How Does Music Function As A Social Commentary Research Paper

How Does melody Function As A Social Commentary - Research Paper ExampleAmerican heathenish history, ethnic studies, folklore, and even musicology have increasingly placed music in American social and cultural context. American culture describes how race and ethnicity, gender, and class have influenced the performance and production of music. It has illuminated issues as diverse as ethnic and regional identity, the degree of agency among artists, and Cold War politics. Despite some shortcomings in its application, such music continues to offer Americans much material regarding the many connections between music and American culture. On the one hand, the ruling elites use music to communicate their political values to the general population and to let their rule. In this sense, music is utilize to encourage politically acceptable behavior. At the same time, music is in addition a medium for encouraging certain modes of socially acceptable behavior. On the other hand, music is u sed by people in structurally subordinate positions to comment on social problems to express their dissatisfaction with the plead of society and resistance to hegemony and the ruling order. Music as a cultural form is thus appropriated for contrastive ends by two different groups in society (Ibid, 283-285).