Music and Society
Code
722021022
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Ciências Musicais
Credits
10
Teacher in charge
Paula Gomes Ribeiro
Weekly hours
3 letivas + 1 tutorial
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
By the end of this course students should/will be able to demonstrate:
a) to know and understand the main concepts, research tools and theories in the area concerned: music in reception studies, audience studies, mediation and media effects;
b) to be aware of the state of the art developments of the mentioned domains;
c) to know and have ability to use and compare different theoretical positions in the mentioned domains;
d) to be able to develop a research project in the study domain;
e) to be able to synthesize, document and communicate ideas and information in the specific domain.
Prerequisites
None.
Subject matter
This course aims to provide students with a broad research experience in the field of sociology of music. The course program is based on a set of topics / central research problems, that are chosen, each year, according to criteria of social and intellectual relevance and taking into account the state of the art developments in the field of study. The emergence and discussion of problems in interdisciplinary frameworks is encouraged. The main units for the present year are:
1. Introduction to key concepts and theoretical frames in the domain of cultural and listening consumption.
2. Reception theory; listening culture, belief systems and cultural frames; public, audiences and fandom.
3. Media, music and communication models.
4. Music criticism in the construction of taste patterns and social stratification.
5. Discourses of legitimation and classification in music. Rethinking the ´high /popular culture´ dichotomy.
Bibliography
Bennet, A. (2000). Popular Music and Youth Culture: Music, Identity and Place. Hampshire: Macmillan.
Bennet, T. & al. (2009). Culture, Class, Distinction. London: Routledge.
Bourdieu, P. (1979). La distinction. Paris: Minuit.
Bryson, B. (1996). Anything But Heavy Metal: Symbolic Exclusion and Musical Dislikes. American Sociological Review, 61, 5, 884-899.
Chan, T. & Goldthorpe, J. (2007). Social Stratification and Cultural Consumption: the Case of Music, European Sociological Review, 23, 1, 1-19.
Clayton, M. (2011). The Cultural Study of Music. New York: Routledge.
O´Hara, K. & Brown, B. (Eds.) (2006). Consuming Music Together: Social and Collaborative Aspects of Music Consumption Technologies. Dordrecht: Springer.
Martin, P. (2006). Music and the Sociological Gaze: Art Worlds and Cultural Production. Manchester: MUP.
Mukerji, C. & Schudson, M. (1991). Rethinking Popular Culture. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Scott, D. (2000). Music, Culture and Society, Oxford: OUP.
Teaching method
Lessons are both theoretical and practical, 60% being theoretical and 40% practical. The teaching-learning processes make extensive use of audiovisual media, and are based in the active learning model. They include, among other methods, exposition and demonstration, discussion, collaborative learning, literature review, problem solving, case learning, interpretation of musical and audiovisual examples, group and individual readings and presentations, research project conception, among others.
Evaluation method
Coursework: 1) research project (30%); 2) one oral presentation/discussion (20%); 3) one paper and its presentation in the course´s end-of-term conference (60%). Critical thinking and class participation will be valued.