| Unit name | Music as a Social Phenomenon |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MUSI20115 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Fairclough |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None. |
| Co-requisites |
None. |
| School/department | Department of Music |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
The historical roots of music scholarship lie in the study of music with a focus on sound phenomena such as pitch organisation, instruments, performers, and repertoires. In the twentieth century, however, the social, cultural, and political contexts, within which musical phenomena are embedded, began being recognised increasingly as central rather than secondary elements in the scholarly efforts to understand the values, meanings, and significances associated with musical phenomena. Today, music is frequently studied in an interdisciplinary way navigating across scholarly territories traditionally associated with disciplines such as anthropology and sociology.
In this unit, we will investigate musical phenomena first and foremost as socially embedded phenomena. The position of musical phenomena will be explored with regard to fundamental social processes within society and various contemporary social science concepts such as gender, power, identity, memory, etc. will form the main framework by which studies into musical practices and understandings are investigated. Additionally, theoretical and methodological issues as they pertain to social studies of music will be explored. The example studies will be selected in relation to a specific cultural, geographical, or political area for the entire unit to allow students to contextualise the examined musical and social phenomena in a coherent way. This unit aims to help students develop an understanding of music in the broader realm of human activities and thought, and to offer basic knowledge of social science-oriented studies into musical phenomena.
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
(1) identify various common approaches to the study of music as a social phenomenon and the theoretical and methodological issues raised in these studies;
(2) recognise the musical and related social phenomena associated with the cultural/geographical area used as an example case;
(3) distinguish and summarise the primary issues raised in studies on musical phenomena in general and specifically in relation to the area being used as a case study;
(4) evaluate and critique social science-oriented approaches to musical phenomena;
(5) write critically about social science-oriented approaches to music;
(6) research, plan, and will write an essay at a standard appropriate to level I.
This unit will use a blended approach mixing face-to-face teaching and discussion and online materials and activities.
All the assessment is summative.
Level I: 2500 word review portfolio (50%) (ILOs 1-5); 2500 word essay (50%) (ILOs 1-6).
