Aims
There are several aims of the course:
- To
understand the socially constructed nature of musical taste.
- To
understand the connections between popular music and social structures.
- To be
able to take a critical approach to common-sense ideas applied to popular
music such as authenticity, the mainstream and genres.
- To
gain an understanding of the major theoretical approaches that have been
taken to studying popular music sociologically and how theory is applied
to music.
- To
understand the contexts in which various forms of popular music arose in
order to appreciate the social responses to them.
- To
understand the relationship between popular music and key components of
identity such as class, gender and ethnicity.
- To
enhance the study skills that will serve you as a foundation for a
successful and rewarding life as a Social Science student, including
reading skills, information literacy skills, research skills, and writing
skills;
- To use
small-group tutorial discussion in order to ensure that you understand the
key issues raised in the lectures and in the course readings.
- To use the assessment scheme to provide
you with an opportunity to a) demonstrate your ability to think and read
critically; b) be familiar with course themes; and c) present a persuasive
argument backed up with examples.