This mini-dissertation is structured as a clinical inquiry based on a detailed analysis of music therapy work with a wide open group at Kalafong Hospital’s paediatric oncology ward. The focus of this inquiry is to characterise ‘working moments’ within a wide open group music therapy context, that appears to be impacted by noise levels, group structures, and a generally busy and unpredictable physical environment. In addition, this clinical inquiry identifies clinical skills employed during ‘working moments’ with a wide open group. Research methods of description, coding, categorising and theme identification are applied in the analysis of three video excerpts and corresponding sessions’ session notes. The chosen excerpts are based on a working definition of ‘working moments’. The findings of this clinical inquiry suggest that characteristics of wide open groups include the following: Breaking social isolation and Shifting from illness to health. It furthermore identifies the roles and tasks of the therapist in a wide open music therapy group. This mini-dissertation also includes a proposed research project that stems directly from the clinical inquiry. / Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Music / MMus / Unrestricted

La civilisation chinoise est généralement comparée à un monolithe ayant traversé les âges. Elle jouit d’une grande réputation et se caractérise elle-même par une idéologie holiste. Cette vision synoptique implique incidemment une notion de groupe, c’est-à-dire qu’existerait à travers l’espace et le temps un immense ensemble humain identifié par sa « sinité ». Cette thèse s’interroge sur les éléments et les étapes historiques de la construction de la nation contemporaine chinoise. Elle cherche à discerner précisément le moment où ce groupe commence à se percevoir en tant que tel et à comprendre les motifs sous-jacents à sa fondation consciente et volontaire. Afin de mettre en lumière les identités chinoises, cette étude anthropologique du politique brise les barrières des définitions, articule les différentes notions de groupe, et use d’une comparaison entre perspectives historiques de groupe de la France et de la Chine. Animée par l’ambition de s’émanciper de schémas interprétatifs parfois trop stéréotypés à l’égard de l’histoire et des politiques contemporaines chinoises et en vue d’en proposer une compréhension renouvelée, cette entreprise analytique porte une attention accrue sur la conscience d’appartenance au groupe. / The Chinese civilisation is generally likened to a block of stone which has travelled through time. It enjoys a widespread reputation and is itself characterised by an holistic ideology. This summary vision implies incidentally a notion of group, which questions through space and time the existence of a huge group of human identified by its “Sinitic” character.This PhD thesis will interrogate the elements and the historical steps of the construction of a contemporary Chinese nation. It seeks precisely to discern the moment when this group began to perceive as such, and to understand the reasoning behind its conscious and voluntary foundation. In order to reveal these Chinese identities, this anthropological study in politics will break down the barriers of definitions, articulate the different concepts of group, and compare thoroughly different perspectives of some French historical groups and that of Chinese. Driven by the ambition to release the interpretative schemas, sometimes too stereotyped, regarding the history and the politics in modern China, and to propose a renewed understanding, this analytical work pays greater attention on the awareness belonging to the group.