Syllabus
see posted syllabus above
Annotation
This course investigates the notion of youth culture and its relation to music. It examines history and theory of youth cultures, and looks closely into particular case studies from around the world.
Historically, the class covers early youth ‘subcultures’ such as beatniks, hippies, mods, rockers, skinheads, punks, grunge youth, riot grrrls, and ravers. Case studies include subcultural and mainstream youth cultures from Great Britain and USA, African American youth cultures in the US, Asian and African diasporic youth cultures in Great Britain and France, and hip-hop, electronic dance music, heavy metal, and punk related youth cultures in Mexico, Brazil, East/Central Europe (before 1989), Ireland, Caribbean Islands, West Africa, and the Middle East.
Course discussions are framed around the intersection of race, class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, nationality, and capitalism. Moreover, particular interest is directed toward social and cultural aspects that shape youth cultures, specifically media, technology, economy, politics, and place.
We will also host an ethnomusicologist dr. Aileen Dillane from University of Limerick, Ireland, in one of our classes, who will talk about Irish protest music.
Class discussions are based on weekly readings, music examples, and films. Students’ assignments include brief weekly writing responses to the readings, and a final paper (on the topic of “complexities and contradictions of resistance”).
No preliminary requirements.