The arts, social inclusion and social class: The case of dance

This article places the results of an empirical research study on the relationship between the social class factor and young people's perceptions of dance within the context of recent British government initiatives promoting social and educational inclusion through the arts. Four Likert-type dance attitude scales that were developed from pupil opinion expressed during prior discussions were included in a survey questionnaire and responses sought from a nation-wide representative sample of 1298 11-16-year-old boys and girls. Analyses of the data showed that attitudes to aspects of dance varied with social class and that there was an interaction between gender and social class in just one instance. A major implication of the research is that dance and the arts should be more widely available in schools so that all children and young people can have access to aesthetic experiences that have the potential to improve quality of life. It is concluded that the current limited provision within the National Curriculum may be contributing to the social and educational exclusion of some pupils.