** 

School-based 

-.03* 

1 1  *** 

.09*** 

.03* 

1  Q*** 

.03* 

arts  education 

Community-based 

.01 

.07*** 

17*** 

.10*** 

1  g*** 

.08*** 

art  education 

R- 

.01*** 

r\7*** 

.08*** 

.01** 

.16*** 

.05*** 

~p<.05.       **p< 

.01.       ***p 

<  .001. 

age  l7  via  one  of  two  arts  education  agencies  based  in  schools  or  in  the  pri- 
vate community,  outside  of  school.  The  latter  was  established  to  allow  for 
comparisons  by  arts  education  agency. 

Who  Received  an  Education  in  the  Arts? 


Findings  revealed  that  socioeconomic  status  is  a  determinant  to  gaining  an 
education  in  the  arts  in  the  United  States:  the  higher  ones  SES — the  higher 
one's  level  of  arts  education.  Although  this  holds  .true  for  the  population  at 
large,  SES  is  not  the  sole  influence  on  the  distribution  of  arts  education  across 
the  population.  Indeed  gender,  race,  ethnicity  all  play  a  role. 

Regarding  overall  arts  education,  women  demonstrate  a  higher  degree  of 
arts  education  than  men,  as  do  whites  and  Hispanics  compared  to  Asians  and 
.African  Americans.  Arts  education  that  is  gained  in  the  private  sector  is  dif- 
ferentiated by  race/ethnicity,  with  nonwhites  less  involved  than  whites.  On 
the  other  hand,  arts  education  that  is  obtained  in  the  school  is  not  a  matter  of 
race  or  ethnicity,  with  African  Americans,  Asians,  Hispanics,  and  whites  en- 
gaged at  comparable  levels.  In  this  regard,  schools  do  seem  to  function  as  the 
more  egalitarian  source  of  arts  education  in  the  United  States.  However,  SES 


continues  to  influence  those  who  receive  school-based  arts  education,  though 
less  so  than  is  the  case  for  community-based  arts  education. 

Impact  of  Arts  Education  on  Patterns  of  Arts  Participation 

Arts  education  is  the  strongest  predictor  of  arts  attendance,  arts  creation, 
and  accessing  the  arts  through  audio,  video,  and  print  media  (Table  9).35 
Findings  show  that  the  more  arts  education  people  have,  the  higher  their  in- 
volvement with  the  arts.  This  is  sustained  even  when  taking  into  account  in- 
fluences on  arts  participation  that  were  initially  attributed  to  socioeconomic 
status,  race/ethnicity,  and  gender. 

The  one  exception  occurred  with  arts  performance,  where  knowing  some- 
thing about  one's  degree  of  arts  education  does  not  indicate  anything  about 
one's  level  of  arts  performance.  It  is  also  worth  noting  that  the  predictors 
which  were  considered  here  did  a  very  poor  job  of  explaining  arts  perfor- 
mance; clearly  there  are  other  influences  on  arts  performance  that  are  unac- 
counted for  by  the  SPPA92  data. 


TABLE  9.   Effects  of  Arts  Education  on  Arts  Participation: 
Summary  of  Predictors  From  Final  Models 


Produ 

ction 

Consumption 

Performance 

Creation 

Attendance 

Audio 
Media 

Video 
Media 

Print 
Media 

Predictor 

African  American 

+ 

+++ 

o 

o 

Asian 

o 

0 

o 

0 

0 

- 

Hispanic 

o 

0 

o 

++ 

0 

- 

Male 

0 

- 

+ 

+++ 

0 

- 

SES 

0 

+ 

+++ 

+++ 

o 

+++ 

Arts  education 

0 

+++ 

+++ 

+++ 

+++ 

+++ 

density 

Note:   Symbol: +  =  positive  predictor,     -  =  negative  predictor,     o  =  not  a  predictor 
1  symbol  =  p  <  ,05;   2  symbols  =  p  <  .01 ;     3  symbols  =  p  <  .001 . 
Using  this  notational  system  for  summarization  purposes,  one  can  read  that  arts 
creation  was  positively  predicted  by  arts  education  at  the  p  <  .001  level  of  prob- 
ability. 


There  is  no  clear  pattern  of  arts  participation  with  regard  to  demographic 
background  (race,  ethnicity,  and  gender).  For  example,  involvement  with  the 
arts  via  the  print  media  is  most  differentiated  by  background;  on  the  other 
hand,  whites,  Hispanics,  and  Asians  attend  and  watch  the  arts  at  comparable 
levels. 

A  pattern  was  discovered  in  that,  in  all  but  one  case  (again,  arts  perfor- 
mance), differences  in  arts  participation  by  socioeconomic  status  are  reduced 
by  taking  into  account  differences  in  arts  education.  In  other  words,  part  of 
the  reason  for  observed  differences  in  the  degree  of  arts  participation  by  peo- 
ple of  differing  socioeconomic  status  is  attributable  to  differences  in  their  arts 
education.  This  implies  that  arts  education  facilitates  participation  in  the  arts 
for  a  broader  cross  section  of  the  population  than  one  would  have  found  were 
it  not  for  arts  education  in  the  United  States,  but  SES  still  operates  as  a  re- 
striction to  arts  consumption  (with  the  exception  of  video-media  arts  in- 
volvement, on  which  it  was  not  an  influence).36 

Both  school-  and  community-based  arts  education  are  positive  and  sig- 
nificant predictors  of  all  types  of  arts  participation,  except  arts  performance, 
even  after  adjusting  for  personal  background  and  SES.  Community-based  arts 
education  is  not  related  to  arts  performance,  whereas  increased  engagement  in 
school-based  arts  education  actually  means  decreased  levels  of  this  type  of  arts 
participation  as  adults. 

Community-based  arts  education  is  more  strongly  indicative  of  arts  par- 
ticipation than  school-based  arts  education,  though  one  must  remember  the 
more  individualized  nature  of  the  former  relative  to  the  primarily  group  in- 
structional processes  of  the  latter.  The  largest  difference  in  predictive  power  is 
with  video-accessed  arts  participation,  with  the  effect  of  community-based 
arts  education  being  more  than  three  times  stronger  than  that  of  instruction 
gained  in  the  schools.  Engaging  in  either  of  these  two  arts  education  agencies 
predicted  comparable  levels  of  listening  to  the  arts  via  audio  media. 

The  availability  of  leisure  hours  is  not  consistently  related  to  arts  partici- 
pation.37 Increased  hours  of  leisure  activities  means  decreased  rates  of  arts  at- 
tendance, listening  to  the  arts,  and  creating  art.  For  involvement  with  print 
media,  the  relationship  is  positive.  There  is  no  relationship  between  leisure  ac- 
tivities and  arts  performance  or  watching  the  arts  on  television.  In  all  cases  ex- 
cept for  audio-accessed  arts  participation,  the  addition  of  the  rate  of  leisure  ac- 
tivities into  the  analyses  does  not  increase  the  amount  of  variability  in  arts 
participation  that  could  be  accounted  for  with  just  the  other  variables. 


Comparative  Effects  of  Arts 
Education  and  Overall 
Education  on  Arts  Participation 


Introduction 

This  section  compares  the  role  of  arts  education  and  the  larger  socialization 
context  of  education  and  their  effects  on  adults'  participation  in  the  arts. 
Given  the  effects  of  gender,  racial/ethnicity,  and  socioeconomic  status  differ- 
ences on  individuals'  access  both  to  overall  education  and  to  instruction 
specifically  in  the  arts,38  this  analysis  considers  whether  these  two  factors  have 
an  effect  on  arts  participation  (consumption  or  production)  that  is  either  (1) 
independent — the  effect  of  each  after  taking  into  account  that  of  the  other — 
or  (2)  interdependent — the  effect  of  one  type  of  education  depending  on  the 
other. 

Determining  the  nature  of  the  relationship  between  education  and  arts 
education  and  their  comparative  effects  on  arts  participation  is  important  to 
individuals  and  agencies  responsible  for  developing  policy  and  programs  de- 
signed to  encourage  arts  participation.  For  although  it  may  be  encouraging  to 
learn  that  higher  levels  of  education  lead  to  greater  arts  participation,39  par- 
ticularly at  a  time  when  a  larger  percentage  of  the  population  is  obtaining 
more  education  (National  Center  for  Educational  Statistics,  1993),  there  is  lit- 
tle opportunity  or  motivation,  under  this  scenario,  to  do  anything  regarding 
national  arts  education  policy  except  to  promote  an  increased  degree  of  gen- 
eral education.  For  if  there  is  no  effect  of  arts  education  on  arts  participation, 
beyond  that  of  general  education,  an  important  justification  for  the  develop- 
ment of  arts  education  policy  and  programs  is  compromised. 


Method 

This  investigation  uses  information  gathered  from  the  SPPA92.  The  same 
model  and  measures  described  previously  in  Parts  1  and  2  are  employed.  Ed- 
ucation and  arts  education  were  compared  in  three  ways  by  determining,  first, 
the  direction  and  magnitude  of  the  relationship  between  the  two  types  of  ed- 
ucation; second,  the  independent  effects  of  each  factor  after  taking  the  other 
into  account;  and  third,  the  extent  to  which  the  effect  of  one  type  of  educa- 
tion is  contingent  on  the  other.40 


Results 

Relationship  Between  Years  of  Education  and  Arts  Education 

Correlation  analyses  yielded  positive,  significant  relationships  between 
years  of  education  and  (1)  overall  arts  education  (r  =  .42**),  (2)  school-based 
arts  education  (  r=  .21**),  and  (3)  community-based  arts  education  (r  = 
.26~x).  This  indicates  that  individuals  with  more  overall  education  receive 
more  education  in  the  arts,  both  in  general  and  in  and  out  of  school.  It  does 
not  indicate  that  one  type  of  education  was  gained  as  a  (causal)  result  of  ac- 
quiring the  other,  but  that  they  occur  together. 

Given  this  information,  the  experiences  of  individuals  of  different  educa- 
tional backgrounds  were  examined  using  school-based  and  community-based 
arts  education  components.  Overall,  it  is  clear  that  education  in  the  arts  in- 
creased substantially  with  involvement  in  education  (Figure  4).  Interestingly, 


FIGURE  4.  Relationship  Between  General  Education  and  Arts 
Education 


< 

— 


0.8 


0.6 


■B        0.4 


0.2 

0.0 

-0.2 
-0.4 
-0.6 


9  •  m  m 

Arts  Ed.  Density              «=  —  Communis 

-based                 «^  School-based 

..-" 

..-••- 

0 

• 

B 
O 

• 
e 

0 

• 

■ 

■ 

• 
■ 

Less  than  HS 
Grad. 


HS  Grad.         Some  College    College  Grad. 


Amount  ot  General  Education 


Post-Grad. 
College 


Note:   Numbers  are  mean  standardized  scores  for  each  arts  education  index.  ANOVA 
results  indicate  that  all  three  types  of  arts  education  showed  significant  differences 
(p<.001 )  over  the  categories  of  general  education. 


the  regular  increase  in  communitv-based  arts  education  for  each  of  the  time 
points  was  not  matched  bv  an  increase  in  school-based  arts  education.  In 
other  words,  whereas  more  overall  education  translated  to  more  community- 
based  arts  education,  differences  in  school-based  arts  education  primarily  oc- 
curred between  and  around  the  point  of  high  school  graduation,  with  high 
school  dropouts  receiving  much  less  than  high  school  graduates,  and  those 
who  went  past  high  school  into  college — for  any  amount  of  time — having  re- 
ceived more  school-based  arts  education  while  of  school  age. 

Independent  Effects  of  Years  of  Education  and  Arts  Education  on 
Participation  in  the  Arts 

The  combined  impact  of  years  of  education  with  arts  education  was  then 
explored  taking  into  account  other  sociodemographic  characteristics.  More 
importantly,  this  analysis  demonstrated  the  independent  impact  of  each  mea- 
sure; that  is,  the  effect  of  one  type  of  education  on  arts  participation,  taking 
the  other  into  account.  The  critical  focus  is  indicated  in  the  last  two  rows  of 
results  in  Table  10.41 


TABLE  10.   Comparison  of  Effects  of  Overall  Years  of  Education 

and  of  Arts  Education 

Density 

on  Arts  Partici| 

Dation 

Produ( 

:tion 

Consurr 

iption 

Performance 

Creation              Attendance 

Video 

Audio 

Print 

Beta 

Media 

Beta 

Media 

Beta 

Media 

Beta 

Predictor                         Beta 

Beta 

African  American       -.06*** 

-.05*** 

.03* 

.02 

.13*** 

.01 

Asian                               .01 

.01 

-.004 

.01 

-.004 

-.03* 

Hispanic                         .02 

.01 

.01 

.03 

.04** 

-.03* 

Male                             -.01 

-.17*** 

.02 

.003 

.05*** 

-.08*** 

SES                                -.01 

.04* 

.05*** 

-.02 

.08*** 

.04** 

Overall  years                .02 

-.02 

.10*** 

.04* 

.16*** 

.15*** 

of  education 

Arts  education             -.01 

1  g*** 

.28*** 

.14*** 

•3  7*** 

.35*** 

density 

R2                                  .01* 

.08*** 

.13*** 

.02* 

.24*** 

As  was  observed  in  Part  2,  none  of  the  measures  except  those  related  to 
ethnicity  has  a  predictive  influence  on  performing.  However,  for  each  of  the 
other  types  of  arts  participation,  arts  education  had  more  than  twice  the  pre- 
dictive power  of  years  of  education  in  explaining  an  individuals  involve- 
ment— creating,  listening  to,  watching,  attending,  or  reading — with  the  arts. 
Interestingly,  although  the  effect  of  overall  years  of  education  is  not  as  strong 
as  specific  education  in  the  arts,  there  is  a  residual  impact.  In  other  words, 
more  schooling  increases  a  person's  involvement  in  the  arts,  at  least  of  a  con- 
sumptive nature,  even  though  education  may  not  be  specifically  focused  on 
the  development  of  arts  participation  behaviors. 

Interdependency  of  Education  and  Arts  Education  and  the 
Effect  on  Arts  Participation 

This  combination  of  independent  effects  of  arts  education  and  education, 
each  acting  separately  on  arts  participation,  suggests  the  possibility  that  over- 
all education  and  arts  education  may  have  a  different  effect  on  participation  in 
the  arts  based  on  how  much  of  the  other  type  of  instruction  one  receives.  De- 
termining whether  this  is  the  case  or  not  is  necessary  for  an  accurate  and  com- 
prehensive interpretation  of  the  preceding  observations  of  the  independent  ef- 
fects of  arts  education  and  education. 

Results  of  analyses  to  test  this  possibility  indicated  that  only  in  regard  to 
print-media  arts  involvement  were  the  effects  of  arts  education  consistent 
across  levels  of  overall  education.  This  is  remarkable  given  that  reading  is  an 
activity  with  a  strong  presence  at  all  levels  of  education.  One  might  expect 
therefore  that  the  effect  of  arts  education  on  involvement  with  print  media 
would  be  different  for  varying  levels  of  education.  However,  this  was  not  the 
case. 

For  all  other  types  of  arts  participation  (except  arts  performance  to  which 
neither  type  of  education  was  significantly  related),  the  independent  effects  of 
education  and  arts  education  were  different  by  level  of  the  other  type  of  in- 
struction. Although  this  clouds  any  discussion  of  the  independent  effects  of 
these  educational  backgrounds  for  these  types  of  arts  participation,  it  does  of- 
fers a  richer  description  of  how  these  factors  operate  in  tandem  on  arts  par- 
ticipation.42 To  make  better  sense  of  the  results,  graphs  have  been  constructed 
for  each  outcome  for  which  the  interaction  between  arts  education  and  over- 
all education  was  significant.  It  is  important  to  recall  that  these  graphs  use  the 
adjusted  regression  estimates,  that  is,  those  that  take  into  account  a  persons 
race,  gender,  and  SES  (Figures  5 A— 6D). 


Contingent  Effects  of  Education  on  Arts  Participation  by  Level  of 
Arts  Education 

The  effect  of  years  of  education  on  individuals'  attendance  at  arts  events, 
on  the  degree  of  listening  to  or  watching  the  arts,  or  on  arts  creation,  depends 
on  the  extent  of  one's  education  in  the  arts.43  More  overall  education  had  a 
stronger  effect  on  both  attendance  (Figure  5A),  accessing  the  arts  via  audio 
(Figure  5B),  and  via  video  media  (Figure  5C)  for  individuals  who  had  more 
extensive  arts  education  than  it  did  for  those  with  little  or  none.  In  other 
words,  the  socializing  effects  of  education  were  augmented  by  arts-specific  ed- 
ucation to  increase  this  type  of  arts  participation,  but  they  did  not  operate  that 
way  if  a  person  had  not  received  arts  education. 


FIGURE  5 A.   Relative  Effect  of  Years  of  Education  on  Arts 
Attendance  over  Different  Levels  of  Arts 
Education 


o 
u 


u 

C 

< 


•  •  •  •  Little  Arts  Education     —  —  Average  Arts  Education      —  Extensive  Arts  Education 


~         1.0 


0.5 

0.0 

-0.5 

-0.1 


i  o  o  •  *  °  °  * 


i  i  r  t  i 

<  HS  Grad  HS  Grad  Some  College    4  Yrs.  College        >  4  Yrs. 

College 
Years  of  Education 


FIGURE  5B.   Relative  Effect  of  Years  of  Education  on  Audio- 
Media  Arts  Participation  over  Different  Levels  of 
Arts  Education 


o    •    •    ■ 


c 
g 

fO 

u 


1.0 
0.5 


re 

r    o 

<   8     0.0 

re  j^ 

I        -0.5 
g 
"§         -0.1 


L/'ft/e  Arts  Education 


■\verase  Arts  Education 


Extensive  Arts  Education 


I  !  I  I  I 

<HSGrad  HSCrad  Some  College    4  Yrs.  College        >  4  Yrs. 

College 
Years  of  Education 


FIGURE  5C,   Relative  Effect  of  Years  of  Education  on  Video- 
Media  Arts  Participation  over  Different  Levels  of 
Arts  Education 


z 


'"•  Little  Arts  Education     ■=  =  Average  Arts  Education      ===  Extensive  Arts  Education 


< 
re   ,N 

V 

I 

0 

— 


1.0 

0.5 
#     0.0 


-0.5 
-0.1 


r  ••••••  i 


ig»B«»*O*«***01 


o*e»ooo8»«o°»»0*000*0 


<  HS  Crad         HS  Grad  Some  College    4  Vrs.  College        >  4  Yrs 

College 
Years  of  Education 


FIGURE  5D.   Relative  Effect  of  Years  of  Education  on  Arts 

Creation  over  Different  Levels  of  Arts  Education 


< 


1.0 


0.5 


c 
o  _ 

"•5   & 

u  y    o.o 

I 
t/i     N 


-0.5 


-0.1 


Little  Arts  Education     —  —  Average  Arts  Education      — ■  Extensive  Arts  Education 


n ■! ' 


<  HS  Crad  HS  Crad  Some  College    4  Yrs.  College 


Years  of  Education 


>  4  Yrs. 
College 


This  result  is  observable  in  the  relative  position  of  the  lines  in  Figures  5A, 
B,  and  C,  where  the  solid  black  line,  representing  standardized  arts  participa- 
tion rates  for  people  with  extensive  arts  education,  is  consistently  above  the 
other  two  lines,  which  represent  participation  levels  for  individuals  of  average 
and  little  arts  education.  The  general  rising  slope  of  these  three  lines  demon- 
strates the  positive  effects  of  overall  education  for  people  of  all  levels  of  arts 
education. 

On  the  other  hand,  education  had  less  of  an  impact  on  participating  in  ac- 
tive listening  to  the  arts  and  on  creating  arts  (Figures  5B  and  D),  even  a  neg- 
ative one  in  the  case  of  arts  creation.  For  these  activities,  although  specific  ed- 
ucation in  the  arts  had  the  effect  of  increasing  participation,  this  effect  actually 
decreased  with  an  increase  in  overall  education.  This  is  demonstrated  by  the 
fact  that  the  three  lines  are  more  spread  out  at  "<HS  Grad"  than  they  are  at 
">4  Yrs.  College."  This  reduction  of  the  spread  suggests  (1)  a  subsumed  effect 
of  education  on  arts  creating  and  listening,  one  that  diminishes  with  compet- 
ing educational  experiences  (arts  education)  rather  than  being  enhanced  by 
those  experiences,  and  (2)  that  the  effect  of  arts  education  is  sustained  even 
with  a  constraining  influence  of  increased  overall  education  (the  relative  place- 
ment of  the  three  lines  remains  the  same).  This  may  reflect  generally  the  more 
arts-specific  nature  of  arts  education  as  compared  to  general  education  and, 
more  specifically,  the  purpose  and  practice  of  creating  art,  which  is  a  probable 
element  of  arts  instruction. 


Contingent  Effects  of  Arts  Education  on  Arts  Participation  by 
Level  of  Education 

The  effects  here  also  varied  by  type  of  arts  participation.  Although  patterns 
of  arts  creation  and  listening  were  each  driven  differently  by  arts  education  ac- 
cording to  level  of  overall  education,  rates  of  arts  attendance  and  video— media- 
accessed  arts  participation  were  affected  in  ways  similar  to  each  other. 

Arts  education  had  a  significantly  more  powerful  effect  on  arts  attendance 
when  combined  with  increasing  years  of  education;  that  is,  although  it  is  true 
that  as  people  gained  more  arts  education  they  attended  more  arts  perfor- 
mances, this  relationship  was  even  stronger  for  people  with  greater  overall  ed- 
ucational attainment  (Figure  6A).  Arts  education  had  an  impact  on  arts  at- 
tendance, even  for  individuals  without  a  high  school  education;  but  the  effect 
was  reinforced  by  the  socialization  education  provided.  This  also  held  true  for 
watching  the  arts  on  television  (broadcast  or  VCR)  (Figure  6B).  These  find- 
ings suggest  that  for  these  two  types  of  arts  participation,  arts  education  makes 
more  of  a  difference  for  individuals  who  have  experienced  the  broader  social- 
ization that  greater  overall  education  seems  to  provide. 

People  with  at  least  a  college  degree  and  a  great  deal  of  arts  education  cre- 
ated significantly  less  art  than  individuals  who  had  dropped  out  of  high  school 
but  who  had  also  gained  a  great  deal  of  arts  education  (Figure  6C).  This  is  evi- 
dent in  the  reversal  of  the  relative  position  of  the  two  outer  lines  from  the  order 
at  "None"  to  the  one  at  "A  Great  Deal."  A  reasonable  supposition  for  this  find- 
ing is  that  college  graduates  are  involved  in  other  activities  that  preclude  time 
spent  in  creative  pursuits,  whereas  high  school  dropouts  are  doing  one  of  the 
things  that  they  were  trained  to  do  via  arts  education,  namely  create.  This  sug- 
gests that  the  influence  of  an  education  specifically  in  the  arts  on  arts  creation  is 
sustained  independently  of  overall  education  and  is  thus  more  conducive  to  pro- 
moting adult  creative  behaviors  than  general  (non-arts)  education. 

This  contingent  effect  of  arts  education  was  even  more  dramatic  when 
considering  its  effect  on  listening  to  the  arts  via  radio  broadcast  or  audio 
recording  (Figure  6D).  Listening  habits  were  most  different  by  level  of  educa- 
tion for  individuals  without  any  arts  education,  with  people  who  have  more 
education  listening  to  more  art  forms  than  those  with  less  education.  (The 
greatest  distance  between  the  three  lines  is  for  individuals  who  have  had  no 
arts  education.)  This  differential  by  education  level  was  reduced  as  a  person's 
level  of  arts  education  increased,  to  the  point  that  people  who  had  a  great  deal 
of  arts  education  exhibited  the  same  degree  of  arts  listening  whether  they  were 
high  school  dropouts  or  college  graduates.  In  other  words,  arts  education 
equalized  the  stark  differences  in  arts  listening  habits  that  were  based  on  how 
much  education  a  person  received. 


FIGURE  6A.   Relative  Effect  of  Arts  Education  on  Arts 

Attendance  over  Different  Levels  of  Education 


<D 


u 

c 

ro 

F   o 

£S     en 

<    r^ 


< 


1.0 


0.5 


0.0 


-0.5 


-0.1 


HS  Dropout 


HS  Grad/Some  College 


College  Grad/Adv  Degree 


None 


Very  Little 


Average 
Amount 


More  Than 
Average 


A  Great  Deal 


Amount  of  Arts  Education 


FIGURE  6B.   Relative  Effect  of  Arts  Education  on  Video-Media 
Arts  Participation  over  Different  Levels  of 
Education 


=  •  •  •  HS  Dropout 


TO 

Q. 


re 

~  o 

2?  u 

•<.  C/l 

ro  _N 

CD 


O 

> 


1.0 


0.5 


0.0 


-0.5 


-0.1 


HS  Grad/Some  College 


College  Grad/Adv  Degree 


None 


Very  Little 


Average 
Amount 


More  Than 
Average 


A  Great  Deal 


Amount  of  Arts  Education 


FIGURE  6C.    Relative  Effect  of  Arts  Education  on  Arts  Creation 
over  Different  Levels  of  Education 


•  •  •  •  HS  Dropout 


ra    — 

v    z 

u   g     0.0 


< 


-0.5 


-0.1 


HS  Grad'Some  College 


College  Grad'Adv  Degree 


None 


Very  Little 


Average 


Amount 
Amount  of  Arts  Education 


More  Than 
Average 


A  Great  Deal 


FIGURE  6D.    Relative  Effect  of  Arts  Education  on  Audio-Media 
Arts  Participation  over  Different  Levels  of 
Education 


c 


'  "  -  HS  Dropout 


HS  Grad'Some  College 


College  Grad/Adv  Degree 


1.0 

0.5 


<   ^     0.0 

'Z     is 


I 

O 

U 

< 


-0.5 
-0.1 
-1.5 


None  Very  Little 

Amount  of  Arts  Education 


^^  H  I 

Average  More  Than      A  Great  Deal 

Amount  Average 


Summary 

In  this  section,  the  role  of  arts  education  and  the  larger  socialization  con- 
text of  education  and  their  effect  on  adults'  participation  in  the  arts  was  com- 
pared. Having  demonstrated  the  effects  of  gender  and  ethnic  differences  and 
socioeconomic  status  on  individuals'  access  both  to  general  education  and  spe- 
cific education  in  the  arts,  this  analysis  explored  whether  these  two  factors 
have  an  independent  impact,  a  contingent  relationship,  or  a  subsumed  effect 
on  arts  participation,  either  by  consumption  or  production. 

First,  findings  revealed  that  there  is  a  strong  relationship  between  general 
education  and  arts  education;  that  is,  education  in  the  arts  increases  substan- 
tially with  additional  education,  and  vice  versa.  Additionally,  there  are  differ- 
ences in  school-  and  community-based  arts  education  occurring  between  and 
around  the  point  of  high  school  graduation,  with  high  school  dropouts  re- 
ceiving much  less  school-based  arts  education  than  high  school  graduates. 

It  was  then  determined  that  both  types  of  education  have  an  independent 
positive  effect  on  adults'  arts  participation,  for  every  outcome  except  perfor- 
mance. However,  although  general  education  increases  arts  consumption 
(even  after  taking  arts  education  into  account),  the  positive  and  unique  im- 
pact of  arts  education  was  in  every  case  the  stronger  of  the  two.  Thus  it  is  clear 
that  specific  arts  education,  over  and  above  that  of  educational  experiences, 
has  the  greater  effect. 

Finally,  the  contingent  impact  of  arts  education  relative  to  the  amount  of 
education  one  receives  was  explored.  Varying  relationships  were  found.  For 
arts  attendance  and  for  watching  the  arts  on  television/video,  there  exists  a 
contingent  relationship  between  the  two  types  of  education,  so  that  each  in- 
creases the  impact  of  the  other  over  what  it  would  be  separately.  The  effects  of 
arts  education  on  arts  creation  diminish  as  the  competing  type  of  education 
increases  (though  all  effects  continue  to  be  positive).  For  arts  creation,  educa- 
tion in  the  arts  thereby  subsumes  the  effects  of  education,  so  that  arts  educa- 
tion is  most  important  for  those  individuals  who  have  the  least  amount  of 
overall  education  from  which  to  draw.  Lastly,  the  role  arts  education  plays  to 
expand  listening  habits  among  adults  helps  to  equalize  overall  differences, 
bringing  closer  together  those  individuals  who  have  very  different  levels  of  ed- 
ucational experience. 


Summary  and  Conclusions 


Introduction 

In  the  introduction  to  this  monograph  it  was  suggested  that  arts  education  is 
one  of  the  mechanisms  through  which  a  uniquely  diverse  American  culture 
is  defined  and  developed.  This  is  because  an  education  in  the  arts  should  pro- 
vide the  members  of  each  subsequent  generation  with  arts  exposure,  skill,  and 
understanding,  thereby  encouraging  and  enabling  full  participation  in  the 
American  artistic  culture.  To  assess  this  supposition,  it  was  necessary  to  gain  a 
more  complete  understanding  of  how  exposure  to  and  education  in  the  arts 
influenced  people's  participation  in  arts  activities  in  the  larger  context  of  their 
learning  and  growing.  Also  toward  this  end,  it  was  vital  to  understand  the  arts 
education  process  as  part  of  a  larger  context,  both  in  terms  of  its  effect  on  in- 
dividuals and  its  role  in  the  fabric  of  a  dynamic  American  culture.  This  is  of 
particular  importance  at  a  time  of  increased  public  attention  to  national  arts 
policy  and  arts  achievement,  and  when  the  majority  of  Americans  hold  a  pri- 
vate view  that  arts  education  is  something  they  would  like  their  children  to 
have.44 

The  history  of  arts  participation  in  the  United  States  is  inexorably  linked 
to  changes  in  the  social  hierarchy,  to  the  emergence  of  arts-related  technology, 
to  the  desire  to  establish  an  American  culture,  and  to  the  societal  value 
awarded  to  different  arts  traditions.  In  the  contemporary  United  States,  re- 
newed importance  is  awarded  to  a  multitraditional  understanding  of  the  arts 
and  an  interest  in  equality  of  opportunity  and  access  to  social  institutions  and 
traditions.  These  points  are  part  of  the  basis  of  these  analyses  and  are  also  con- 
sonant with  the  view  of  school  as  a  social  institution  of  egalitarian  purpose. 
Thus  it  was  necessarv  to  consider  the  social  distribution  of  arts  education  and 
arts  participation  and,  in  particular,  the  context  and  experiences  of  different 
racial/ethnic  groups. 


Analytical  Process 

In  this  report,  arts  participation  was  not  viewed  by  individual  art  form, 
but  globally,  across  art  forms.  Part  1  detailed  the  construction  of  indices  of  arts 
participation    organized    around    the    distinction    between    arts    production 


(creation  and  performance)  and  arts  consumption  (attendance,  watching  the 
arts  on  television,  listening  to  the  arts  via  radio  broadcast  or  audio  recording, 
reading  print  literature  or  listening  to  recordings  thereof).  This  configuration 
of  arts  participation  is  comparable  to  that  used  in  earlier  analyses  of  the  1982 
and  1985  SPPAs  and  reflects  the  organization  of  the  1992  survey. 

The  measures  of  arts  education  were  defined  as  an  overall  index  (arts  ed- 
ucation density)  and  two  other  indices  that  corresponded  to  the  two  arts  ed- 
ucation agencies  differentiated  by  the  SPPA92,  namely  school-based  and  com- 
munity-based arts  education.  Demographic  background  included  gender  and 
race/ethnicity,  specifically  Asians,  African  Americans,  Hispanics,  and 
whites.45  A  standardized  measure  of  socioeconomic  status  was  created  that  in- 
cluded family  income,  parents'  level  of  education,  and  the  number  of  high- 
status  possessions  owned.  Amount  of  leisure  activity  was  represented  by  the 
sum  of  the  numbers  of  hours  spent  watching  television  and  the  number  of 
leisure  activities  pursued.  This  aggregation  of  data  was  designed  in  order  to 
create  variables  that  were  more  stable  and  reliable. 

In  this  report,  arts  participation  was  viewed  as  (1)  an  outcome  of  arts  ed- 
ucation that  is  influenced  by  personal  background  and  life  experience,  with 
these  concepts  being  defined,  in  part,  by  race/ethnicity,  gender,  and  socioeco- 
nomic status;  and  (2)  as  something  that  competes  with  leisure  activities  for  an 
individuals  resources,  that  is,  time  and  money.  While  it  is  valuable  to  describe 
rates  of  arts  participation,46  it  was  the  purpose  of  this  report  to  define  broad 
patterns  of  arts  participation  and  to  investigate  the  effects  of  arts  education  on 
these  patterns.  Particular  attention  was  awarded  to  the  possibility  that  arts  ed- 
ucation modified  arts  participation  patterns  that  are  based  on  those  elements 
of  personal  background  that  are  beyond  one's  control,  such  as  race,  ethnicity, 
and  gender.  In  short,  the  question  was  asked:  Did  arts  education  facilitate  arts 
participation  for  a  broader  cross  section  of  Americans? 

In  Part  2  determination  was  made  of  the  effects  of  arts  education  on  arts 
participation  and  the  comparative  effects  of  arts  education  obtained  in  school 
vs.  the  community.  Particular  attention  was  awarded  to  the  sociodemographic 
background  of  the  individuals  engaged  by  each  of  these  arts  education  agen- 
cies. This  was  done  in  recognition  of  the  notion  of  schools  as  social  institu- 
tions inherently  valued  for  providing  equality  of  opportunity  and  therefore 
being  of  somewhat  different  purpose  than  educational  institutions  established 
and  operating  in  the  private  sector. 

An  assessment  of  the  comparative  effects  of  arts  education  and  of  overall 
education  on  arts  participation  was  presented  in  Part  3.  This  allowed  us  to  dif- 
ferentiate between  the  larger  socializing  role  of  educational  attainment  and 
that  of  arts-specific  education  in  predicting  arts  participation.  This  is  impor- 
tant to  the  development  of  arts  education  policy  that  ( 1 )  does  more  than  call 


for  increasing  the  degree  of  Americans'  educational  attainment  as  a  means  of 
increasing  arts  participation  and  (2)  reflects  the  view  advanced  in  contempo- 
rary arts  education  writings  that  an  arts  education  is  intrinsically  valuable. 
In  summary,  the  results  of  these  analyses  were  intended  to  shed  some  light 


on: 


the  strength  of  arts  education  as  a  predictor  of  arts  participation, 
the  ability  of  arts  education  to  mediate  sociodemographic  differences 
(race,  ethnicity,  gender,  and  SES)  in  arts  participation, 
the  relative  effects  on  arts  participation  of  arts  education  received  in  the 
schools   and  of  that  obtained   from   community-based  arts   education 
providers. 

the  comparative  effects  of  arts  education  and  overall  educational  attain- 
ment on  arts  participation. 


Summary  of  Results 

In  this  section,  the  results  of  these  analyses  are  organized  around  two  ques- 
tions: How  does  arts  education  influence  arts  participation?  How  do  arts  ed- 
ucation and  education  work  interdependently  to  affect  arts  participation?  For 
each  question,  related  results  are  discussed  for  each  of  the  six  types  of  arts  par- 
ticipation considered,  specifically  attendance,  creation,  performance,  and 
media-accessed  arts  participation  (audio,  video,  and  print  media).  The  reader 
should  keep  in  mind  that  the  discussion  of  the  effect  of  any  factor  on  another 
refers  to  its  net  effect;  that  is,  its  effect  after  taking  into  account  the  influence 
of  the  other  factors  included  the  particular  analysis,  for  example,  gender, 
race/ethnicity,  SES,  or  amount  of  leisure  activity.47 

How  Does  Arts  Education  Influence  Arts  Participation? 

The  answer  here  is  simple:  the  richer  one's  arts  education,  the  greater  one's 
participation  in  the  arts.  Increased  arts  education  means  increased  adult  arts 
participation  of  all  types,  except  arts  performance.  Arts  education  is  the 
strongest  predictor  of  arts  creation  and  of  all  four  types  of  arts  consumption, 
stronger  even  than  socioeconomic  status  and  personal  background.  Although 
higher  SES  does  translate  into  higher  rates  of  arts  consumption  and  creation, 
in  most  cases  at  least  half  of  the  differences  in  arts  consumption  and  creation 
related  to  SES  are  due  to  differences  in  arts  education.  Americans  watch  the 
arts  on  television  (broadcast  or  VCR)  at  rates  that  are  comparable  for  all 
racial/ethnic  groups,  for  men  and  women,  and  for  all  degrees  of  socioeco- 
nomic status.  The  only  differentiating  attribute  here  is  one's  degree  of  arts  ed- 


ucation,  with  increased  arts  education  yielding  increased  accessing  of  the  arts 
via  video  media.  However,  many  of  the  influences  on  this  type  of  arts  partic- 
ipation are  not  represented  by  the  factors  included  in  the  analyses. 

School-Based  and  Community-Based  Arts  Education 

Socioeconomic  status  is  the  strongest  determinant  of  obtaining  an  arts  ed- 
ucation. However,  this  is  slightly  less  the  case  for  arts  education  provided  in 
schools  than  it  is  for  arts  education  offered  in  the  community  outside  of 
school.  Indeed,  members  of  all  racial/ethnic  groups  attained  comparable  lev- 
els of  school-based  arts  education,  whereas  the  reverse  was  true  for  commu- 
nity-based arts  education,  with  nonwhites  accruing  significantly  less  educa- 
tion in  the  arts  than  whites.  This  suggests  that  school-based  arts  education  is 
more  accessible  to  a  broader  cross  section  of  Americans  than  is  arts  education 
offered  in  the  private  sector.  The  fact  that  this  racial/ethnic  stratification  of 
arts  education  remained  after  adjusting  for  socioeconomic  status  indicates  that 
it  is  not  a  matter  of  social  or  economic  affluence  but  that  schools,  truly,  are 
the  more  egalitarian  source  of  arts  education  in  the  United  States. 

The  relative  effects  on  arts  participation  of  the  arts  education  obtained  via 
these  two  arts  education  agencies  also  differed  by  type  of  arts  participation.48 
People  who  gain  a  community-based  arts  education  exhibit  higher  rates  of  arts 
attendance  and  video-  and  print-media  arts  involvement,  relative  to  individu- 
als whose  arts  lessons  were  taken  in  school.  School-based  arts  instruction  is  the 
stronger  determinant  of  arts  creation.  Individuals  who  gain  their  arts  educa- 
tion through  either  arts  education  agency  demonstrate  comparable  degrees  of 
accessing  the  arts  via  audio  media.  Adults  who  take  arts  lessons  in  schools  have 
lower  rates  of  arts  performance,  whereas  taking  lessons  outside  of  school  does 
not  result  in  any  change  in  the  likelihood  of  performing  arts  as  adults,  despite 
the  performance/production  orientation  of  much  of  the  arts  instruction  in  ei- 
ther context. 

How  Do  Arts  Education  and  Education  Work  lnterdependentiy? 

The  answer  to  this  question  varies  by  the  type  of  arts  participation  and 
particularly  by  levels  of  arts  education  and  overall  education.49  After  deter- 
mining that  there  was  a  positive  relationship  between  overall  educational  at- 
tainment and  arts  education,  findings  confirmed  that  their  effects  on  arts  par- 
ticipation were  interdependent,  meaning  that  the  effects  of  each  were  different 
depending  on  the  level  of  the  other.  This  was  the  case  for  all  types  of  arts  partic- 
ipation except  print-media  involvement  and  hinders  simple  conclusions  about 
the  effects  of  either  arts  education  and  education  in  comparison  to  the  other.50 


For  this  reason,  in  this  section  the  discussion  is  confined  to  the  interdepen- 
dent effects  of  arts  education  and  education. 

Education  makes  more  of  a  difference  in  arts  consumption  (except  for 
print-media  involvement)  for  people  with  more  extensive  arts  education  than 
it  does  for  those  with  little  or  no  arts  education  background.  In  these  cases, 
the  socializing  effect  of  education  is  augmented  by  arts-specific  education. 
However,  people  with  more  arts  education  create  more  art,  though  this  is  less 
the  case  for  people  with  higher  levels  of  overall  education.  This  indicates  that 
arts  creation  is  more  easily  fostered  within  an  arts-specific  education,  above 
and  beyond  the  inhibiting  effect  of  increased  (non-arts)  education. 

The  effect  of  arts  education  on  arts  participation  across  levels  of  overall  ed- 
ucation also  varies  by  type  of  arts  participation.  Rates  of  arts  attendance  and 
watching  the  arts  on  television  (broadcast  or  VCR)  are  higher  for  people  who 
have  more  arts  education,  but  this  is  even  greater  for  individuals  at  a  higher 
level  of  overall  education.  Apparently,  arts  education  makes  more  of  an  impact 
on  these  two  types  of  arts  participation  when  the  broader  socialization  pro- 
vided by  overall  education  is  in  place  than  it  does  by  itself.  This  is  not  the  case 
regarding  arts  creation:  arts  education  is  more  important  to  arts  creation  for 
people  with  less  overall  education,  to  the  degree  that  a  high  school  dropout 
with  a  great  deal  of  arts  education  creates  far  more  art  as  an  adult  than  does  a 
person  of  similar  arts  education  background  who  went  to  college.  The  num- 
ber of  art  forms  people  listen  to  via  radio  broadcasts  or  audio  recordings  varies 
greatly  based  on  their  arts/educational  background;  specifically,  individuals 
with  more  education  have  broader  listening  habits  than  those  with  less.  How- 
ever, this  difference  is  dramatically  balanced  by  increased  arts  education,  to 
the  degree  that  college  graduates  and  high  school  dropouts  with  extensive  arts 
education  demonstrate  comparable  listening  habits. 

Closing 

Whether  a  person  participates  in  the  arts,  and  the  form  and  extent  of  one's 
participation,  depends  on  a  variety  of  factors.  Attempts  at  explaining  these 
phenomena  inevitably  yield  both  information  and  the  need  for  continuing  in- 
quiry. Yet  it  is  reasonable  to  claim  that,  overall,  arts  education  contributes  to 
increased  arts  participation.  The  broader  socialization  provided  by  general  ed- 
ucation enhances  the  influence  of  an  arts  education,  in  most  cases.  However, 
specific  elements  of  personal  background,  such  as  race/ethnicity,  gender,  and 
socioeconomic  status,  appear  to  affect  which  Americans  gain  these  types  of  in- 
struction. Having  the  financial  and  social  resources  to  support  and  sustain  an 
arts  education  is  a  major  influence  on  who  accesses  the  arts  education  avail- 
able in  the  United  States.  These  influences — some  of  which  are  beyond  an  in- 


dividual's  power  to  alter — particularly  restrict  access  to  arts  instruction  within 
the  private,  community-based  arts  education  sector.  However,  it  appears  that 
public  schools  provide  arts  education  to  a  broader  cross  section  of  Americans. 

The  complexity  of  the  picture  of  arts  participation  painted  here  reflects 
the  elaborate  nature  of  the  life  experiences  that  prepare  and  influence  one's 
participation  in  the  arts.  The  SPPA92  offers  an  opportunity  to  determine 
broad  patterns  in  Americans'  participation  in  a  variety  of  arts  as  they  relate  to 
patterns  of  arts/education  and  sociodemographics. 

Assuming  this  to  be  valuable,  there  are  certain  limitations  that  need  to  be 
kept  in  mind  in  interpreting  the  results  of  this  report.  First,  the  art  forms  rep- 
resented in  the  survey  are  not  necessarily  those  in  which  many  Americans  par- 
ticipate. Second,  participating  in  a  particular  art  form  implies  a  depth  of  ex- 
perience that  may  not  necessarily  be  represented  in  all  responses  to  individual 
survey  questions.  For  instance,  a  respondent  may  consider  "remote  control 
surfing"  across  television  channels  and  spending  a  moment  or  two  watching  a 
televised  symphony  concert  as  "watching  a  classical  music  performance."  The 
commitment  of  time  and  attention  captured  in  this  instance  compromises  the 
definition  of  "participation"  in  the  arts  via  video  media.  An  equally  important 
consideration  is  whether  this  type  of  response  may  be  systematically  related  to 
a  particular  subgroup  of  respondents.  However,  because  one  can  reasonably 
assume  that  this  weakness  in  the  validity  of  the  responses  is  random  across  the 
survey  sample,  there  is  no  reason  to  question  any  of  the  findings  related  to  the 
sociodemographics  of  survey  respondents.  Third,  some  of  the  terminology 
used  in  the  survey  to  define  arts  education  may  be  vague.  For  example,  the 
phrase  "lessons  or  classes  in  music — either  voice  training  or  playing  an  in- 
strument"— may  inadvertently  underestimate  school-based  experiences  in 
classroom  music  taught  by  music  specialists.  This  is  particularly  important  for 
future  surveys  because  since  1 962  visual  art  and  general  music  classes  have  be- 
come the  main  vehicles  for  providing  music  and  visual  art  education  in 
schools  (Leonhard,  1991). 


Conclusions 

Within  the  limitations  of  this  report,  the  following  conclusions  are  offered 
about  the  impact  of  arts  education  on  arts  participation  in  the  United  States: 

1 .  Arts  education  is  the  strongest  predictor  of  all  types  of  arts  participation, 
except  arts  performance.  The  more  arts  education  a  person  has,  the  more 
extensive  one's  participation  in  the  arts.  Arts  education  also  weakens  the 


restrictive  relationship  between  socioeconomic  status  and  arts  participa- 
tion, thereby  facilitating  participation  in  the  arts  to  a  broader  cross  section 
of  Americans. 

2.  Arts  education  has  at  least  twice  the  power  of  years  of  education  in  pre- 
dicting arts  participation  (again  with  the  exception  of  arts  performance). 
Arts  participation  is  not  only  a  matter  of  more  education,  but  is  an  issue 
of  having  an  arts  focus  to  that  education.  However,  for  all  relevant  types 
of  arts  participation,  the  independent  effects  of  one  tvpe  of  education  de- 
pends on  the  amount  of  the  other  and  varies  by  type  of  arts  participation. 
Specifically: 

•  Overall  education  has  a  stronger  effect  on  arts  attendance  and  audio— 
and  video-media- accessed  arts  participation  for  persons  who  also  have 
extensive  arts  education.  The  reverse  is  the  case  for  arts  creation. 

•  Although  arts  education  increases  arts  attendance  and  watching  the 
arts  via  video  media,  this  is  significantly  more  true  for  people  with 
higher  overall  education.  Arts  education  promotes  arts  creation  despite 
the  strong  detrimental  effect  of  increased  overall  educational  attain- 
ment. Breadth  of  listening  to  the  arts  via  audio  media  is  most  different 
by  education  level  for  individuals  with  no  arts  education;  however,  arts 
education  actually  equalizes  differences  in  listening  habits  among  indi- 
viduals of  dissimilar  educational  backgrounds. 

3.  Gaining;  an  arts  education  in  the  United  States  is  a  matter  of  socioeco- 
nomic  status  and  gender,  with  citizens  of  higher  socioeconomic  status  and 
women  securing  higher  levels  of  arts  education  than  their  respective  coun- 
terparts. While  men  are  less  educated  in  the  arts  than  women,  their  arts 
participation  is  comparable,  except  in  the  cases  of  arts  creation  and  print- 
media  involvement. 

4.  School-based  arts  education  is  not  related  to  race  or  ethnicity,  but  com- 
munity-based arts  education  is  differentiated  by  these  characteristics.  Also, 
arts  education  offered  through  schools  is  slightly  less  related  to  socioeco- 
nomic status  than  that  offered  in  the  private  sector.  The  arts  education 
gained  from  these  agencies  positively  influences  arts  participation,  though 
differently  by  type  of  arts  participation.  The  largest  difference  between 
community-  and  school-based  arts  education  is  with  video— media-ac- 
cessed arts  participation,  where  the  former  is  three  times  more  powerful  a 
predictor  than  the  latter. 

5.  Factors  that  influence  arts  performance  and  participating  in  the  arts  via  video 
media  are  largely  unexplained  by  the  SPPA92.  Even  arts  education,  which 


has  been  criticized  for  possible  overemphasis  on  performance  at  the  expense 
of  knowing  something  about  an  art,  does  not  predict  arts  performance. 

6.  Increased  socioeconomic  status  directly  increases  arts  participation  and 
also  does  so  indirectly  by  facilitating  access  to  arts  education.  Conversely, 
this  has  the  opposite  impact  on  arts  participation  for  individuals  of  de- 
creased socioeconomic  status. 

7.  Being  more  active  with  leisurely  pursuits  reduces  arts  participation  of  all 
types  except  for  arts  performance  and  watching  the  arts  via  video  media, 
to  which  leisure  activity  is  not  consistently  related. 

8.  There  are  differences  in  overall  arts  education  by  personal  background, 
with  men,  African  Americans,  and  Asians  generally  gaining  less  arts  educa- 
tion than  their  respective  counterparts.  These  differences  are  particularly 
evident  when  considering  arts  education  that  is  based  in  the  private  sector. 

The  content  and  organization  of  the  SPPA92  and  the  results  of  this  report 
reflect  the  complex  nature  of  the  life  experience  that  prepares  and  influences 
one's  arts  participation.  Determining  who  in  the  United  States  participates  in 
the  arts  based  on  sociodemographic  and  educational  background  is  not  a  sim- 
ple task  and  reflects  the  complexity  of  the  life  experiences  that  socialize,  pre- 
pare, introduce,  reward,  sustain,  and  extend  arts  participation. 


Further  Research 

The  following  suggestions  are  offered  for  further  research  in  order  to  in- 
vestigate more  thoroughly  the  questions  addressed  by  this  report: 

1.  Early  childhood  arts  experiences.  SPPA92  does  not  contain  questions 
pertaining  to  early  socialization  experiences  regarding  arts  education  and  par- 
ticipation, particularly  those  provided  by  parents.  Being  able  to  describe  and 
adjust  for  this  is  essential  in  estimating  the  effects  of  arts  education  on  arts 
participation.  Not  having  this  information  included  in  the  SPPA92  is  a 
change  and  a  loss  from  earlier  SPPAs. 

2.  Description  of  the  arts  education  experience.  It  is  commendable  that 
the  SPPA92  distinguishes  between  arts  education  received  in  the  school  and 
in  the  community.  This  certainly  represents  an  improvement  over  earlier  sur- 
veys. What  is  needed  now  are  questions  that  determine  certain  basic  qualities 
of  those  arts  education  experiences,  for  example,  the  number  of  classes  in  a 
particular  art  form,  the  duration  of  the  instruction,  school  status  (public,  in- 
dependent, parochial),  or  the  format  of  the  instruction  (private  or  group). 


3-  Contextual  understanding  of  the  status  of  arts  education  at  all  levels 
of  formal  schooling.  .Although  information  about  arts  education  involvement 
is  valuable,  it  is  insufficient  to  determine  the  status  of  arts  education  in  the 
United  States  because  nothing  is  known  about  the  opportunities  Americans 
have  in  order  to  learn  in  the  arts.  With  information  about  the  context  of  arts 
education,  ones  understanding  of  arts  education  would  be  improved  by  being 
able  to  view  it  as  relative  to  the  opportunity  to  learn. 

Currentlv  this  is  impossible  because  those  survevs  sponsored  by  the  De- 
partment of  Education,  although  they  consider  the  context  of  student  learn- 
ing, increasinglv  slight  the  arts;  and  because  the  NEA's  Surveys  of  Public  Par- 
ticipation in  the  .Arts,  although  focused  on  arts  education  and  participation, 
do  not  sufficiently  consider  elements  of  educational  context  that  affect  the  op- 
portunity- to  learn  in  the  arts,  that  is,  school  district  investments  such  as  in- 
structional time,  faculty/staff,  physical  space,  course  requirements,  equipment 
and  supplies.  It  is  promising  that  this  issue  is  touched  upon  by  the  arts  edu- 
cation research  agenda  developed  bv  the  NEA  and  the  Department  of  Educa- 
tion (Associations,  1994).  At  a  time  when  national  standards  in  the  arts  are 
being  promoted,  it  is  essential  to  be  able  to  consider  the  direct  and  indirect  ef- 
fects on  arts  achievement  and  participation  of  the  resources  available  for  sys- 
tematic arts  education,  as  well  as  the  qualities  of  the  arts  education  itself. 


Appendix  A 

1992  Survey  of  Public  Participation 
in  the  Arts 


INTRODUCTION  -  Now  I  have  some  questions  about  your  leisure  activities.  The  Bureau  of  the 
Census  is  collecting  this  information  for  the  National  Endowment  for  the  Arts.  The  survey  is 
authorized  by  Title  20,  United  States  Code,  section  954  and  Title  13,  United  States  Code,  section 
8.  Your  participation  in  this  interview  is  voluntary  and  there  are  no  penalties  for  not  answering 
some  or  all  of  the  questions.  (If  PERSONAL  INTERVIEW,  hand  respondent  the  Privacy  Act  Statement, 
SPPA-13.) 


PGM  3 


The  following  questions  are  about  YOUR 
activities    during    the     LAST    12    months- 

between 1.19 ,  and 

19 . 


With  the  exception  of  elementary  or  high 
school  performances,  did  YOU  go  to  a  live 
jazz  performance  during  the  LAST  12 
MONTHS? 

oDNo 

Yes  -  About  how  many  times  did  you  do 
this  during  the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 


Number  of  times 


(With  the  exception  of  elementary  or  high 
school  performances.)  Did  you  go  to  a  live 
classical  music  performance  such  as 
symphony,  chamber,  or  choral  music 
during  the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 

oDNo 

Yes  -  About  how  many  times  did  you  do 
this  during  the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 


Number  of  times 


(With  the  exception  of  elementary  or  high 
school  performances,)  Did  you  go  to  a  live 
opera  during  the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 

oDNo 

Yes  -  About  how  many  times  did  you  do 
this  during  the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 


Number  of  times 


(With  the  exception  of  elementary  or  high 
school  performances,)  Did  you  go  to  a  live 
musical  stage  play  or  an  operetta  during 
the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 

oDNo 

Yes  -  About  how  many  times  did  you  do 
this  during  the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 


Number  of  times 


5. 


(With  the  exception  of  elementary  or  high 
school  performances.)  Did  you  go  to  a  live 
performance  of  a  non-musical  stage  play 
during  the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 
oDNo 

Yes  -  About  how  many  times  did  you  do 
this  during  the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 


9. 


Number  of  times 


(With  the  exception  of  elementary  or  high 
school  performances,)  Did  you  go  to  a  live 
ballet  performance  during  the  LAST  12 
MONTHS? 

oDNo 

Yes  -  About  how  many  times  did  you  do 
this  during  the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 


Number  of  times 


(With  the  exception  of  elementary  or  high 
school  performances.)  Did  you  go  to  a  live 
dance  performance  other  than  ballet,  such 
as  modern,  folk,  or  tap  during  the  LAST  1 2 
MONTHS? 

oDNo 

Yes  -  About  how  many  times  did  you  do 
this  during  the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 


Number  of  times 


(During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS.)  Did  you 
visit  an  ART  museum  or  gallery? 

oDNo 

Yes  -  About  how  many  times  did  you  do 
this  during  the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 


Number  of  times 


(During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS.)  Did  you 
visit  an  ART  fair  or  festival,  or  a  CRAFT  fair 
or  festival? 

oDNo 

Yes  -  About  how  many  times  did  you  do 
this  during  the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 


Number  of  times 


10.    (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS.)  Did  you 
visit  an  historic  park  or  monument,  or 
tour  buildings,  or  neighborhoods  for  their 
historic  or  desian  value? 


JNo 

Yes  -  About  how  many  times  did  you  do 
this  during  the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 


Number  o*  times 


11.    With  the  exception  of  books  required  for 
work  or  school,  did  you  read  any  books 
during  the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 


0?c  I   oDNo 

Yes  -  About  how  many  books  did  you 

read  during  the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 


Number  of  books 


12.    (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,)  Did  you 
read  any  - 

Read  answer  categories 


a.  Plays? 


iCJNc      jQYes 


b.  Poetry? 


iDNo      2DYes 


c.  Novels  or  short  stories? 


iDNo      ?UYes 


13.    (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,)  Did  you 
listen  to  - 


a.  A  reading  of  poetry, 
either  live  or  recorded? 


]No      2_]Yes 


b.  A  reading  of  novels  or 
books  either  live  or 
recorded? 


.  UNO 


j  Yes 


14a. (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS.)  Did  you 
watch  a  jazz  performance  on  television  or 
a  video  (VCR)  tape? 


iGNo  -  Skip  to  item  14c 

Yes  -  Was  that  on  TV,  VCR.  or  both? 

2UTV 
3IHVCR 
4  □  Both 


b.  About  how  many  times  did  you  do  this  in 
the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 


Number  of  times 


c.  (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS.)  Did  you 
listen  to  jazz  on  radio? 


026  I    .DNo 
zDYes 


d.  (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS.)  Did  you 
listen  to  jazz  records,  tapes,  or  compact 
discs? 


I    •□No 

?U>es 


Pag*  2 


15a.  (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,)  Did  you 
watch  a  classical  music  performance  on 
television  or  a  video  (VCR)  tape? 

020  i    iDNo-  Skip  to  item  15c 

Yes  -  Was  that  on  TV,  VCR,  or  both? 

2CTV 
sLjVCR 
1  □  Both 

b.  About  how  many  times  did  you  do  this  (in 
the  LAST  12  MONTHS)? 


Number  of  times 


c.  (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,)  Did  you 
listen  to  classical  music  on  radio? 


™   I    iDNo 

2D  Yes 


d.  (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS, I  Did  you 
listen  to  classical  music  records,  tapes  or 
compact  discs? 


1DN0 

2QYes 


16a. (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS.)  Did  you 
watch  an  opera  on  television  or  a  video 
(VCR)  tape? 

03a  I    iQNo-  Skip  to  item  16c 

Yes  -  Was  that  on  TV,  VCR,  or  both? 

2CITV 
3D  VCR 
«  □  Both 

b.  About  how  many  times  did  you  do  this  (in 
the  LAST  12  MONTHS)? 


Number  of  times 


c.  (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,)  Did  you 
listen  to  opera  music  on  radio? 


1DN0 
2[DYes 


d.  (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,)  Did  you 
listen  to  opera  music  records,  tapes,  or 
compact  discs? 


.□No 

2  □Yes 


17a. With  the  exception  of  movies,  did  you 

watch  a  musical  stage  play  or  an  operetta 
on  television  or  a  video  (VCR)  tape  during 
the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 


1LJN0  -  Skip  to  item  17c 

Yes  -  Was  that  on  TV.  VCR,  or  both? 

2DTV 

sCvCR 

.■□Both 


b.  About  how  many  times  did  you  do  this  (in 
the  LAST  12  MONTHS)? 


Number  of  times 


(During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS.)  Did  you 
listen  to  a  musical  stage  play  or  an  operetta 
on  radio? 


.□No 

2DYes 


d.  (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,)  Did  you 
listen  to  a  musical  stage  play  or  an  operetta 
on  records,  tapes,  or  compact  discs? 


.□No 
2aYes 


18a. With  the  exception  of  movies,  situation 
comedies,  or  TV  series,  did  you  watch  a 
non-musical  stage  play  on  television  or  a  video 
(VCR)  tape  during  the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 


i  ONo  -  Skip  to  item  18c 

Yes  -  Was  that  on  TV,  VCR,  or  both? 

sDtv 

jDVCR 
<  □  Both 


b.  About  how  many  times  did  you  do  this  (in  the 
LAST  12  MONTHS)? 


Number  of  times 


c.  (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,)  Did  you  listen 
to  a  radio  performance  of  a  non-musical  stage 
play? 


iDNo 
2D  Yes 


19a. With  the  exception  of  music  videos,  did  you 
watch  on  television  or  a  video  (VCR)  tape 
dance  such  as  ballet,  modern,  folk,  or  tap 
during  the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 


i  D  No  -  Skip  to  item  20a 
Yes  -  Was  that  on  TV, 

2DTV 
3D  VCR 
4  Q  Both 


VCR,  or  both? 


b.  About  how  many  times  did  you  do  this  (in 
the  LAST  12  MONTHS)? 


Number  of  times 


20a. (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,)  Did  you  watch 
a  program  about  artists,  art  works,  or  art 
museums  on  television  or  a  video  (VCR)  tape? 


i DNo  -  Skip  to  item  21a 

Yes  -  Was  that  on  TV,  VCR,  or  both? 

2DTV 
3D  VCR 
i  □  Both 


b.  About  how  many  times  did  you  do  this  (in 
the  LAST  12  MONTHS)? 


Number  of  times 


21a.  I'm  going  to  read  a  list  of  events  that  some 

people  like  to  attend.  If  you  could  go  to  any  of 
these  events  as  often  as  you  wanted,  which 
ones  would  you  go  to  MORE  OFTEN  than  you 
do  now?  I'll  read  the  list.  Go  to  - 

Mark  (X)  all  that  apply 


• '.._  Jazz  music  performances 

;  —Classical  music  performances 

3  D  Operas 

-  2  Musical  plays  or  operettas 

5 Q Non-musical  plays 

:„  Ballet  performances 

Dance  performances  other  than  ballet 
e  _  Art  museums  or  galleries 
9  □  None  of  these  -  Skip  to  item  22a 


If  only  one  is  chosen,  skip  to  item  22a 
If  more  than  one  is  chosen,  ask  - 

b.  Which  of  these  would  you  like  to  do  most? 


Category  number 


ooDNo  one  thing  most 


22a.  The  following  questions  are  about  your 
participation  in  other  leisure  activities. 

Approximately  how  many  hours  of  television 
do  you  watch  on  an  average  day? 


1 


I  Number  of  hours 


b.  During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,  did  YOU  go 
out  to  the  movies? 


iDNo 

sDYes 


c.  With  the  exception  of  youth  sports,  did  you 
go  to  any  amateur  or  professional  sports 
events  during  the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 


iCNo 
sDYes 


d.  During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,  did  you  go  to 
an  amusement  or  theme  park,  a  carnival,  or 
a  similar  place  of  entertainment? 


iDNo 

?DYes 


e.  During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,  did  you  jog, 
lift  weights,  walk,  or  participate  in  any  other 
exercise  program? 


.DNo 
2D  Yes 


During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,  did  you 
participate  in  any  sports  activity,  such  as 
Softball,  basketball,  golf,  bowling,  skiing,  or 
tennis? 


iDNo 
2DYes 


g.  Did  you  participate  in  any  outdoor  activities, 
such  as  camping,  hiking,  or  canoeing  during 
the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 


iDNo 

2DYes 


h.  Did  you  do  volunteer  or  charity  work  during 
the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 


iDNo 
2D  Yes 


Did  you  make  repairs  or  improvements  on 
your  own  home  during  the  LAST  12 
MONTHS? 


iDno 
2D  Yes 


Did  you  work  with  indoor  plants  or  do  any 
gardening  for  pleasure  during  the  LAST  12 
MONTHS? 


1DN0 

2DYes 


23a. (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,)  Did  you  work 
with  pottery,  ceramics,  jewelry,  or  do  any 
leatherwork  or  metalwork? 


.DNo- 
2DYes 


Skip  to  item  24a 


b.  Did  you  publicly  display  any  of  your  works? 


066  I   1DN0 
zDYes 


FORM  SPPA  2  149  921 


Page  3 


24a. (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,)  Did  you  do 
any  weaving,  crocheting,  quilting, 
needlepoint,  or  sewing? 

30b. Did  you  play  any  jazz  in  a  public  performance 
or  rehearse  for  a  public  performance? 

08c  I    iDNo 

057  1   i  H  No  -  Skip  to  item  25a 

2DYes 

?GYes 

31a.  During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,  did  you  play 
any  classical  music? 

b.  Did  you  publicly  display  any  of  your  works? 

068  !    .riNr> 

°6'  I   i  □  No  -  Skip  to  item  32a 

2[jYes 

2D  Yes 

25a. (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,)  Did  you 

make  photographs,  movies,  or  video  tapes 
as  an  artistic  activity? 

b.  Did  you  play  classical  music  in  a  public 
performance  or  rehearse  for  a  public 
performance? 

069  I   id  No  -  Skip  to  item  26a 

°82  I    ,riNn 

2D  Yes 

2DYes 

b.  Did  you  publicly  display  any  of  your  works? 

32a.  During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,  did  you  sing  any 
music  from  an  opera? 

070  I  -riNo 

083  I    1  riNn  -  Skip  In  item  33a 

sCYes 

2GYes 

26a.  (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,)  Did  you  do 
any  painting,  drawing,  sculpture,  or 
printmaking  activities? 

b.  Did  you  sing  in  a  public  opera  performance 
or  rehearse  for  a  public  performance? 

084  1    iriNn 

07     I    iDNo  -  Skip  tn  itpm  27 a 

zDYes 

2GYes 

33a.  During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,  did  you  ling 
music  from  a  musical  play  or  operetta? 

b.  Did  you  publicly  dicplay  any  of  your  works? 

»«  I   .riNn 

065  I   1  DNo  -  Skip  to  item  33c 

2^Yes 

2GYes 

27a.  With  the  exception  of  work  or  school,  did  you 
do  any  creative  writing  such  as  stories,  poems, 
or  plays  during  the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 

b.  Did  you  sing  in  a  public  performance  of  a 
musical  play  or  operetta  or  rehearse  for  a 
public  performance? 

086    | 

073  I   i  D  No  -  Skip  to  item  28a 

1DN0 
2DYes 

2DYes 

b.  Were  any  of  your  writings  published? 

c.  During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,  did  you  sing  in 
a  public  performance  with  a  chorale,  choir, 
or  glee  club  or  other  type  of  vocal  group,  or 
rehearse  for  a  public  performance? 

°7"  I   if~lNn 

2l]Yes 

°"7  1    ,HNo 

28a.  Did  you  write  or  compose  any  music  during 
the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 

2CYes 

075  I   i  G  No  -  Skip  to  item  29a 

34.    (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,)  Did  you  act  in  a 
public  performance  of  a  non-musical  play  or 
rehearse  for  a  public  performance? 

2Z'Yes 

b.  Was  your  musical  composition  played  in  a 
public  performance  or  rehearsed  for  a  public 
performance? 

088  I    iDNo 

zDYes 

ore  ]    ,riNn 

35a.  (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,)  Did  you  dance 
any  ballet? 

2D  Yes 

089  I   1  □  No  -  Skip  to  item  36a 

29a. Do  you  own  any  original  pieces  of  art,  such 
as  paintings,  drawings,  sculpture,  prints,  or 
lithographs? 

2QYes 

b.  Did  you  dance  ballet  in  a  public  performance 
or  rehearse  for  a  public  performance? 

JLl    i  GNo  -  Skip  to  item  30a 

2GYes 

090  1    ,DNo 

2GYes 

b.  Did  you  purchase  or  acquire  any  of  these 
pieces  during  the  LAST  12  MONTHS? 

36a. (During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,)  Did  you  do  any 
dancing  other  than  ballet  such  as  modern,  folk, 
or  tap? 

»»  I  ,nNo 

2GYes 

30a. During  the  LAST  12  MONTHS,  did  you 
perform  or  rehearse  any  jazz  music? 

2DYes 

b.  Did  you  dance  modern,  folk,  or  tap  in  a 
public  performance? 

075  I   iDNo-  Skip  to  item  31a 

as  i  .dno 

?DYes 

jGYes 

Page 


f  ohm  SPP*  7  t*  »  9?' 


37a.  I'm  going  to  read  a  list  of  some  types  of 
music.  As  I  read  the  list,  tell  me  which  of 
these  types  of  music  you  like  to  listen  to? 

Mark  (XI  all  thai  apply 


i      ...  Classical  Chamber  music 
2DOpera 

Operetta/Broadway  musicals/Show  tunes 
•  DJazi 

sDReggae  (Reg  gay  ) 
Rap  music 
|   'OSoul 
r ._.' Blues/Rhythm  and  blues 
9D  Latin/Spanish/Salsa 
I       .Big  band 

_  Parade/Marching  band 
i2QCountry-western 
I      __  Bluegrass 
nDRock 
„The  music  of  a  particular  Ethnic/ 
National  tradition 
I      ^Contemporary  folk  music 
__  Mood/Easy  listening 
isQNew  age  music 
i      DChoral/Glee  club 

20  O  Hymns/Gospel 

21  D  All 

22D  None/Don't  like  to  listen  to  music  -  Skip  to  item  38a 


b.  If  only  one  category  is  marked  in  37a  enter  code  in 
37b  without  asking.  Which  of  these  do  you  like 
best? 


Category  number 


oD  No  one  type  best 


38a.  Have  you  EVER  taken  lessons  or  classes  in 
music  -either  voice  training  or  playing  an 
instrument? 


1QN0-  Skip  to  item  39a 
2D  Yes 


b.  Did  you  take  these  lessons  when  you  were  • 

Read  categories.  (Do  not  read  category  4  if 
respondent  is  under  25  years  old.) 
Mark  (XI  all  that  apply. 


1 D  Less  than  1 2  years  old 
2D  12-1 7  years  old 
3D  18-24  years  old 
-L  25  or  older 


CHECK 
ITEM  A 


Refer  to  item  38b 

Is  box  1  or  2  marked  in  item  38b7 

D  No  -  Skip  to  Check  Item  B 
D  Yes  -  Ask  item  38c 


38c. Were  these  lessons  or  classes  offered  by  the 
elementary  or  high  school  you  were 
attending  or  did  you  take  these  lessons 
elsewhere? 

102  I   iD  Elementary/high  school 
2D  Elsewhere 
3D  Both 


CHECK 
ITEM  B 


38d.Did  you  take  any  of  these  lessons  or 
classes  in  the  past  year? 


!LI  1DN0 
2D  Yes 

FORM  SPPA2  14-9-921 


39a. (Have  you  EVER  taken  lessons  or 

classes)  in  visual  arts  such  as  sculpture, 
painting,  print  making,  photography,  or 
film  making? 


■  □No  -  Skip  to  item  40a 
2DYes 


b.  Did  you  take  these  lessons  when  you  were 

Read  categories   (Do  not  read  category  4  if 
respondent  is  under  25  years  old! 
Mark  (XI  all  that  apply 


1 D  Less  than  1  2  years  old 
2D  12-1  7  years  old 
sD  18-24  years  old 
iD25  or  older 


CHECK 
ITEMC 


Refer  to  item  39b 

Is  box  1  or  2  marked  in  item  39b7 


D  No  -  Skip  to  Check  Item  D 
D  Yes  -  Ask  item  39c 


39c.  Were  these  lessons  or  classes  offered  by  the 
elementary  or  high  school  you  were 
attending  or  did  you  take  these  lessons 
elsewhere? 


106  I  1 D  Elementary/high  school 
2D  Elsewhere 
3D  Both 


CHECK 
ITEMD 


Refer  to  item  39b 

If  box  4  is  marked  in  item  39b.  ASK  item  39d 

If  not  -  Is  box  2  or  3  marked  in  item  39b  AND 
the  respondent  is  under  25  years  old7 


DNo  -  Skip  to  item  40a 
DYes  -  Ask  item  39d 


39d  Did  you  take  any  of  these  lessons  or  classes 
in  the  past  year? 


1DN0 
2DYes 


40a.  (Have  you  EVER  taken  lessons  or  classes)  in 
acting  or  theater? 


108  I   1 D  No  -  Skip  to  item  4 1a 
2  DYes 


b.  Did  you  take  these  lessons  when  you  were 

Read  categories.  (Do  not  read  category  4  if 
respondent  is  under  25  years  old.) 
Mark  (XI  all  that  apply. 


i_ILess  than  12  years  old 
2D  12-1 7  years  old 
3D  18-24  years  old 
*D25  or  older 


Refer  to  item  38b 

If  box  A  is  marked  in  item  38b,  ASK  item  38d. 

If  not  -  Is  box  2  or  3  marked  in  item  38b  AND 
the  respondent  is  under  25  years  old7 

D  No  -  Skip  to  item  39a 
DYes  -  Ask  item  38d 


CHECK 
ITEME 


Refer  to  item  40b 
Is  box  1  or  2  marked  in  item  40b? 
DNo  -  Skip  to  Check  Item  F 
DYes  -  Ask  item  40c 


40c. Were  these  lessons  or  classes  offered  by  the 
elementary  or  high  school  you  were 
attending  or  did  you  take  these  lessons 
elsewhere? 


i  D  Elementary/high  school 
2D  Elsewhere 
3D  Both 


CHECK 
ITEMF 


Refer  to  item  40b 

If  box  4  is  marked  in  item  40b,  ASK  item  40d. 

If  not  -  Is  box  2  or  3  marked  in  item  40b  AND 
the  respondent  is  under  25  years  old7 

DNo-  Skip  to  item  4)  a 
DYes  -  Ask  item  40d 


40d.Did  you  take  any  of  these  lessons  or  classes 
in  the  past  year? 


iDNo 
2DYes 


41a.  (Have  you  EVER  taken  lessons  or  classes)  in 
ballet? 


";  I   l  □  No  -  Skip  to  item  42a 
aDYes 


b.  Did  you  take  these  lessons  when  you  were 

Read  categories.  (Do  not  read  category  4  if 
respondent  is  under  25  years  old./ 
Mark  IX)  all  that  apply. 


__!_'      T  Less  than  12  years  old 
2D  12-1 7  years  old 
3D  18-24  years  old 
<>D25  or  older 


CHECK 
ITEMG 


Refer  to  item  41b 
Is  box  1  or  2  marked  in  item  41b7 
D  No  -  Skip  to  Check  Item  H 
DYes  -  Ask  item  41c 


41c.  Were  these  lessons  or  classes  offered  by  the 
elementary  or  high  school  you  were 
attending  or  did  you  take  these  lessons 
elsewhere? 


i  D  Elementary/high  school 
:D  Elsewhere 
sD  Both 


CHECK 
ITEMH 


Refer  to  item  41d 

If  box  4  is  marked  in  item  41b,  ASK  item  41d. 

If  not  -  Is  box  2  or  3  marked  in  item  41b  AND 
the  respondent  is  under  25  years  old7 

D  No  -  Skip  to  item  42a 
DYes  -  Ask  item  41d 


41d.Did  you  take  any  of  these  lessons  or  classes 
in  the  past  year? 


.DNo 
2  DYes 


42a.  (Have  you  EVER  taken  lessons  or  classes)  in 
dance,  other  than  ballet  such  as  modern,  folk 
or  tap? 


i  D  No  -  Skip  to  item  43a 
2DYes 


b.  Did  you  take  these  lessons  when  you  were  - 

Read  categories.  (Do  not  read  category  4  if 
respondent  is  under  25  years  old.) 
Mark  (X)  all  that  apply. 


iDLess  than  12  years  old 
2D  1 2-1 7  years  old 
3D  18-24  years  old 
25  or  older 


CHECK 

ITEM  I 


Page  6 


Refer  to  item  42b 

Is  box  1  or  2  marked  in  item  42b7 

D  No  -  Skip  to  Check  Item  J 
DYes  -  Ask  item  42c 


42c.  Were  these  lessons  or  classes  offered  by  the 
elementary  or  high  school  you  were 
attending  or  did  you  take  these  lessons 
elsewhere? 


118  I   1  D  Elementary/high  school 
2D  Elsewhere 
3DBoth 


CHECK 
ITEM  J 


Refer  to  item  42b 

If  box  4  is  marked  in  item  42b,  ASK  item  42d. 

If  not  -  Is  box  2  or  3  marked  in  item  42b  AND 
the  respondent  is  under  25  years  old7 

DNo  -  Skip  to  item  43a 
D  Yes  -  Ask  item  42d 


42d.Did  you  take  any  of  these  lessons  or  classes 
in  the  past  year? 


1DN0 

2DYes 


43a.  Have  you  EVER  taken  lessons  or  classes  in 
creative  writing? 


120  I   1  DNo  -  Skip  to  item  44a 
2DYes 


b.  Did  you  take  these  lessons  when  you  were 

Read  categories.  (Do  not  read  category  4  if 
respondent  is  under  25  years  old. I 
Mark  (X)  all  that  apply. 


i_J    1 D  Less  than  1 2  years  old 
2  D 1 2-1 7  years  old 
3D  18-24  years  old 
iD25  or  older 


CHECK 
ITEMK 


Refer  to  item  43b 
Is  box  1  or  2  marked  in  item  43b7 
DNo  -  Skip  to  Check  Item  L 
DYes  -  Ask  item  43c 


43c 


Were  these  lessons  or  classes  offered  by  the 
elementary  or  high  school  you  were 
attending  or  did  you  take  these  lessons 
elsewhere? 

1D  Elementary/high  school 
2D  Elsewhere 
3D  Both 


CHECK 
ITEM  L 


Refer  to  item  43b 

If  box  4  is  marked  in  item  43b,  ASK  item  43d. 

If  not  -  Is  box  2  or  3  marked  in  item  43b  AND 
the  respondent  is  under  25  years  old7 

D  No  -  Skip  to  item  44a 
DYes  -  ,4s*  item  43d 


43d. Did  you  take  any  of  these  lessons  or  classes 
in  the  past  year? 


1DN0 
2  DYes 


44a.  (Have  you  EVER  taken  a  class)  in  art 
appreciation  or  art  history? 


™'  I   ) DNo  -  Skip  to  item  45a 
2DYes 


b.  Did  you  take  this  class  when  you  were  - 

Read  categories.  (Do  not  read  category  4  if 
respondent  is  under  25  years  old.) 
Mark  (X)  all  that  apply 


Less  than  12  years  old 
2D  12-17  years  old 
3D  18-24  years  old 
i '    25  or  older 


FORM  SPPA  2  US  92! 


CHECK 
ITEMM 


Refer  to  item  44D 

Is  box  1  or  2  marked  in  item  44b7 

D  No  -  Skip  to  Check  Item  N 
□  Yes  -  Ask  item  44c 


4-4c.Was  this  class  offered  by  the  elementary  or 
high  school  you  were  attending  or  did  you 
take  this  class  elsewhere? 


45c. Was  this  class  offered  by  the  elementary  or 
high  school  you  were  attending  or  did  you 
take  this  class  elsewhere? 


i  □Elementary/high  school 
2D  Elsewhere 
3D  Both 


CHECK 
ITEMP 


i  D  Elementary/high  school 
2D  Elsewhere 
oD  Both 


CHECK 
ITEMN 


Refer  to  item  44b 

If  box  4  is  marked  in  Item  44b,  ASK  item  44d 

If  not  -  Is  box  2  or  3  marked  in  item  44b  AND 
the  respondent  is  under  25  years  old7 

D  No  -  Skip  to  item  45a 
DYes  -  Ask  item  446 


44d.Did  you  take  any  of  these  lessons  or  classes 
in  the  past  year? 


iDNo 
2DYes 


45a.  (Have  you  EVER  taken  a  class)  in  music 
appreciation? 


1?e  I  i  D  No  -  Skip  to  item  46a 
2DYes 


b.  Did  you  take  this  class  when  you  were  - 

Read  categories.  (Do  not  read  category  4  if 
respondent  is  under  25  years  old.) 
Mark  IX)  all  that  apply. 


JiU   iDLess  than  12  years  old 
2D  12-1 7  years  old 
3D  18-24  years  old 
4  D  25  or  older 


CHECK 
ITEMO 


Refer  to  Item  45b 

If  box  4  is  marked  in  item  45b.  ASK  item  45d. 

If  not  -  Is  box  2  or  3  marked  in  item  45b  AND 
the  respondent  is  under  25  years  old7 

D  No  -  Skip  to  item  46a 
D  Yes  -  Ask  item  45d 


45d.Did  you  take  this  class  in  the  past  year? 

HD  1DN0 

2DYes 


46a.  What  is  the  highest  grade  (or  year)  of  regular 
school  your  FATHER  completed? 


I  01 D  7th  grade  or  less 
02  D  8th  grade 
o3D9th-11th  grades 
o«  0 12th  grade 

05  □  College  (did  not  complete) 
06OCompleted  college  (4+  years) 
o?DPost  graduate  degree  (M.A.,  Ph.D..  M.D  ,  J  D  .  etc.) 
obD Don't  know 


b.What  is  the  highest  grade  (or  year)  of  regular 
school  your  MOTHER  completed? 


133  1 01 D  7th  grade  or  less 

02  D  8th  grade 

03  D  9th- 11th  grades 

04  D  12th  grade 

05 □  College  (did  not  complete) 

06DCompleted  college  (4+  years) 

07DPost  graduate  degree  (M.A.,  Ph.D.,  M.D.,  J.D.,  etc.) 

osD Don't  know 


Refer  to  item  45b 

Is  box  1  or  2  marked  in  item  45b7 

□  No  -  Skip  to  Check  Item  P 

□  Yes  -  Ask  item  45c 


CHECK 
ITEMQ 


is  this  the  LAST  household  member  to  be 
interviewed? 

D  No  -  Go  back  to  the  NCS- 1  and  interview  the 
next  eligible  NCS  household  member 

DYes  -  END  INTERVIEW 


FORM  SPPA-!  I2-9-92I 


Paoe  7 


Appendix  B 

Adjusting  for  the  Effects  of  Leisure 


TABLE  B.I.   Changes  Due  to  Adding  Leisure  Index  to  the 
Analyses 


Type  of  Arts 
Participation 

Changes  in 
Beta  Value 

Leisure 
Index 

Changes  in 
R2  Values  2 

Predictor1 

Model  1 

Model  II 

Model  1        Model 

Attendance 

SES 

.08*** 

Q-7*** 

-.05*** 

Arts 
Education 

on*** 

->  1  *** 

Audio  media 

Male 
SES 

.07*** 

1    T*** 

.05*** 
-i  2*** 

-.06*** 

-J2***                           TO*** 

Arts 
Education 

42*** 

.41  *** 

Video  media 

.01 

Print  media 

Male 
SES 

—  Oft*** 
gg*** 

_  Qg*** 

.08*** 

-.05*** 

Performance 

.02 

Creation 

SES 

.03* 

.02 

_  n^*** 

Note:  Model  1 :  Sociodemographics  and  Arts  Education;  Model  II:  Sociodemographics, 
Arts  Education,  and  Leisure. 

1  Only  those  predictors  whose  beta  values  changed  when  LI  was  included  are  listed. 

2  Blank  cells  indicate  no  change  in  R2  values  between  models. 


<p<.05.       **p<.01 


<p<  .001. 


Appendix  C 

The  Effects  of  Education  on 
Arts  Participation 


In  preparatory  analyses  to  those  of  Part  3,  the  effects  of  overall  educational  at- 
tainment on  arts  participation  were  considered.  Findings  revealed  that  an  in- 
dividual's sociodemographic  characteristics  are  strongly  related  to  the  amount 
of  education  one  receives,  with  the  strongest  relationship  occurring  between 
socioeconomic  status  and  years  of  education.51  This  result  suggests  that  access 
to  education  among  adults  is  very  much  a  matter  of  socioeconomic  status  in 
the  United  States.  Because  a  person's  socioeconomic  status  in  society  con- 
tributes to  access  to  education,  these  differences  are  perpetuated.52 

Therefore  it  is  important  to  determine  whether  socioeconomic  status  or 
educational  attainment  more  strongly  predicts  an  individual's  participation  in 
the  arts.  Results  suggest  that,  in  general,  increased  amounts  of  education  pos- 
itively contribute  to  an  individual's  arts  involvement  for  all  forms  of  con- 
sumption (Table  C.l).  However,  overall  education  does  not  effectively  in- 
crease one's  involvement  in  performance  activities  (Table  C.2).  However,  note 
that  although  educational  attainment  has  a  positive  impact  on  arts  participa- 
tion, the  contributing  impact  of  socioeconomic  status  is  not  explained  away. 
There  is  a  reasonably  strong  relationship  between  SES  and  participation  for 
every  mode  of  participation  except  performance  and,  interestingly,  watching 
the  arts  on  television  or  video  tape.  This  last  finding  holds  importance  in  that 
the  impact  of  education  explained  away  all  of  the  initial  relationship  between 
SES  and  watching  the  arts.53 

Education  has  a  purpose  which  goes  beyond  being  simply  a  functional 
transition  to  work.  One  does  not  become  educated  for  the  sole  purpose  of 
gaining  access  to  employment.  Rather,  it  serves  as  a  socializing  force,  bringing 
individuals  to  the  larger  cultural  milieu  and  improving  their  access  to,  as  well 
as  increasing  their  participation  in,  art  forms  which  help  determine  the  cul- 
tural makeup  of  our  society.  In  Part  3,  this  question  was  pursued  further  by 
comparing  the  role  of  arts  education  and  the  larger  socialization  context  of  ed- 
ucation on  participation  in  the  arts  as  adults. 


TABLE  C.I.   Arts  Consumpt 

ion  by  Sociodemographic 

Background  (Model  i)  and  Years  of  Edu» 

cation  After 

Taking 

into  Account 

Sociodemographic 

Background 

(Mode!  11) 

Attendance 

Audio 

Vledia 

Video  Media 

Print  Media 

Mode! 

Model 

Mode 

I 

Model 

Predictors                        1 

ii 

I 

II 

1 

II 

I              II 

African  American        .02 

.02 

1  n*** 

1 2*** 

.01 

.01 

.003         .003 

Asian                          -.01 

-.02 

-.01 

-.02 

.002 

-.001 

_.04**      -.05*** 

Hispanic                    -.003 

.01 

.02 

.04** 

.02 

.02 

-.05***    -.03** 

Male                         -.02 

-.03* 

.01 

.01 

-.02 

-.02 

_13***    -.14*** 

SES                               .18*** 

.10*** 

.26*** 

.14*** 

.04*** 

.01 

17***         in*** 

Years  of  Education         — 

.20*** 

— 

70*** 

— 

09*** 

-           .28*** 

R2                                 .03*** 

.06*** 

.07*** 

.14*** 

.01*** 

.01*** 

07***        1 3*** 

*p<.05.       **p<.01.       * 

'**p  <  .001 

TABLE  C.2.   Arts  Production  by  Sociodemographic 

Background  (Model  1)  and  Years  of  Education  After 
Taking  into  Account  Sociodemographic  Background 
(Model  II) 

Performance 

Creation 

Model 
Predictors                            1                                 II 

Mode! 
! 

II 

African  American             -.06***                    -.06*** 
Asian                                    .01                             .01 
Hispanic                               .01                             .02 
Male                                 -.01                         -.01 
SES                                      -.003                        -.01 
Years  of  Education              —                           .01 

-.05*** 

.002 

.01 
-  20*** 

Qg*** 

nc*** 

.00006 

.01 
-  in*** 

Q"7*** 
QC*** 

R2                                          .01***                       .01*** 

.05*** 

.05*** 

*p<.05.       **p<.01.       ***p<.001. 

Appendix  D 
Technical  Information 

Path  Analysis 

J  ath  analysis  is  an  analytic  technique  that  uses  ordinary  least  squares  (OLS) 
regression  in  progressive  stages  to  build  a  model  of  relationships  as  one  influ- 
ences the  next.54  It  is  useful  when  considering  analytical  models  in  which  not 
all  the  predictors  of  concern  are  exogenous  (external  to,  or  outside,  the 
model);  that  is,  when  at  least  one  variable  in  the  model  functions  as  an  effect 
of  some  predictors  and  is  also  a  cause  of  one  or  more  outcomes  (Cohen  and 
Cohen,  1983).  In  these  types  of  models,  path  analysis  uses  the  endogenous 
(internal  to,  or  inside,  the  model)  predictors  as  outcomes  of  earlier  regressions 
in  the  model,  then  estimates  the  effects  of  both  exogenous  and  endogenous 
predictors  in  later  regressions.  The  final  model  in  the  analysis  is  a  full  multi- 
ple regression  estimating  the  effects  of  all  predictors  and  confounding  factors 
on  the  overall  outcome. 

In  each  case,  the  direct  effects  of  exogenous  and  endogenous  predictors  on 
the  outcome  are  given  by  the  standardized  partial  regression  coefficients.  The 
value  of  using  standardized  coefficients  is  that  they  make  it  possible  to  com- 
pare the  magnitude  of  partial  effects  over  different  dependent  measures  which 
may  have  different  units  of  analysis.  The  indirect  effects  of  the  exogenous  vari- 
ables on  the  outcome  are  estimated  by  the  cross  products  of  direct  effects 
through  the  model.  The  total  effect  of  any  given  predictor  on  the  outcome 
would  be  the  sum  of  the  direct  effect  and  the  indirect  effects. 

The  purpose  of  this  technique  is  to  examine  relationships  which  are  in- 
fluenced by  intervening  factors,  by  decomposing  the  total  effect  into  direct 
and  indirect  components.  This  analytic  technique  is  used  to  estimate  the  ef- 
fects of  socioeconomic  status  on  arts  participation  as  this  access  is  mediated 
through  references  in  arts/education,  and  to  determine  how  this  type  of  ed- 
ucational experience  influences  participation  as  mediated  by  lifestyle.  The  in- 
vestigation explores  to  what  extent  these  mediating  factors  contribute  to  final 
differences  between  individuals  who  did  and  did  not  have  an  education  in  the 
arts. 


Data  Analysis 

The  final  analyses  were  conducted  using  the  software  package,  Statistical 
Program  for  the  Social  Sciences  (SPSS-x,  version  4.1),  on  a  UNIX  system.  In- 
dividuals for  whom  responses  to  questions  were  missing  were  excluded  from 
the  analyses  using  a  pairwise  deletion  procedure.  Results  of  correlation-based 
analyses  used  weighted  samples.  Parallel  regression  analyses  on  unweighted 
samples  were  conducted  with  no  differences  found. 


Notes 


1 .  For  information  on  the  rates  of  arts  participation  by  degree  of  arts  education 
and  of  education,  see  Orend  and  Keegan  (1996).  Also,  arts  education  was 
viewed  from  a  global  perspective  rather  than  by  individual  art  form  as  investi- 
gation was  made  into  the  possibility  of  causal  relationships  between  types  of  arts 
participation  and  arts  education. 

2.  Due  to  the  fact  that  there  were  so  few  Native  Americans  surveyed  (N=16),  and 
given  the  statistical  procedures  employed  in  this  report,  it  was  necessary  to  ex- 
clude them  from  the  analyses. 

3.  In  the  case  of  listening  to  music  or  stage  works  via  audio  media,  a  point  was 
awarded  for  each  art  form  the  respondent  listened  to  via  radio  broadcast  or 
audio  recording.  This  reflects  the  content  of  the  SPPA92  questions  pertaining 
to  this  type  of  arts  participation. 

4.  For  a  discussion  of  race/ethnicity  and  rates  of  arts  participation  by  art  form,  see 
the  NEA  Research  Division  reports  by  Love  and  Klipple  (1996). 

5.  Even  though  arts  lessons  "in-school"  were  not  limited  to  those  in  public  schools 
by  the  wording  of  the  SPPA92,  one  can  extrapolate  a  certain  degree  of  nonpri- 
vate  "publicness"  to  the  SPPA92  questions  that  distinguish  school  and  commu- 
nity arts  instruction,  given  that  approximately  80  percent  of  American  students 
attended  publicly  supported  schools  in  1992  (U.S.  Department  of  Education, 
1995). 

6.  Although  the  final  analytical  step  took  into  account  various  aspect  of  one's 
leisurely  lifestyle  that  may  compete  with  participating  in  the  arts  for  one's  time, 
the  inclusion  of  leisure  into  the  analyses  did  not  increase  the  ability  to  predict 
arts  participation,  nor  did  it  alter  the  impact  of  the  other  variables  on  arts  par- 
ticipation. For  these  reasons,  mention  of  leisure  in  this  discussion  is  limited.  See 
Appendix  B  for  a  summary  table  of  the  differences  between  analyses  where 
leisure  was  included  and  excluded. 

7.  This  finding  does  not  indicate  that  a  person  trained  in  the  arts  attends  perfor- 
mances four  times  as  much  as  those  who  do  not,  but  rather  that  the  relation- 
ship between  arts  education  and  arts  attendance  is  more  reliable  and  important 
than  ethnic  background,  SES,  or  degree  of  leisure  activity. 

8.  See  Reimer  (1994)  and  J.  Paul  Getty  Trust  (1985)  for  discussions  of  the  status 
of  music  performance  in  music  education  and  of  the  role  of  visual  art  produc- 
tion in  art  education,  respectively. 

9.  In  considering  the  comparative  effects  of  arts  education  on  arts  participation  by 
arts  education  agency  (school-based  vs.  community-based),  one  should  remem- 
ber that  school-based  instruction  is  likely  to  be  delivered  to  groups  of  students, 
while  much  of  what  goes  on  in  community- based  arts  education  efforts  is 
within  a  one-on-one  private  setting.  Consideration  of  this  difference  must  be 

madf  wnfn  intprnrptincr  tnp  rnmnantiifp  <=fih=<-t-c  nf  porh   <-«t-i   irtr  t-»ii-t-i/-i»-><-n-«/-.»-» 


10.  See  Appendix  C  for  a  summary  of  results  related  to  the  effects  of  general  edu- 
cation on  arts  participation. 

11.  See  Arts.  Education,  and  Americans  Panel  (1977);  NEA  (1988);  Consortium  of 
National  Arts  Education  Associations  (1994)  [Associations];  National  Coalition 
for  Music  Education  (1991);  Fowler  (1988);  J.  Paul  Getty  Trust  (1985). 

12.  See  the  SPPA85  monograph  by  DiMaggio  and  Ostrower  (1992)  and  DiMaggio 
and  Ostrower  (1990)  for  such  analyses  and  for  thoughtful  consideration  of  the 
implications  of  differences  in  arts  participation  bv  race  and  ethnicity. 

13.  See  Love  and  Klipple  (1996)  for  a  description  of  race/ethnicity  and  arts  partic- 
ipation based  on  the  SPPA92. 

14.  The  interdependence  and  importance  of  these  two  arts  education  agencies  to 
arts  education  in  America  is  well  defined.  See  Arts,  Education  and  Americans 
Panel  (1977),  National  Endowment  for  the  Arts  (1988)  or  Fowler  (1988). 

15.  See  for  example,  Robinson  (1993)  and  DiMaggio  and  Ostrower  (1992.) 

16.  See  the  Forward  in  Robinson  (1993)  for  a  description  of  the  purpose  of  the 
SPPA,  its  history,  data  collection  procedures,  survey  methodology,  and  an  out- 
line of  the  questionnaire. 

17.  See  Orend  (1988)  for  analyses  of  data  from  the  1982  and  1985  SPPA  regarding 
socialization  and  arts  participation. 

18.  For  discussion  of  arts  education  and  education  rates  and  the  degree  of  arts  par- 
ticipation as  estimated  in  the  1992  SPPA,  see  the  companion  publication  to  this 
monograph  by  Orend  and  Keegan  (1996). 

19.  See  Orend  (1988)  for  this  type  of  analysis  using  data  from  the  1982  SPPA. 

20.  See  Appendix  D  for  a  more  in-depth  description  of  this  statistical  protocol  and 
for  other  technical  matters  pertaining  to  this  reports  analytical  techniques. 

21.  Time  points  were  less  than  12  years  old,  12— l7  years  old.  18-24  years  old,  25 
or  older,  within  the  year  prior  to  the  survey  date. 

22.  Arts  Lesson  Duration  Scale:  an  indication  of  the  duration  of  arts  lessons  over  a 
lifetime.  For  each  art  form,  a  point  was  awarded  for  each  time  period  the  re- 
spondent received  arts  lessons  and  then  the  scores  for  each  type  of  arts  lesson 
were  summed  and  standardized.  Arts  Lesson  Concentration  Scale:  standardized 
mean  of  the  sum  of  the  number  of  arts  for  which  the  respondent  received 
lessons  offered  in  the  communitv  and  the  number  of  arts  for  which  the  respon- 
dent received  lessons  offered  in  school. 

23.  Even  though  the  SPPA92  questions  about  arts  lessons  in  the  "school  you  were 
attending"  did  not  confine  "school"  to  public  school,  one  can  extrapolate  a  cer- 
tain degree  of  nonprivate,  "publicness'  to  the  responses  to  those  questions, 
given  that  approximately  80  percent  of  Americans  attend  public  schools  (U.S 
Department  of  Education,  1995). 

24.  See  Gates  (1991)  for  a  summary  and  extension  of  theories  of  music  participa- 
tion or  Cornwell  (1990)  for  a  discussion  of  arts  participation  as  a  dimension  of 
participation  in  a  democracy. 

25.  This  is  a  reflection  of  the  organization  of  the  questions  contained  on  the  1992 
questionnaire  and  is  comparable  to  a  similar  analysis  of  the  SPPA  1982  and 
1985.  See,  for  example,  Orend  (1988). 


26.  See  Part  1  for  a  detailed  description  of  the  SPPA92. 

27.  See  Part  1  for  a  detailed  description  of  the  measures  of  arts  education  and  arts 
participation  used  in  this  report. 

28.  See  the  section,  "Determining  the  Effects  of  Arts  Education  on  Arts  Participa- 
tion," in  Part  1  for  a  description  of  methodology. 

29.  The  reader  is  reminded  that  the  effects  of  arts  education  on  arts  participation, 
as  indicated  by  beta  coefficients,  are  net  effects;  that  is,  after  taking  into  account 
the  other  variables  in  the  model. 

30.  The  reader  is  reminded  that  in  the  current  monograph,  arts  participation  is  con- 
sidered globally,  across  art  forms.  For  a  discussion  of  race  and  ethnicity  and  rate 
of  arts  participation  by  art  form,  see  the  companion  NEA  Research  Division 
monograph  by  Love  and  Klipple  (1996). 

31.  Compare  betas  for  SES  found  in  Tables  7  with  those  in  Table  5. 

32.  For  discussion  of  how  social  differences  in  access  to  arts  education  contribute 
indirectly  to  differences  in  participation  in  the  arts  as  adults,  see  Chapter  4  of 
Bergonzi  and  Smith  (1996). 

33.  The  focus  here  rests  on  comparing  these  two  effects.  Therefore,  although  a  full 
simultaneous  regression  was  run  with  each  measure,  the  discussion  concerns 
only  the  bottom  two  rows  of  results  in  the  table.  Background  variables  will  be 
considered  in  this  discussion  only  when  analyses  of  the  effects  of  school-  and 
community-based  arts  education  produce  results  that  clarify  or  substantially  dif- 
fer from  those  of  the  previous  section. 

34.  This  can  be  attributed  in  part  to  the  fact  that  Arts  Education  Density  is  an  index 
that  also  includes  information  on  arts  education  received  as  an  adult  after  the 
age  of  17. 

35.  This  discussion  is  based  on  analyses  of  the  effects  of  arts  education  on  arts  par- 
ticipation as  presented  earlier  in  this  section.  With  one  exception,  analyses  using 
the  variable,  Leisure  Index  (as  presented  in  Part  1)  offered  no  increase  in  the 
power  of  the  analytical  model  to  predict  arts  participation,  nor  did  they  sub- 
stantially alter  the  relative  predictive  power  (betas)  of  the  other  variables.  For 
these  reasons,  these  analyses  are  not  presented  in  this  section,  but  are  summa- 
rized in  Appendix  B.  However,  limited  discussion  of  the  results  of  these  analy- 
ses is  included  in  this  section's  summary,  in  the  Executive  Summary,  and  in  Part 
4. 

36.  In  addition  to  arts  consumption,  higher  SES  indicated  more  arts  creation,  even 
after  adjusting  for  arts  education.  However,  SES  did  not  impact  arts  creation 
after  including  leisure  in  the  analyses. 

37.  See  Appendix  B  for  a  summary  of  the  mostly  nonsubstantive  changes  due  to  the 
addition  of  leisure  to  the  analyses. 

38.  See  Bergonzi  and  Smith  (1996)  for  a  more  detailed  description  of  differences  .in 
education  based  on  personal  background.  See  Chapter  3  for  a  description  of 
similar  differences  in  arts  education. 

39.  See  Appendix  C  for  a  summary  of  these  differences. 

40.  To  help  focus  the  results,  years  of  education  have  been  condensed  into  logical 


categories,  namely  less  than  high  school  degree  (2  through  1 1  years),  high 
school  graduate  (12  years),  some  college  (13  through  15  years),  four  years  of 
college  (16  years),  and  more  than  four  years  of  college  (17  through  26).  Like- 
wise for  degree  of  arts  education  but  by  standard  deviation  units  of  the  stan- 
dardized Arts  Education  Density  scale:  none  (-2  units),  very  little  (-1),  average 
(0),  more  than  average  (+1),  and  a  great  deal  (+2). 

41 .  The  reader  is  reminded  that  in  the  current  monograph,  arts  participation  is  con- 
sidered globally,  across  art  forms.  For  a  discussion  of  race/ethnicity  and  rates  of 
arts  participation  by  art  form,  see  the  NEA  Research  Division  monograph  by 
Love  and  Klipple  (1996). 

42.  Arts  education  was  not  significantly  related  to  arts  performance  either  separately 
(Table  5)  or  in  combination  with  general  education  (Table  10).  A  discussion  of 
the  interdependent  effects  of  arts  education  and  education  on  arts  performance 
is  therefore  moot. 

43.  The  reader  is  reminded  that  "effects"  here  are  net  effects,  that  is,  after  taking  into 
account  the  other  variables  in  the  model. 

44.  National  activity  such  as  the  Consortium  of  National  Arts  Education  Associa- 
tion's submission  of  arts  standards  to  the  U.S.  Department  of  Education  that 
define  what  every  young  American  should  know  and  be  able  to  do  in  the  arts 
(Associations,  1994),  and  the  1997  National  Assessment  of  Educational 
Progress  (NAEP),  is  slated  to  be  an  assessment  of  the  national  status  of  students' 
achievement  in  the  arts.  For  evidence  that  the  majority  of  Americans  retain  pri- 
vate goals  for  their  children  that  include  having  them  learn  about  the  arts,  see 
Americans  and  the  Arts  VI  ( 1 992). 

45.  Given  the  statistical  procedures  needed  to  employ,  too  few  Native  Americans 
were  surveyed  to  be  included  in  these  analyses. 

46.  See  Robinson  (1993)  for  such  observations  using  data  from  the  1992  SPPA. 

47.  This  discussion  is  based  on  analyses  of  the  effects  of  arts  education  on  arts  par- 
ticipation adjusting  for  the  competing  effects  of  lifestyle,  using  the  variable, 
Leisure  Index.  (Refer  to  the  discussion  in  Part  1.)  With  one  exception,  these 
analyses  offered  no  increase  in  the  power  of  the  analytical  model  to  predict  arts 
participation,  nor  did  they  substantially  alter  the  relative  predictive  power 
(betas)  of  the  other  variables.  For  these  reasons,  tables  from  these  analyses  are 
not  presented  in  this  section  but  are  contained  in  Appendix  B.  However,  some 
discussion  of  the  results  of  these  analyses  is  included  in  this  section,  in  the  Ex- 
ecutive Summary,  and  in  Part  2. 

48.  In  interpreting  these  findings  one  must  keep  in  mind  the  more  individualized 
nature  of  community-based  arts  instruction  vs.  the  group  processes  employed 
by  school  arts  teachers. 

49.  Neither  arts  education  nor  education  were  significant  predictors  of  arts  perfor- 
mance. For  this  reason,  arts  performance  is  not  included  in  this  discussion. 

50.  The  effect  of  overall  education  on  print-media  involvement  was  consistent 
across  levels  of  arts  education.  Given  that  reading  is  an  activity  that  is  inherent 
at  all  levels  of  education,  one  might  expect  the  effect  of  arts  education  would  be 


different  for  individuals  of  varying  education  levels.  This  was  not  the  case,  how- 
ever. Arts  education  was  more  than  twice  as  powerful  a  predictor  of  print-media 
involvement  than  was  overall  education. 

51.  See  Chapter  3  in  Bergonzi  and  Smith  (1996)  for  a  more  detailed  description  of 
the  effects  of  overall  educational  attainment  on  arts  participation. 

52.  See  Spring  (1991)  for  a  more  elaborate  discussion  of  this  topic. 

53.  The  addition  of  leisure  to  these  preparatory  analyses  did  not  alter  the  results  in 
any  substantive  way.  For  this  reason,  this  report  does  not  discuss  leisure  as  a  fac- 
tor in  predicting  the  effects  of  education  on  arts  participation. 

54.  A  more  complete  discussion  of  path  analysis  can  be  found  in  Cohen,  J.  and  P. 
Cohen  (1983),  Applied  Multiple  Regression/Correlation  Analysis  for  the  Behavioral 
Sciences,  or  Pedhauzur,  E.  J.  (1982),  Multiple  Regression  in  Behavioral  Research. 


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