Thornton, Sarah. "Club Cultures: Music, Media & Subcultural Capital", 1996.
In Thornton's essay she takes us on a journey through underground club culture while attempting to decipher the difference the "underground" and "mainstream". A point that was specifically interesting to me is how youth culture is often attractive to those beyond their youth because it procrastinates "social aging". She points out that the two things that most commonly separate inhabitants of particular clubs are sexuality and music preference. Thornton speaks on the the role of the bouncers in determining the social dichotomy of the club. Bouncers often use different techniques to filter out who they do, and do not want in the club and moderate the social make-up of the club. In conclusion, Thornton denies the whole ideology of the "mainstream" stating that "the mainstream is an inadequate concept for the sociology of culture." [114]
Discussion Question: How important is one's social class to their musical preferences and the subculture they tend to attach to? Are there any people who can vouch for either side of this discussion from personal experiences?
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Critical Review #1
McClary, Susan. 1994. "Same As It Ever Was: Youth Culture and Music." In Microphone Fiends: Youth Music and Youth Culture,eds. Andrew Ross and Tricia Rose. New York: Routledge.pp. 29-40.
Throughout the bulk of McClary's, she discusses music's effect on not only one's mind, but also the body. Throughout history, many philosophers and figures of "authority" shunned music's role in igniting emotion, emasculating its listeners, and just being negative to society as whole. Much of the apprehension from musical expression came from the "authority's" fear of being rebelled against. McClary, however, disagrees with the negative connotations given to music, challenging those who study popular music to "also include the study of popular music" before making negative proclamations about it.
Discussion Question: Shown clearly by Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour," there are some characteristics of certain music allows it to crossover racial, social, and age barriers. What, if anything specifically, is responsible for this crossover appeal?
Throughout the bulk of McClary's, she discusses music's effect on not only one's mind, but also the body. Throughout history, many philosophers and figures of "authority" shunned music's role in igniting emotion, emasculating its listeners, and just being negative to society as whole. Much of the apprehension from musical expression came from the "authority's" fear of being rebelled against. McClary, however, disagrees with the negative connotations given to music, challenging those who study popular music to "also include the study of popular music" before making negative proclamations about it.
Discussion Question: Shown clearly by Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour," there are some characteristics of certain music allows it to crossover racial, social, and age barriers. What, if anything specifically, is responsible for this crossover appeal?
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