Call for Papers
The journal Sociology of Care announces a call for papers for the special issue “Music Therapy.”
Submission deadline: 20 September 2026.
Guest Editor of the special issue: Maria Pakosh, founder of the therapeutic playlist project MuzNII: Music Works, music therapist in geriatric care.
Articles, field notes, and observational reports should be sent to: ilchenko.maria2@gmail.com.
In 2021, Dmitry Rogozin published recommendations of the Italian Association of Music Therapists, adding:
“…the general conclusion is obvious: properly selected music has a beneficial effect on people. Was it necessary to conduct an observation to obtain a result known in advance? And when was the last time those of us with elderly parents practiced music therapy with them? When was the last time our elders listened to music at least once a week?”
Four years later, we invite authors once again to reflect on these questions and to submit field notes, hypotheses, and observations on the role of music in care for adults, older people, adolescents, children, and people in general.
Is music always appropriate in different life situations and social contexts? Which popular Russian practices of “music for health” deserve theoretical attention? Can musical interventions be harmful? Today, the global community of therapists discusses the notion of “musical violence.”
What is the phenomenon behind dividing music into “good” and “bad”? How do studies of “music in medicine” differ from “music therapy”? What research exists on various methods of working with music in contexts of care?
We are particularly interested in examples of collaboration among musicians, medical professionals, social workers, and psychologists — from palliative care and grief to neurology, rehabilitation, and pain reduction.
The role of music in supporting children with learning difficulties is also important. Of interest is the shift in parental expectations toward music schools — from training professional musicians to promoting health and well-being through music.
The integration of music therapy into psychology and social services is especially relevant — from counselors of different theoretical orientations to caregivers and social work students. In one of the upcoming issues, we will address the barriers to training social workers, caregivers, and family members in home-based care using music.
“Music is always beneficial” — but is it really? An interdisciplinary dialogue with philosophers, cultural theorists, psychologists, and care professionals is needed in order to use music consciously across different areas of human life.
Some Russian-language materials on this topic can be found in the Library of the Association of Music Psychologists and Psychotherapists. Gift raffles will be organized among contributing authors.