From Where We Stand: Exploring Christian Listeners’ Social Location and Christian Music Listening

Abstract

Drawing from social location and the uses and gratification approach, the purpose of this study is to examine the reasons Christian music listeners engage with different types of Christian music. Specifically, we examine how social location influences listeners' relationship with racialized Christian music, namely Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) and gospel music. While both genres share a common focus—that is faith—they differ in musical styles and marketability. The gospel genre primarily targets the African American community, while the contemporary Christian genre casts a wider net, which includes primarily White listeners. Findings reveal that there are connections between focus group participants' background and needs. We explore the ways in which focus group participants experience, perceive and come to understand the gratifications they seek and gain when listening to CCM or gospel music.