Health and Life Skills Through Music, Arts and Culture in Education

Abstract

The anthology Health and Life Skills Through Music, Arts and Culture in Education describes and explores the fields of arts, culture and life skills throughout the educational system from kindergarten to university-level teacher training programs. The ideas behind and impetus for creating this anthology were inspired by the Mental State of the World report, which states that young adults are struggling far more with mental health problems now than in prior generations. The new Norwegian core curriculum's interdisciplinary topic “health and life skills” is meant to give pupils competencies that promote sound physical and mental health. The need for an interdisciplinary topic like this is stressed by the Mental State of the World report.

The anthology consists of ten chapters. The authors are researchers and pedagogues working in various subject areas. They represent a diversity of professional perspectives and approaches to how arts and culture can strengthen public health and life skills and thereby promote people’s sense of well-being. The target group for this anthology is teachers in educational courses from kindergarten, kulturskole, primary and secondary school and higher education.