MUS 40.04 Music and Social Identity
This course introduces students to the circulation and construction of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, nationality, class, disability, religious belief, political affiliation, and other forms of identity in musical cultures from c. 1750 to the present. Much attention will be devoted to Western art repertoire, but global perspectives and popular music will also come into play. Overarching themes include cooperation, dissent, protest, activism, propaganda, and censorship. Was Schubert gay—and does it matter? Is anti-Semitism discernible in Wagner’s music? What are the roles of music in Deaf cultures? Should we care about Obama’s iPod playlist? In navigating such questions, we will contemplate how composers, performers, critics, fans, scholars, and teachers of music negotiate their identities in everyday life.
Instructor
Cheng