Perspectives from the Sociology of Music

Abstract

Abstract Sociology of music is the application and development of sociological theories and methodologies to investigate musical behavior and attitudes as social action in dialogue with disciplines such as musicology and music education. This chapter focuses on sociological perspectives of music that are relevant to music education. The first step will be to shed some light on contemporary sociological debates and their implications for sociology of music. Second, historical sociological perspectives on musical behavior are presented in relation to the aforementioned debates. Third, contemporary perspectives on culture and media are briefly discussed. Fourth, contemporary perspectives from sociology of music are covered theoretically and accompanied by examples of research studies. Appropriate research methods to investigate musical decisions and interactions in sociocultural contexts are also discussed. Finally, some aspects of a sociological orientation of music education are addressed. This chapter does not aim to provide a complete overview of the sociology of music, since the field is still characterized by confusion and lack of agreement on such basic questions as subject matter and methodology, as described by Blomster (1976) 25 years ago. The interrelationship of youth, music, and culture is thought to be most relevant to music education, especially since young people’s music and the ways they interact with music are to a great extent still ignored and devalued in music education. The sociology of music is the study of the role of music in various cultures, and in today’s societies many cultures exist side by side. Therefore, the general theoretical perspectives presented in this chapter are applicable to other important issues in the field, such as the cultures of the elderly, of professional musicians, and of music educators.