Today, more than ever before, the role played by music in shaping our thought systems and our interactions with others can never be underestimated. It is safe to argue that music has not only been able to transcend cultural and racial boundaries to find appeal universally, but has also assisted civilizations across the world to find their own exclusive social niche, bringing them together with other individuals and societies that collectively share the same interest (Durant, 2010).
The reggae music genre has particularly been instrumental in communicating the message of resistance against political and social systems that appear biased to the interests of the blacks not only in Jamaica where the genre originated, but also across the world (Alvalez, 2008).
Through sampling some of lyrics of Bob Marley, the proclaimed founder of the Rasta movement, this paper will purpose to show how the musical messages of resistance to political and social systems have served to fuel social decadence and crime in contemporary world.
It is a well known fact that music is a communicative apparatus that is used and shared by individuals around the world to emphasize their values and articulate new notions. Reggae music is no exception. Bob Marley brought into the world revolutionary ideologies of love, peace, unity, and independence, all wrapped together in a message of political revolution to free the blacks from the colonial masters that had invaded Africa and other parts of the world (Alvarez, 2008).
His Redemption Song in particular rallied the blacks to be strong in the face of white domination using the following lyrics: “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds, have no fear of atomic energy, cause none of them can stop the time. How long shall they kill our prophets, while we stand aside and look? Ooh! Some say it’s a part of it: we’ve got to fulfill the book” (Elyrics.Net, 2010, para. 2).
Marley may have had very valid reasons for singing against the system especially with the realization that racism and subjugation of blacks was at its peak during his era. His lyrics together with contributions of other black civil rights activists such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King greatly assisted Africans and black Americans to nurture their own identity and demand for recognition as human beings rather than slave subjects (Alvarez, 2008).
Bob in particular was able to question authority while vividly portraying the agony and suffering of the black community through music. It is therefore sad to note how his legacy has been used to cause social decadence and acts of crime in the name of Rastafarian movement (Rommen, 2006).
Roots reggae and its teachings have become deeply entrenched in the lifestyles of many people across the world. The real value of the music, however, has undergone great transformations mostly to the negative. In the U.S., for example, “reggae has tended to be the soundtrack for college kid’s ganja smoking rather than spiritual or political struggle” (Miner, 2003, para. 2).
This scenario is replicated around the world, where reggae music is increasingly becoming identified with drug-taking behavior more than the ideals it represented some few decades ago mainly due to personal habits and drug life of a few musicians. This problem can be traced back to the issues of self and identity.
According to Stets & Burke (n.d.), “…by taking the role of the other and seeing ourselves for others’ perspectives, our responses come to be like other’s responses, and the meaning of the self becomes a shared meaning” (p. 4). In equal measure, the kids internalize the images of marijuana-puffing musicians and carry them as their own, hence falling into the bottomless pit of drugs.
Reggae music has also enhanced moral decadence through the misconception of its lovers that it advocates gangbanging, violent political and social revolutions, and degradation of life (Alvarez, 2008). In sociological perspectives, this problem can be attributed to the issue of self-concept.
As individuals’ attempts to cut an image of who they are to their own selves and other members of society, they inexorably develop a vivid perception of their own personality (Stets & Burke, n.d.).
The problem lies in the fact that individuals who have a negative identity are more likely to develop a negative self-concept of their own personalities. Going back to reggae music, it is evidently clear that the message was directed to the poor black masses in society to put their acts together and rise above the challenges presented to them by the wealthy people.
But due to negative identity and negative self-concept ingrained upon the youths by a few busybodies, we have reached situations where the youths are taking other people’s property by force in the name of equal rights and justice (Shorter, 2004). This scenario has been experienced in Zimbabwe and South Africa, where blacks forcefully seize property belonging to the whites in an attempt to redeem their own status.
According to Alvarez (2008), “…reggae has emerged as one vehicle for indigenous and other marginalized populations to articulate their struggles against incursions of transnational capital into the local communities” (p. 576).
This is a good struggle, but in the modern world, it is been carried in ways that often deny the rights and dignity of others. In some African communities, members subscribing to this movement maim and kill other blacks who do not subscribe to their ideals not mentioning the fact that they forcefully circumcise their women (Shorter, 2004).
This only helps to increase moral decadence in society. Alvarez (2008) further postulates that “…it is particularly evident that the deeply gendered nature of indigenous reggae often replicates much of the male-dominated and hyper-masculine character of the larger music industry, indigenous communities, and national societies in which these artists and their fans reside” (p. 593).
Many contemporary reggae artists have deviated from the ideals of the 1960s and 1970s reggae to bring their own world views. For example, many modern reggae artists equate resistance as presented in Bob Marley’s songs to some form of warrior-like clandestine activity (Alvarez).
This has had a negative impact on the lifestyles of the youth who learn and imitate what they hear or see in the environment. In sociological perspectives, it is evidently clear that much of the learning and socialization is facilitated by the environment (Rommen, 2006). In this case, it can be argued that negative socialization occurs to the youth who listen to such messages, further necessitating moral decadence.
To conclude, it can be firmly stated that reggae continues to cause social decadence and acts of crime in mainstream society, not because of what it is or what it stand for, but because of issues of negative self-concept, negative identity, and negative socialization processes.
Bob Marley, the founder of the music genre, had very good intentions in rallying the black population in resisting against racism, subjugation, mistreatment, and poor living conditions that were prevalent among the blacks due to overbearing political and social systems. Nevertheless, individual and societal factors have come into play to change that message into a platform of engaging in crime and drugs under the banner of resistance to the system (Rommen, 2006). Certainly, this is the wrong approach.
Reference List
Alvarez, L. (2008). Reggae rhythms in dignity’s Diaspora: Globalization, indigenous identity, and the circulation of cultural struggle. Popular Music & Culture, Vol. 31, Issue 5, p. 575-597. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier Database.
Durant, J. (2010). The importance of music in our lives. Web.
Rommen, T. (2006). Protestant Vibrations? Reggae, Rastafarian, and Conscious Evangelicals. Popular Music, Vol. 25, Issue 2, p. 235-263. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier Database.
Shorter, A. (2004). East African Societies. London: Routledge.
Stets, J.E., & Burke, P.J. (n.d.). A Sociological Approach to Self and Identity. Web.
Exercise is a crucial undertaking that enhances our health. In order to achieve health benefits, many people desire to engage in exercise. However, they are overcome by laziness. People working out at the gym need something to motivate them in order to continue with the exercise. According to Barwood et al. (2011), the prospect of going to gym and completing work out can be very intimidation. There is thus the need for something or someone to act as the motivator for the exercise. An example of the motivator is music. There are many studies that have investigated the role of music in relation to exercise.
A study conducted by Karageorghis et al. (2009) found that music plays an imperative role in enhancing repetitive endurance. Music elevates the exercise mood and increases the body’s endurance. In addition, Simpson and Karageorghis (2006) noted that music reduces the perceived effort during the exercise and thus plays a critical role in enabling an individual to continue with the exercise. Music also evokes emotions and can be applied to ignite the motivation to start the physical exercise. However, not all music can result in motivation. This implies that there is the need for particular types of music to guarantee the feeling and the motivation to exercise.
The Function and Uses of the Innovation
The interplay of music and exercise can be traced back to 1911. An American researcher, Leonard Ayres discovered that cyclists pedaled faster while a band was playing than when it was silent (MacDougall & Moore 2005). The discovery was related to the effect evoked by the music in making an individual want to boogie to the rhythm. The functional usage of the type of music is to encourage many people to exercise and make the exercise facilities such as gyms attract more people. The innovation will promote the health of the people attracted to exercise facilities and secondly, it will create more business for gyms.
According to Karageorghis and Priest (2012), aerobic dance music increases the feeling of vigour. Hayakawa et al. (2000) carried out a study to assess the effects of traditional Japanese folk music during an aerobic dance. The findings indicated that the music reduced the feeling of fatigue. Nakamura et al. (2010) noted that music can release psychological queues that prepare an individual for the exercise. Nakamura et al. (2010) compared music to the way people salivate when they are invited for their favourite dinner. Similarly, the sound of music that is associated to exercise psychologically prepares the mind and body for the exercise. Therefore, the music invention will be used as a motivational tool for exercise. It will wire the humans to respond to it by psychologically thinking about the exercise and its benefits. Thus, the innovation will encourage people to engage in exercise.
The Importance of the Innovation to the Sport and Related Industry
The sports industry presents a great potential for business growth. Across the globe, the sports industry is estimated to be worth over 350 billion Euros and presents a great potential for economic growth. In many developed countries, the sports industry has expanded and there are forecasts that the trend of growth will continue. The projected growth point that the sportsmen and women will require fitness centres that will aid them in the training and staying physically fit. Therefore, the invention will serve as a catalyst for the sports industry. According to Schwartz, Fernhall and Plowman (2010), healthy and physically fit individuals have the confidence to join sports. An invention that attracts many people to the gyms will certainly increase sports activities and hence promote the growth of the sports industry.
Over the past three decades, there have been steady increases in lifestyle diseases. For instance, the prevalence of obesity has gone up. The lifestyle diseases are caused by sedentary lifestyles and the fast foods that characterise today’s fast-paced economies. The levels of physical activities have changed (Karageorghis & Priest 2012). As a result, there have been increased campaigns by the health professionals to increase the physical activities. Thus, the invention supplements the campaigns by providing a motivator that will attract more people to engage in exercise. The implications are that more people will be living healthier lifestyles. In addition, the invention will lead to reduction in the health burden in hospitals. The health burden is caused by morbidity associated with reduced physical exercise.
Potential Markets
Recent researches have pointed to the tremendous growth in the sports industry. This has led to an increase in sports facilities across the globe. According to Amuah (2013), inventions that provide unique solutions to real problems have the ability to penetrate the target market. Inadequate exercise is a problem that affects many people across the globe. In addition, the exercise facilities have increased tremendously to capture the many people who need to exercise. This has changed the business environment for sports related inventions. Therefore, sports facilities will embrace inventions that give them a competitive edge. There are many factors that affect the potential markets. Appendix 1 and 2 are analysis of some of the factors.
The complex business environment has many players that include clubs, agencies, federations and sports sponsors. The potential market for the music will include both the domestic and the international markets. The domestic markets include the individuals, sports training facilities and gyms. In the modern world, people who have no time to attend to gyms conduct their exercise at home setting. These individuals present a viable market for the invention as they will require the music to encourage and keep them working. In an endeavour to compete favourably in the sports field, many clubs and sports agencies require products that help their sports personnel to increase physical fitness. Thus, the clubs will need the music to encourage the sports people to train. In addition, exercise activities are not limited to domestic markets. The need for exercise transcends the international markets.
The Users of the Invention
As noted by Copeland and Franks (2011) exercise has become a priority for individuals, organisations and governments. Many people have made resolutions to stay healthy and physically fit. The innovation thus presents a right companion for the people to get motivated and exercise. Thus, the first target consumers will be the individual persons. In the competitive sports field, there are many organisations and agencies that need to train athletes. Therefore, the sports organisations and agencies will be the users of the product. The music will boost the morale of the agencies’ members to exercise without a lot of coercion from the trainers. The category of users will also encompass the private gyms, companies, and sports agencies.
The other important buyer for the music will be the government. In the contemporary society, there have been increases in lifestyle diseases. The increase has been attributed to reduced physical exercise. This places a lot of financial burden on the governments that have to invest in health care facilities to treat the diseases. Governments have been advocating for exercises. As a result, there are many public social centres and sports fields set aside by the governments in order to encourage people to exercise. In order to attract more people to the centres for the exercises, the government can buy the music. Therefore, the sports departments in the government will be target customers for the product. Thus, the music will also be marketed to international sports agencies, and gyms.
The Innovation
Van der Vlist, Bartneck and Mäueler (2011) stipulated that music is a fantastic motivator. Music makes the individuals’ emotions to respond to the exercise. However, it is worth noting that different people are attracted to different types of music. There are people who like loud music while others require fast music. The music innovation application will be designed to include the different types of the beats that for the target consumers. However, the lyrics will remain to be the same. This implies that different genres of music will be part of the innovation. The following is the diagrammatic representation of the innovation.
The music innovation application.
The music genres will be synchronised to the beat and the lyrics. This will ensure that every person can identify with the music. In addition, the invention will be available in categories that suit the targets customers. Therefore, there will be music that can be directly downloaded by the customers, music application for the smartphones with the Android technology and iTunes and iPods for the Apple related smartphones. There will be an interface for corporate bodies and companies and an interface for the individuals.
Strategies to Commercialise the Innovation
Online
The process of entering a product to a market requires strategies that will ensure that the product gains the intended market share (Arnold 2003). According to Armstrong and Kotler (2005) a market strategy entails the plans laid down by a company to deliver goods or services to the intended customers.
In the contemporary society, many businesses have adopted technologies to advance their operations (Kotler & Gary 2006). One of the key strategies that will be used to commercialise the invention will be through online selling. Pickton and Broderick (2011) stated that selling products online provides a business with the ability to reach many customers. The online is a virtual place and hence does not restrict the geographical reach of the business.
Therefore, in order to reach the potential buyers an online platform for marketing and selling the exercise music will be created. A research conducted by Ryan and Jones (2009) found that both in developing and developed countries, there has been an increase in the number of people visiting online stores to buy goods. An example of a business that has applied the strategy and recorded remarkable growth is the Amzon.com. The platform will be designed to allow an interface in which the customers can login in and shop for the music.
Partnership with Gym Companies
Global market success is determined by the acceptance of the product by major players (Jeannet & Hennessey 2004). According to Larsen (2010), the acceptance is the first step in commercialising a new product. Partnerships with companies that are already involved in exercise business will play a crucial role. This will include partnering with entities that are legally incorporated. For instance, the leading gym companies will serve as key entry point for the product. The gyms have been operating in the market and have a substantial customer base. The partnerships will be designed to ensure that there is mutual benefit between the business entities. This will entail a joint venture in which the invention will be availed to the selected gyms for use during their routine programmes.
The commercialisation strategy will be based on an extensive market research to determine the viable model for the partnerships. Examples of the companies to target for the partnership will include the Fitness First and Jetts. These are leading gym companies with an international presence. For instance, Fitness First is operates in over 16 countries and boasts of over 370 clubs. Thus, the partnership with the company will ensure that the invention reaches many people.
Partnership with Apple (iTunes and iPod)
Many people have embraced smartphones. In order to have a substantial market share, the product will also target the owners of smartphones. A leading manufacturer and market leader in the smartphones is Apple Inc. The technological developments in communication devices have become necessary for any person who wants to stay relevant to current trends in the world, both at personal and corporate activities (Kotler & Kelly 2008). In order to reach the customer base, the music will be designed as an application that is compatible with Apple’s technology of iTunes and iPods. The business will partner with Apple as a strategic measure to reach many customers.
Apple Inc. has been very passionate about music. As a result, there are many customers attracted to its products due to the music component. The partnership with the company will provide a platform for any Apple product buyer to access the innovation. This will ensure that the customers purchasing Apple’s products access the music. Thus, they will listen to the music and resonate with it by exercising. This strategic partnership will also increase the competitive edge for Apple as more buyers will be attracted to the innovation.
Selling the Idea
There are various ways in which an individual can benefit from an invention. The various methods include licensing the usage rights, developing the product or selling patent rights. Selling the idea entails licensing the invention and giving the patent rights to another company to develop the idea. The strategy is normally viable in case the inventor has no capacity to develop the invention. The selling of the idea eliminates the time and effort required to open and operate a business. Thus, transfer of patent rights presents a viable strategy that could be applied to monetize the intellectual property (Kotler & Kelly 2008). Therefore, this will be another strategy to commercialise the innovation. It will involve transferring the patentable rights to the company that intends to develop the idea. The implication for this strategy is that inventor gives up the profits and proceeds that pertain to the innovation.
Conclusion
Music encourages people to keep working out. This is achieved by reducing the destructions that hinder individuals to concentrate on the exercise. The music innovation will serve as a starter. It will motivate the target customers to move out of their comfort zones and start or continue with the physical exercise. The special music will compete with the body’s physiological activities in order to attain the attention of the brain. It is worth noting that exercise is tiresome and boring. The repeat nature of daily exercise creates negative feeling that lead to many people abandoning the exercise routine. Therefore, the music will play the role of overriding the physical feelings of boredom and exhaustion.
The special innovation of music is meant to encourage people to exercise. It will act as a companion and the motivator. The music will be customised to align with the tastes of diverse consumers. The key target markets will include individuals, corporate bodies and the government institutions. Various strategies such as strategic partnerships and online selling will be used to commercialise the inventions. The invention will thus be critical in promoting the health and will also revolutionalise the business prospects for the various gym companies and sports agencies.
References
Amuah, H 2013, Leveraging on Global Positioning and Product Design to Improve Brand Performance, Sage Publishers, London. Web.
Armstrong, G & Kotler, P 2005, Marketing: An Introduction, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, N.J. Web.
Arnold, D 2003, Strategies for Entering and Developing International Markets, Pearson Publishing, London. Web.
Barwood, J, Weston, J, Thelwell, R & Page, J 2009, A motivational music and video intervention improves high-intensity exercise performance, Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 435–442. Web.
Copeland, B & Franks, B 2011, Effects of types and intensities of background music on treadmill endurance, The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 100-103. Web.
Hayakawa, Y, Miki, H, Takada, K & Tanaka, K 2000, Effects of music on mood during bench stepping exercise, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 90, no. 2, pp. 307–314. Web.
Jeannet, J & Hennessey, H 2004, Cases in global marketing strategies, Houghton Mifflin, Boston. Web.
Karageorghis, C, Mouzourides, D, Priest, D, Sasso, T, Morrish, D & Whalley, C 2009, Psychophysical and ergogenic effects of synchronous music during treadmill walking, Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, vol. 31, no. 1, pp.18–36. Web.
Karageorghis, C & Priest, D 2012, Music in the exercise domain: a review and synthesis, International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 67–84. Web.
Kotler, P, & Gary, A 2006, Principles of marketing, Pearson Education, New Jersey. Web.
Kotler, P &Kelly, K 2008, Marketing management, Pearson Education, New York. Web.
Larsen, N 2010, Market segmentation: A framework for determining the right target customers, Sage Publishers, London. Web.
MacDougall, H, & Moore, S 2005, Marching to the beat of the same drummer: The spontaneous tempo of human locomotion, Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 99, no. 1, pp. 1164–1173. Web.
Nakamura, P, Pereira, G, Papini, C, Nakamura, F & Kokubun, E 2010, Effects of preferred and non-preferred music on continuous cycling exercise performance, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol.110, no. 1, pp. 257–264. Web.
Pickton, D & Broderick, A 2011, Identifying target audiences and profiling target markets, Integrated marketing communications, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 371-398. Web.
Ryan, D & Jones, C 2009, Understanding digital marketing, Kogan Page, London. Web.
Schwartz, S, Fernhall, B & Plowman, S 2010, Effects of music on exercise performance, Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 312-316. Web.
Simpson, S & Karageorghis, C 2006, The effects of synchronous music on 400-m sprint performance, Journal of Sports Sciences, vol. 24, no. 1, pp.1095–1102. Web.
Van der Vlist, B, Bartneck, C & Mäueler, S 2011, moBeat: Using interactive music to guide and motivate users during aerobic exercising, Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 135–145. Web.
Appendices
Appendix 1: SWOT table
Strengths
Weakness
Easy application
Big share in the global market
Partnership opportunities
Ready domestic market
Targets the corporate and individuals
The innovation success may be greatly depended on the perception of the strategic partners.
Barbara Ehrenreich, in her essay, “In defense of Talk Shows”, criticizes an aspect of talk shows that leaders, critics, and commentators overlook.
While critics find the matters discussed in these talk shows morally repulsive thus, their opposition to them, Ehrenreich goes a step forward and tackles, not the moral content of these shows, which according to her have an ultimate corrective purpose, but their tendency to take advantage of the poor and less educated members of society.
According to Ehrenreich, the numerous talk shows that are present in the program schedules of various television networks fulfill a moral function; however, these shows are also inherently exploitative of the poor masses (21).
Ehrenreich argues that, by enabling couples, families, and friends to expose their secrets in public, and subsequently offering moral guidance and corrective action to the guilty parties in the various episodes, the talk shows dispense a communal moral guidance that plays an essential function in giving the guilty guests and the viewers a source of moralistic reference.
In spite of this, Ehrenreich feels that these shows exploit only the poor masses of society, because hardly do professionals or wealthy people in society make it to the hot seats of these shows.
Therefore, according to Ehrenreich, the objectionable aspect of talk shows is not necessarily in issues discussed therein, but in their tendency to exploit the poverty of their guests by promising them monetary rewards for sharing embarrassing details of their lives and lifestyles, details that are then shared with audiences across and beyond the country.
The Exploitation of Women in Music Videos
Indeed, the argument that Ehrenreich makes that many talk shows are a form of class exploitation is applicable to other forms of entertainment present in television, such as music videos. The proliferation of television stations that, for the most part, display music videos, such as MTV and BET, has seen music videos emerge as a powerful and complimentary part of all songs produced by musicians.
The rise in prominence of music videos has, however, seen an emerging trend in which women are portrayed in a negative light and given degrading roles in these videos. Indeed, it is the norm in nearly all music videos to have skimpily dressed women shaking their bodies in the background as a fully dressed male musician sings or raps. Similarly, many female musicians are producing music videos that have them dressed in revealing attire.
The Consequences of the Negative Portrayal of Women in Music Videos
The portrayal of women as mere entertainment figureheads, and in sexually suggestive secondary roles, in music videos, degrades the image of women and deprives young girls of positive role models.
When women are given these minor roles, the message communicated to the rest of society, and especially to the impressionable minds of the youth and teens is that women are mere objects for sexual gratification. Furthermore, when famous and respectable female musicians resort to marketing their body images more than the content in the lyrics of their songs through music videos, the depiction of women as mere sexual entertainers is further enhanced.
Conclusion
In conclusion, similar to the manner that Barbara Ehrenreich’s argument that, daytime talk shows are exploiting the poor in society, music videos are exploiting women and portray them in a negative light. Women in most music videos are depicted in roles that seem to accentuate their sexuality only and nothing else.
This in turns sends the wrong message to the viewing public, especially the youth and teens, who are led to believe that women can be used for the arousal and subsequent fulfillment of sexual desires. Such a trend is thus not only morally wrong, but will have serious consequences in society if allowed to persist.
Work Cited
Ehrenreich, Barbara. “In Defense of Talk Shows”. In Edward Dornan and Michael Finnegan, The Longwood Reader (20-25), 2002. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson education.
The music industry has never been particularly kind to women and their plight for equality. Indeed, popular music is filled with ideas and concepts that popularize objectification to a significant degree. While it would be a mistake to claim that the contemporary music industry makes it impossible for women to focus on their musical talent and not solely their appearance, the existing stereotypes clearly do not make the process of change any easier.
The situation becomes slightly worse in the musical dimensions that were initially deemed as males, such as rock or rap, and it culminates in the trap music (Elizabeth par. 4). Although modern female trap singers attempt at making the genre more diverse by introducing challenging ideas, the need to incorporate the necessary visual and verbal elements of the genre posits whether they reinforce the status quo by doing so.
Main body
The specified problem becomes particularly explicit when considering female DJs that have been working in the trap music industry. A closer look at the target environment will show that there is currently only one example of the specified phenomenon that is known on a statewide level, whereas the rest of the industry is dominated by men (Whitlock par. 2). Known as Krewella and represented by two sisters, the duo has not been enjoying as wide popularity as their male counterparts, although being just as prolific and talented (Cameron par. 4).
The specified issue can be explained by the fact that, in the trap music culture, women are typically viewed as a commodity and not a unique human being, let alone a creative voice. Indeed, on the further scrutiny of the problem, one will see that the issue of female DJs in the trap music domain
In light of the specified argument, one may infer that abandoning the trap genre is the only possible way for women to manage the identified concern. However, the specified argument invalidates the fight for equality and equity in contemporary society (Kimmel 76). The idea of restricting the ideas and notions that pertain specifically to toxic masculinity and misogyny to a specific niche might seem reasonable since eradicating the specified concepts can hardly be eliminated from the social setting in their entirety.
However, the identified measure should not be seen as a shield against problematic ideas in contemporary music, either, since it only provides a means of avoiding the issue temporarily (Zimbardo 91). Furthermore, after having gained impressive popularity in the popular culture in the late 2000s and the early 2010s, trap music has built impressive influence over audiences globally. As a result, the ideas that can be deemed as questionable in regard to gender equality have gained a global platform, which should be seen as problematic, at least, and troubling, at worst.
Therefore, defining trap music as intrinsically chauvinistic and excluding the chances for women to alter the specified genre to promote more contemporary ideas in it is invalid at its core. In order to ensure that gender equality becomes a norm in modern society, one will need to introduce change and the relevant ideas to every area, including the ones that have been known to maintain rather rigid and less progressive views.
Furthermore, the fact that trap music is a rather recent trend in the global music industry deprives it even of the modicum of excuse that it could have to defend its position. While older genders with established philosophies could be seen as more difficult to change, the trap music industry, which emerged in the late 90s, does not have the rudimentary principles of misogyny and gender profiling that it could use as the justification for the current trends. Therefore, it is critical to incorporate new ideas associated with the liberation of women and the subversion of harmful societal stereotypes.
The specified issue intersects with the problem of female artists and especially DJs in the electronic music industry. Belonging to the EDM genre, trap music shares the problem of the lack of female DJs with electronic music, in general (Exposito par. 2-3). Although the number of female DJs in electronic music, in general, is rather large, they rarely obtain the same amount of attention and receive the same extent of acknowledgment for their accomplishments as men (Hansen 4).
The specified phenomenon shows that gender profiling does not exist in a vacuum and that women suffer from oppression in the realm of entertainment just as badly as they do in other areas. Particularly, women seem to be judged for adopting the roles that are deemed as intrinsically male and behave in the manner that is traditionally perceived as masculine. Seeing that trap music, by its nature, represents compressed range and anger, for the most part, female performers and DJs are often blamed for adopting the same roles as their male counterparts do, such as the image of a bossy and self-assured person (Exposito par. 5).
The dilemma of choosing between an emotionally challenging standpoint and succumbing to the stereotype that is less demanding in terms of the public response also extends to the representation of gender in trap music, in general. Furthermore, one could argue that the problem of women DJs in electronic music, EDM, and trap, in particular, is more profound than the presence of social and gender-related bigotry in a particular niche. The specified issue can be explained by the fact that, due to high levels of objectification and the tendency toward the commodification of women, the trap music industry does not leave any opportunities for them to play the roles that imply any amount of leadership.
When considering the possibility of addressing the questionable aspects of female objectification in contemporary trap music, one should embrace not only the cultural elements that are specific to music but also broader ideas that will appeal to more diverse groups and encourage the introduction of female-friendly and even feminist ideas into the trap music. By allowing the trap genre to fuse with other musical styles, one will encourage not only rapid but also very natural change in the overall trap music philosophy and enrich it with innovative and challenging ideas (DeFrancisco et al. 188).
The specified suggestion, however, makes one question whether future changes to the trap music and the encouragement of feminist-oriented shifts in it will lead to the erasure of the trap culture as a concept and whether the specified erasure should be encouraged. On the one hand, the current environment of trap music cannot be seen as progressive when viewed from a feminist or gender-related perspective (DeFrancisco et al. 187).
Quite the contrary, most of the modern trap songs nurture the stereotypes that have been persisting in modern society for decades. On the other hand, the specified music niche also has a specific cultural value and a philosophy verbalizing which should be seen as the right of its proponents.
Nonetheless, the current trap music environment needs an urgent change as far as the promotion of gender equality and the modern gender agenda are concerned. While it would be wrong to claim that the specified genre purposefully abuses women by disregarding their dignity, one must admit that the trends in the specified genre are detrimental to the positive representation of gender identity. Trap glorifies gender-related stereotypes, applauds the stereotypical portrayal of a woman as a commodity, and reduces the chances for women to advance in rap and electronic music as DJs or authors of any kind.
Conclusion
Therefore, it is critical to revisit the current gender principles within the trap music industry and redesign the image of a woman that it upholds as the standard. Particularly, diversity-related ideas and feminist concepts will have to permeate the core of the trap music industry to alter the status quo and encourage a positive change. Although the identified genre can be seen as intrinsically aggressive toward women, it, in theory, has the potential to become the ground for introducing change to the contemporary music industry, in general.
For instance, with a positive example that can be introduced into the realm of a genre as intrinsically aggressive and masculine as a trap, one will be capable of gradually altering the perception of women in music on a larger scale. The specified shift in people’s perception will lead to the reduction in the rates of objectification in the modern music industry and the introduction of additional opportunities for female singers, rappers, and DJs to be noticed. As a result, a positive trend in the realm of entertainment will emerge.
Probably, music is the most popular way of entertaining people in the modern culture. Artists create different music to suit different people, situations and needs. This has resulted to the emergence of many songs which aim at attracting audience in unique ways. For example, Classic Rock music targets elderly people showing its unique characteristics that target to satisfy their needs.
In line with this satisfaction, artists tend to embrace violence, purport racism, and isolate social classes when they are creating music. Therefore, this paper will analyze how the classic rocks and gangsta rap depict violence, racism and social classes. Additionally, it will make a comparison between classic rocks and gangsta rap (Covach & Everet, 2000).
Analyzing Classic Rocks
Understandably, audience determines the content of music as well as the depiction of violence, racism and social class. Classic rocks are created to target the elderly generation by including the old lyrics in the modern hits. This implies that artists must include themes relating to good morals so that they can capture their interest. Consequently, classic rocks do not portray violence since the audience regards it as immorality.
Unlike other songs that refer women as whores and bitches, classic rocks do not use abusive words when referring to people. This is an undisputable indication that classic rocks avoid violence to maintain the audience and satisfy its needs.
Classic rocks are composed in a manner that is more related to white races than the black people. They address issues that confront the European countries including laws, health services, and love among others. In fact, most rocks are inspired by real life occurrences affecting the audience.
During the federal law that limited the speed of vehicles at 55 km/h, Hagar composed his rock which was referred to as I Cannot Drive 55.
This song was addressing a real issue that faced the citizens of United States of America. Although the song does not specify the race, it addresses an issue experienced by the citizens of a European country. Generally, classic rocks are related to the white race and address issues conjoined to the whites.
In regard to the social class, classic rocks target people who earn high income in the society. This is evident in many classic rocks that have been composed since 1980s. It is evident that Hagar’s rock is addressing the vehicles’ speed limits in the United States of America. It is probable that the people who own vehicles are at the middle class level. This implies that classic rocks are related to wealthy people in the society.
Analyzing Gangsta Rap
Youths are the primary audience of the gangsta rap which implies that the content must satisfy their interests. Regrettably, violence has gradually become a modern culture especially among the young people. The lyrics contain violent, explicit and abusive content to capture the youths’ attention.
For example, women are referred to as whores showing that women are sexually immoral. This language is very popular among the youths implying that youths are attracted by the gangsta rap due to this abusive and violent approach.
Gangsta rap originates from the low income areas where people face many financial problems. This poverty causes bitterness that could lead to use of abusive language when composing the lyrics. In fact, most gangsta raps dwell on the plight of poor people by portraying the problems they encounter. This allows pleading for consideration by the relevant authorities.
In regard to the race, gangsta rap addresses the plight of black people amidst the white race. In fact, the lyrics have been used to fight for freedom of the black race during the dark spell characterized by discrimination, oppression and isolation. Although they have been criticized for violence, these lyrics have played an imperative role in addressing the issues of this race.
Comparison and Contrast between Gangsta Rap and Classic Rocks
There are numerous differences between the classic rock and gangsta rap in accordance to how they approach violence, racism and social classes. While the gangsta rocks include explicit content, the classic rocks use polite language that does not disparage the integrity of some people. This difference is caused by the different audiences where gangsta rap targets the youth and classic rocks target the elderly people in the society.
Secondly, gangsta rap is concerned with issues facing the black people as well as the people who earn low income in the society. On the other hand, classic rocks are concerned with wealthy people who could be within or beyond middle class (Burrows, 2005). It relates to issues conjoined to white people implying that its racial orientation is based on white race.
Despite the above contradictory ideologies, the gangsta rap and classic rocks share one similarity. Sometimes, gangsta rap and classic rocks address issues that affect all people regardless of their race or social class. Additionally, it is noticed that the two lyrics can address some issues without violent depictions.
Conclusion
This discussion shows that gangsta rap uses violent and explicit content in order to capture the young people who are attracted to violence. Additionally, it is noted that these lyrics relate to the black race and people who get low income in the society.
On the other hand, classic rocks are related to people who earn high income. Lastly, the classic rocks use non-violent approach since the elderly audience cannot tolerate violence (Burrows, 2005).
References
Burrows, J. (2005). Classical music. London: DK Pub..
Covach, J. R., & Everett, W. (2000). American rock and the classical music tradition. S.l.: Overseas Publishers Association, published by license under the Harwood Academic Publishers imprint, part of The Gordon and Breach Pub Group.
Free expression by artists has experienced much censorship through history. Ancient societies used censorship as an instrument for regulation of political and moral life depending on the climate of the day. This practice has not been limited to ancient governments but present day democratic governments also employ censorship. Whenever art challenges beliefs that are held on to strongly by society, tension increases and pressure for censorship increases.
Art has both negative and positive value to society. Proponents of censorship argue that when art causes offence to the beliefs of society censorships should be allowed in order to maintain certain political, moral or religious values. Posner and Chiang argue that a balance should be struck, that it should not be said that art should never be censored because sometimes works of art can cause offence but on the other hand censorship should be limited to enhance artistic value and more importantly freedom of expression (Chiang and Posner, 2006, Pp 309-335).
The argument for censorship is however difficult to make especially in today’s society where the tastes of society are constantly changing and very diverse. The danger of infringing on the rights of freedom of expression is very present. The history of censorship is tainted with violations of human rights. When censorship occurs in situations of national crisis often, it facilitates the perpetuation of political evils and sometimes leads to victimization of the artist.
This is in true in the case of John Lennon whose political lyrics in the song Imagine caused President Nixon and the FBI to attempt to have him deported (Atkins, 2007). Following the September 11 attacks, Clear Channel radio issued a list of songs that would not be played because they head antiwar content or action stuff. Most citizens view this as a violation of fundamental civil liberties (Atkins, 2007). Comments by one of Dixie Chicks members concerning the war on Iraq led to a ban on their songs by radio stations following requests by enraged American citizens. This however, is not viewed as violation of the freedom of speech rights by Gabriel Rossman, assistant professor of sociology.
Experts argue that since no laws were broken, there was no violation of First Amendment rights. The personal boycotts by fans are seen by many as a prerogative of the fans (Glass, 2006). The personal boycotts however led to a censorship campaign, and though the protests were from the grassroots the backlash by conservatives in an indication of intolerance of free speech.
Doris Graber states that censorship during periods of national crisis may be necessary to reduce the security risk for civilians and military personnel (Graber 2003 Pp 539-557). Some lyrics found in artists work may be considered inflammatory leading to the situation becoming worse in a national crisis.
Public figures generally influence what ideas are perceived as important by the public. They also influence the action that will be taken depending on what they say. In the past celebrities influenced people a lot and some of them for example John Lennon used his position as a rock star as leverage by which to advance social issues. His vocal opposition of the Vietnam War however led to government retaliation in form of censorship. Fear of censorship has led many artists not to take a stand in political issues or to be politically correct. This means that their role as charge agents is fast becoming eroded. Many argue that they do not need a celebrity to tell them what to think.
Most artistes today are not very vocal about political issues in a national crisis because they do not want to risk losing their fan base due to their comments. In addition, most American citizens consider the artists not to be very intelligent and as such do not think that their comments in a national crisis would cause much effect. Following the fallout of the Dixie chicks there was much discussion over censorship and freedom of speech. It should be noted however, that the Dixie chicks decided to tone down on their political statements because of the backlash of their fans and not because they had experienced censorship.
Censorship is an act of the government and the government had no hand in the ban of Dixie Chicks songs, rather it was the fans boycotts that led to a ban on airplay. The fact that most radio stations are owned by one corporation still does not mean that the Dixie Chick’s right to make political statements was suppressed. The corporation was only trying to meet the demands of its market. Kanye West was very vocal about the slow response of the government during the Hurricane Katrina crisis. Spike Lee also made a documentary that was critical of the government response. This however, did not meet any government retaliation, showing that the government’s tendency to censor artists during national crises is decreasing.
In a situation of national crisis, it is necessary that an evaluation of the balance between freedom and national security be sought. That is not to say that censorship be allowed but artists as they exercise their freedom of speech rights need to be sensitive to issues that come with a national crisis. For instance, following the September, 11 attacks many artists responded by creating their songs and artwork, Dave Matthews changed plans to release a single entitled ‘when the world ends’, the Cranberries changes their video for ‘Analyze’ which had many airplanes and skyscrapers while Dream Theatre removed burning New York buildings from their live album (Nuzum, 2002).
Some artists like the group Rage Against machine however, received demands from their record company to rework their artwork for the album that showed the group standing in front of an exploding world trade centre. This work had been made eighteen months before the attack on the Twin Centre and therefore had no connections to the attack. The move to redo the artwork in my opinion was prudent since in the context of the situation release of the intended album would only have been in bad taste and fostered an eerie feeling (Nuzum, 2002)
Censorship is not a viable option in managing a national crisis in present-day America. This is because extreme ideas that can be conveyed through music and artwork will usually be protested by the public itself. Most artists want to make money and a shift in their fan base due to political activism does not favour this. In any case, most recording companies will advise artistes to tone down inflammatory comments. The problem with enacting a law that censures artists’ freedom of expression is that such censorship is likely to spread to other media, meaning then that the government can misinform or fail to inform the public on its activities.
In addition it is difficult to decide who determines what is objective in calling for censorship, often right wing ideologies may be considered as extreme by left wing ideologists. Consequently, if a member of either persuasion is to decide ion censorship then another’s freedom will be suppressed. In a country, where democracy is the proposed form of government, censorship has no place.
Chiang Tuna and Posner Richard, 2006, Censorship versus Freedom of Expression in the Arts, Handbook of the Economics of Art and Culture, Elsevier Publishing, ISBN0-444-508708.
Glass Diane, 2006 Dixie Chicks Censorship or the cost of free speech, The Seattle Times.
Graber Doris, 2003, Styles of Image Management During Crises: Justifying Press Censorship, Discourse and Society, vol14, no5 pp. 530-557.
Nuzum Eric, 2002, America’s Implicit Music Censorship. Web.
Socialization refers to the social experiences of the day to day life, which make human beings develop and learn culture. Contrary to other species on earth human beings need social experiences in order to learn and develop a culture.
The existence of human beings is not biologically set; hence, every social development calls for socialization. In identifying the self or personality, social experience is needed which is at the core of personality.
It essentially puts interest in the person’s patterns of acting which must be consistent with the thinking and the feelings of the said person. The developing of a personality takes others so as to develop.
A century before it was wrongly believed that human beings depend on instincts a thing was later disputed by the mere realization that instincts could only work in animals.
Major theories were later advanced to lay a distinction between the developments of people in terms of gender (Macionis & Gerber, 2011).
Development of personality
The development of different cultures in human beings has been said to have a special link with the gender of that person. Boys and girls in their personality development are said to use different standards to qualify what is right or wrong.
Boys are said to have a justice perspective whereby the formal rules are strictly used to define what is right or wrong. To the contrary, girls are said to have a care and responsibility approach of what is right or wrong (Macionis & Gerber, 2011).
The socialization process has a core part called the self. The self is defined as part of an individual composed of the recognition of a self and the image of a self. The self is said to develop with the social experience of an individual.
At birth, the self is not held to exist, and any suggestion in support of the notion that biological effects have a role in the developing of a self are untrue.
There is no seeable link between the biological maturation and the development of the self (Macionis & Gerber, 2011).
The growth of the self
A vital part in the development of the self as before mentioned is socialization. The interaction of individuals is the propelling force behind the realization of a self. Without interactions as seen in cases of isolated children, the body grows, but the emerging of the self remains stagnant.
Human beings are said to interpret and understand actions and intentions of fellow human beings. The realization of self is grounded on determination to observe the self from another’s point of view. By imagining the role of another, the self emerges (Macionis & Gerber, 2011).
Effects of music videos on growth of self
Having discovered that, the true self comes from imitation the socialization of children is worth scrutiny. The main socialization tool in the world today is the media. It becomes imperative to bring the “Dreamworlds3” under consideration (Sut Jhally, 2008).
The very explicit nature of the video in exposing the different aspects that the music videos portray and the damaging image that they have on children and teenagers. As already seen before, the process of discovering self is made up of imitation, and children’s discovery of self may be influenced by such videos.
The result of such videos is that they will build personalities which tend to objectify a woman and have disastrous notions that the masculine gender is powerful and can get away with anything.
Girls will feel endangered by watching, such videos and their socialization aspect of life are greatly influenced negatively (Sut Jhally, 2008).
Conclusion
The effects of phonographic videos in the media today have greatly influenced the socialization of teenagers in trying to imitate what they see in the videos.
It follows that the teenagers personalities will be interfered with and their perception on the opposite gender will be affected.
Some will be permissible to certain vices while others will grow feeling endangered. Crimes such as rape can not be ruled out.
References
Macionis, J. J., & Gerber, L. M. (2011). Sociology. Toronto: Pearson Canada.
Music is seen an essential communication channel. It offers a means through which individuals and groups can share their aims, values and emotions even though the spoken languages might be mutually incomprehensible. Music further provides dynamic links for human interactions, particularly individuals whose distinctive wants make other communication means rather difficult or demanding.
Nowadays, music plays a more significant role in shaping individuals’ lives as compared to any other historical period. This can be attributed to the rapid technological advancements and increasing economic influence of the music industry.
Despite the relative difference between the current and the past music experience, it is clear that music has increasingly been used in the construction of the youths’ identities.
This paper presents an overview of the studies that have supported the increasing knowledge and appreciation of the role of music in constructing the youth identities. The process does not simply involve aspects of personal identity, but equally includes the essential social aspects relating to ethnicity and race, family such as peers versus parents, school, status and gender.
Structural cultural context
Youth encounter a series of indulgence desires and essential social world thoughts in their development. The orientation spheres shape the way young people use media, particularly music (Eyerman and Jamison 466). Four dimensions that have been identified to be of a great essence in shaping youth identities include ethnicity and race, family (peers versus parents), school and status as well as gender and sexuality.
Ethnicity and race
While music such as Blues and Jazz have been associated with the black musicians for quite some time, the connection between ethnicity and audience of the popular music which was common in the U.S. did not emerge in Europe till 1970s. Besides, Ska and soul music emerged in the 1960s and 1970s yet they did not construct the youths’ identity so much.
However, the triumph of reggae music in the 1970s showed that there were ethnically non-European subcultures that used music to reinforce their identities. Reggae music was deeply immersed with Rastafarian inspirations since it was a remonstration music intended to draw attention of the youthful blacks who came from the remote cities.
Even though Rasta was commonly found in some European cities, the Rastafarian movement unveiled its most noticeable existence in Britain. It was the most undisputed socially significant development in Britain because it served its purpose as an important source of identity for the marginalized youthful blacks (Danesi 67). Thus, youthful blacks use reggae music to identify and distinguish themselves from any kind of the whites’ racialism.
However, few exceptions have been noted regarding the use of music by the marginalized youth. For instance, youths have used music to set the ethnic and race boundaries. A clear illustration is in Western Europe where it is very complicated to question the cultural and ideological youths’ association in different ethnicities. The use of music by the marginalized ethnic groups is absolutely too patchy.
It is only obvious that mediated popular cultures and media discourses play considerable roles in modeling the manner in which the ethnically based groups observe each other. While music might assist in dissolving ethnic boundaries, it may occasionally strengthen and even help in shaping them (Eyerman and Jamison 452). Youths from different ethnic environments, thus, resort to music to create their own ethnic and cultural identities.
Family: Peers versus parents
Social recognition in peer groups is an interesting concern during youth (Von Feilitzen and Roe 227). Social organizations including school and family put much emphasis on the importance of being successful. In such institutions, welcomed group participation, acceptance or membership might refer to school groups, peers, family, ethnic subcultures or to the wider social class world.
Achievement might also take place within one of such social grounds. Unfortunately, most of the visible forms of validating social achievements including success at schools, perhaps, have petite potential to generate the peers’ popularity as compared to music.
In fact, the impact of music on peer group relationships significantly affects various aspects of youthful life. Imitation of speech, consumption tastes, leisure forms and dressing codes of the music idols by the youth has generated peer influence and resulted in frictions with parents.
Furthermore, as peer orientation, school failures and poor familial adjustment increase, peer group attachments increases. Early and considerable movements away from parental orientations towards peer group orientations seem to have a strong connection with musical preferences, interests and identification with particular music centered subgroups.
Youths who are parent oriented are less likely to develop musical interests and might less often listen to it. However, peer oriented youths tend to display greater musical interests and would extensively listen to it. This kind of music listened by these groups differ significantly (Eyerman and Jamison 459).
Peer oriented youths prefer listening to more socially disvalued and hard rock music whereas parent oriented youths give much preference to classical, jazz and blues.
Finally, research evidence clearly indicates that family problems might provoke youths to make even greater music and peer-group investments than normal at this particular life-stage.
This could make youths get indulged into music movements founded by youth cultures that are blatantly anti-adults. As regard to this, it is apparent that the chosen youth subcultures and their preferred music offer marginalized identity sources to those tendered by home contexts.
School and status
Von Feilitzen and Roe claim that youths sharing same statuses and education level have their own musical subcultures and cultural orientation developments (p. 227). Youth cultures that identify themselves and are strongly attached to certain types of music including heavy metal rock tend to negatively perform in school.
Such youths are low achievers and are very discontented male youth who come from low working class and powerless families. However, certain musical preferences including blues, jazz and classical music are linked to higher academic success.
In contrast to them, rock music is essential to youths who have rejected their class background cultures as it provides them with social markers which differentiate from their parental expectations and culture. This is because the intergenerational power and mobility status which occur within the larger inequality status context are normally upheld with distinctive shifts in individuals’ lifestyles, self-esteem and identity.
To youths, music also defines various types of social mobility including education, occupation, downwards and upward status mobility. The class mobility is linked with some kinds of musical preferences which differ with respect to cultural legitimacy. The music audience divisions result from individual and group trajectories within various social status hierarchical dimensions.
For example, strong inclination to disco music is linked to upward professional mobility; strong classical music liking is associated with higher education and upward mobility, but those who give much preference to heavy metals are identified by downward educational mobility (Eyerman and Jamison 461).
Therefore, youths identifying themselves with heavy metal music are perceived to be dynamic sensational seekers expressing their schooling displeasures since they find the regulation and structure of such institutions very hard to take.
Gender and sexuality
Youthful males are greatly preoccupied with musical preferences and tastes as compared to females. Often, youths in puberty are more anxious about the popular music that crops up during this period (Danesi 98) and would always wish to take an equal amount of time to listen to the preferred music.
However, since females mature two years faster than males, they usually start listening to music at around nine and ten years while males identify and begin giving preference to music at twelve and thirteen years. Both sexes always listen to popular music having their central themes focused on dating and love.
The youthful girls, nonetheless, have special strings attached to pop music whereas youthful males are exclusively linked to assertive masculinity and rock music (Danesi 98). The relationship amid sexuality and music has been significant.
Male youths have been identified with dominant musical subcultures and more visible social mechanisms than females who majorly focus on less visible social mechanisms and less dominant musical subcultures. It is true that with respect to music and identity, both sexes are more inclined to romantic and sexually expressive music.
Conclusion
Music has played an important role in the construction of youths’ identities. Youth gender schemas including their self-definitions as either feminine or masculine emerge from the core musical constructs they draw on when defining themselves.
Moreover, countless new musical information being received by the youths concerning individuals and their behaviors are primarily coded and thereafter inferred to with respect to gender norms and class. This makes youths identify themselves with certain musical subcultures.
Besides, youths usually utilize music as a technique to develop and negotiate their interpersonal relations as depicted in the class and status dimensions. An individual’s musical preference clearly defines the social group a person belongs to or is not willing to be associated with.
Thus, when youths develop specific musical preferences and taste patterns, it must be clear that the patterns are linked to a particular social circumstance or subcultural identification.
Works Cited
Danesi, Marcel. Geeks, Goths and Gangstas: Youth Culture and the Evolution of Modern Society, Toronto: Canadian Scholars Press Inc., 2010. Print.
Eyerman, Ron and Jamison Andrew. “Social Movements and Cultural Transformation: Popular Music in the 1960a”. Media, Culture and Society 17.3(1995): 449-468. Print.
Von Feilitzen, Cecilia and Roe Keith. “Eavesdropping on Adolescence: An Exploratory Study of Music Listening Among Children”. The European Journal of Communication 17.2 (1992): 225-244. Print.
The music industry has become a powerful platform for self-expression and social advocacy. Nowadays, music videos serve as a medium that increases public awareness about progressive ideas and beliefs. For instance, the concept of gender has been utilized for stereotyping and objectification. Although some viewers and listeners may have a different perspective, Beneath, a music video by the Happy Little Clouds band, showcases the idea of gender neutrality, offering the public a fresh, non-objectifying perspective of gender.
In particular, one should notice that band members have undergone a transgender transition. As such, it was vital for the band to spread the message of disregarding gender-based stereotypes and embracing one’s gender identity (Happy Little Clouds). From the music video to Beneath, one can see how the Happy Little Clouds find joy and confidence, celebrating the gender-neutral, comfortable, non-stereotyping approach to life. By viewing the video, the public receives an opportunity to experience the world from the perspective of transgender people and understand the traumatizing impact of strict gender identification. In this regard, gender neutrality showcased by the band acts as a bridge between the trans community and the viewers.
One can argue that music videos can promote non-prejudiced views on gender identity through gender-neutral videos. Happy Little Clouds underscores the importance of gender neutrality for the creation of a better world. From the band’s perspective, neutrality frees from gender stereotyping and objectification. Consequently, people get a chance to find peace with their inner selves, enjoy their lives, and celebrate their true identities instead of torturing themselves in order to please society. As such, the music industry plays a vital social role by providing artists with a tribune for positive self-expression and advocacy in important spheres.
Boxill-Clark, Cleopatra, “In Search of Harmony in Culture: An Analysis of American Rock Music and the African American Experience” Master of Arts in Humanities | Master’s Theses, 2020, 13. Web.
The paper aimed to assess the connection between culture and music, indicating the potential of art to create a culturally conscious society. The author focuses on the evolution of the African American culture and rock and roll. Rhythm and blues were expressions of blacks, and they are responsible for the emergence of rock and roll. The evolution of black music facilitated the growth and transition of genres from the community into greater diversity. The author creates a connection between culture and music, indicating that the changes experienced among African Americans influenced creativity. The consequence was the emergence of music that had a greater representation of society through diversification. I will use the source to provide foundational information for the essay. The author provides important information on the influence of the African American culture on music composition, proving that race and ethnic identity determine music creation, which supports my thesis.
Case, Anne, “Exploring Music, Imagery, and Racial-Ethnic-Cultural Identity with Youth in a Community Music Program: A Community Engagement Project.” Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses, vol. 462, 2021. Web.
The article is a community engagement project aiming to explore music and racial and cultural identity among young people. The author bases her arguments on the significance of finding and knowing one’s identity in a society when marginalized communities. Paulo Freire’s liberatory approaches are relied upon to expand the critical awareness and consciousness of the participants. The paper introduces the role of music in combating some of the challenges that individuals experience in society. Identity with a specific music genre allows one to find some comfort in everyday life. The significant factor in the essay is the ability of young people to identify with specific music.
The main argument in the article is that music can allow the exploration of self, family, culture, and heritage. Music is an expression of people, with most artists aligning to genres that are familiar to their races. Consumers also resonate with their own, whereby music by a musician from an ethnic community will have one of its biggest listeners coming from that community. Therefore, music has an interconnection with race and ethnicity, making it a critical element in finding identity among listeners. I will use the article to provide some foundational information about music and identity, giving more emphasis on the connection between groups and art.
Donaldson, Rachel. “Race, Place, and American Music.” Journal of Urban History, vol. 45, no. 4, 2019, pp. 875–880.
The article is a review essay by the author, who aims to show how American music is tied to race and place. The author’s justification for the essay is the role of social history in determining the creation and evolution of music genres by African Americans. The introduction of the essay provides an overview of the significance of music to society and its transient nature that overcomes natural and constructed boundaries. It also presents music as an identity and representation of social groups, allowing the exhibition of the uniqueness of people and their problems. Therefore, the article introduces music as a form of art that provides Americans, with an emphasis on African Americans, with an opportunity to express themselves through an assessment of music genres that prove music is tied to race.
The main argument in the essay is that while music overcomes boundaries, its creation and evolution are tied to race and place. The author achieves this through the evaluation of three books that discuss different music genres during the twentieth century and other styles not discussed in the book, showing the uniqueness that the artist draws from the different races in America. The information in this article will be important in my essay as it will provide some basic information on music in the country. It will be applied to my essay when arguing about the role that different races have played in the creation of specific music.
Ewell, Philip A. “Music Theory and the White Racial Frame.” Music Theory Online, vol. 26, no. 2, 2020.
The article tries to determine why music theory remains predominantly white despite efforts to diversify it. The author draws inspiration from the fact that music plays a critical role in society, and its assessment should reflect all communities. Music theory entails the study of music and its impacts on audiences. According to the author, music has become diversified over time as more genres are introduced, and individuals from different races compose and record music that is predominantly unfamiliar to them. However, those who practice music theory have failed to become diversified, revealing the institutional and structural issues in the assessment of music. The article will be essential in my essay by providing information on the other side of music. The analysis of music is critical to its perception and reception by audiences, and the fact that the field remains predominantly white raises concerns over the impact of institutional racism on music creation.
Killin, Anton. “The Origins of Music. Evidence, Theory, and Prospects” Music & Science, vol. 1, 2018, p. 205920431775197.
The source discusses the origins of music based on the opinion of the author. The goal of the author is to provide readers with an overview of music. The author relies on science to justify the article, indicating that the evolution of man is also responsible for the creation and transitions that music has achieved over the past few years. The article introduces an aspect of music that is rarely discussed, which is the role of man’s evolution in the transitions evidenced in various music genres. The article alludes that different modern genres of music have been subjected to several changes based on the period and the group that creates or listens to the music.
The main argument in the article is that music traditions and activities have evolved gradually over the years to facilitate modern music. The source indicates that the origin of man was in Africa based on existing research, and music evolved from the location to the rest of the world. The evidence, theory, and speculations made by the author are subject to arguments, but the source manages to provide crucial information regarding music. While the article does not focus on the origin of music in America, it helps to provide crucial information regarding music. I will use the article to support my arguments on the correlation between race and specific music genres in my essay.
Sonnett, John. “Musical Relationships: Intersections of Race, Gender, Genre, and Listening Situation.” Cultural Sociology, vol. 15, no. 1, 2020, pp. 44–68.
The article examines the relationship music has with various elements, including race, genre, gender, and listening situations. The justification for the work is that consumers and producers have patterns in their relationships. The trends that emerge from interactions between consumers and producers influence the production of music. In America, interactions between race, gender, genre, and listening situations have long been key determinants in the creation of music. The article introduces the demand and supply concept in markets, whereby producers provide what is demanded. In music, specific genres are demanded by groups of listeners, which determines the direction music creation will take. Musical relationships also determine crossovers, leading to integrations based on social segregation.
The primary argument in the article is that musical relationships are shaped by situational meanings and artist comparisons within genres, creating social distance. The author illustrates this through the assessment of race, gender, gender, and situations as factors that influence the relationships between music creators and their consumers. The relationships are crucial in music creation since specific genres are more common in some groups than others. The source will be used in my essay to establish the relationships that American people have with music. It will be essential in providing important patterns in relationships between music and the other variables.
Venrooij, Alex, et al. “Race and Genre Ambiguity in the Critical Reception of Popular Music.” Sociological Inquiry, vol. 92, no. 2, 2021, pp. 568–596.
The article assesses the role of race and genre in the reception of music in modern society. The author bases the paper on critical race theory, stating that music from minority communities is more likely to be devalued by critics, leading to the creation of genre categories and identities. The article introduces racism as a factor influencing the valuation of music and the reason for the creation of music genres that resonate with specific groups. The article creates a connection between music and race through the determination that multiracial listeners have a higher probability of having ambiguous identities. The information provided in the article is important in understanding music trends in society. The influence of institutional racism is exhibited in the article as the author shows trends in the valuation of music from artists. I will use the source to provide support to my arguments on the correlation between music development and race. It will be essential to show that despite the devaluation of music from specific groups, creation and evolution continues due to demand from listeners.
Works Cited
Allen, Tennille Nicole, and Antonia Randolph. “Listening for the Interior in Hip-Hop and R&B Music.” Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, vol. 6, no. 1, 2019, pp. 46–60.
Bagley, Mark J.O., et al. “The Evolution of Niche: Variety in Knowledge Networks in the Global Music Industry.” Industry and Innovation, vol. 29, no. 3, 2021, pp. 425–462.
Boxill-Clark, Cleopatra, “In Search of Harmony in Culture: An Analysis of American Rock Music and the African American Experience” Master of Arts in Humanities | Master’s Theses, 2020, 13. Web.
Case, Anne, “Exploring Music, Imagery, and Racial-Ethnic-Cultural Identity with Youth in a Community Music Program: A Community Engagement Project.” Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses, vol. 462, 2021. Web.
Donaldson, Rachel. “Race, Place, and American Music.” Journal of Urban History, vol. 45, no. 4, 2019, pp. 875–880.
Ewell, Philip A. “Music Theory and the White Racial Frame.” Music Theory Online, vol. 26, no. 2, 2020.
Killin, Anton. “The Origins of Music. Evidence, Theory, and Prospects” Music & Science, vol. 1, 2018, p. 205920431775197.
