Ethnomusicology
| Module title | Ethnomusicology |
|---|---|
| Module code | ANT3084 |
| Academic year | 2021/2 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Professor Tia DeNora (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
All over the world, people make and respond to music. This module examines the role of music in social life, and in particular music practices connected to forms of action, ritual and everyday life. You will begin by considering the boundaries of the very term music, and set that term in cross-cultural and historical context. You will then apply theories and methods from music sociology, ethnomusicology and other disciplines and make reference to empirical studies in particular considering music in daily life. You will focus on ethnomusicological studies of urban life, with consideration of past and non-western cultures. You do not need prior musical knowledge to take this module and there are no prerequisites. The module will be of interest to students in a number of disciplines including anthropology, sociology, philosophy, psychology, geography and drama, and any pathway that combines these disciplines.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module has three key aims: (1) to consider music's role and impact in social life; (2) to consider some of the classic and current approaches within ethnomusicology and music sociology; and (3) to exemplify these approaches with reference to empirical studies with special reference to music in daily life.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. examine and analyse musical phenomena in light of ethnomusicological and sociological theories and to apply key concepts to musical data;
- 2. demonstrate an ability to identify connections between musical works and social structures;
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. relate a defined corpus of sociological ideas and data to a consideration of both production and the reception of art in the modern world;
- 4. deploy sociological argument, developed through written assignments and classroom presentations in a critical relationship to received ways of talking about art works, and artists;
- 5. demonstrate competence in the use of a specialist terminology developed through a familiarity with the principal sociological debates concerning art as a social phenomenon;
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. demonstrate independent study and group work, including the presentation of material for group discussion, developed through the mode of learning;
- 7. demonstrate skills in sociological reasoning and the marshalling of evidence, use of data etc. developed through written assignments;
- 8. digest, select and organise material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and cogent argument, developed through the mode of assessment.
Syllabus plan
The module begins by considering key concepts and writers on music sociology and ethnomusicology. The concepts will include: affordances, homology, appropriation, affiliation and habitus. The module then sets these concepts in context of case study material focused on musical structure as a medium for thinking about the life course, social structure, embodied communication, identity, health and wellbeing; consciousness, social control and memory.
Topics:
A. Orientation:
Introduction to ethnomusicology/music sociology
Key concepts with examples
What is music, sound, noise: an exercise in boundary construction
B. Music in Everyday Life over the life course and in cultural context:
Communicative musicality
Music and socialization
Music and emotion, music and work
Music and health/wellbeing: alternative healing and ritual care
Music and continuing bonds: spirituality, transcendence and commemoration through music
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | 126 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 24 | 6 two hour lectures, 4 two hour seminars and 2 student-led discussion sessions with small presentations in seminar |
| Guided Independent study | 126 | A variety of activities directed by module leader and allowing student choice. 1. Mapping the sonic environment 2. Interview or radio archive exercise 3. Video analysis of embodied musical engagement 4. Exploration of musicalisation of settings or interactions |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small presentation | 10 minutes | 1, 2, 4, 6 | Verbal |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposal for Essay | 15 | 500 words | 1-5, 7-8 | Written feedback |
| Essay | 85 | 3500 words | 1-5, 7-8 | Written feedback |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposal for Essay | None | None | None |
| Essay | Essay | 1-5, 7-8 | August/September reassessment period |
Re-assessment notes
It is not possible to re-assess the essay proposal. If you fail this module and it cannot be condoned, you will be given the opportunity to re-submit the essay in the August / September re-assessment period. If you are deferred, you will submit the essay for the first time in the August / September re-assessment period. Re-assessment of the essay will constitute 100% of the module mark (15 credits).
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
DeNora, Tia. 2000. Music in Everyday Life Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
DeNora, Tia. 2003. After Adorno. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Feld, Steven. 1982. Sound and sentiment: birds, weeping, poetics and song in Kaluli expression. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Blacking, John 1973. How Musical is Man? Seatle: U of Washington Press.
Stokes, Martin. 2010 The republic of love: cultural intimacy in Turkish popular music. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | September 2000 |
| Last revision date | February 2012 |
