SOC 375 - Sociology of Music

Units: 3
Three hours seminar per week
Prerequisite(s): SOC 100 or Consent of Instructor
A variety of sociological perspectives are used to understand the social and cultural significance of music. Analysis will focus on processes of interpretation, the generation of social meanings, culturally constructed distinctions in taste and patterns of consumption, and societal conditions that foster innovation. Examples will be drawn from different styles of music and relevant social and historical contexts, ranging from hymns to hip hop, from classical sonatas to protest songs, and from professionally engineered pop hits to amateur garage band productions.