Last modified: 31 Jul 2023 11:19
This course offers students an introduction to the field of ethnomusicology, including the historical development of the field, how to conduct fieldwork and some of the field’s key theoretical perspectives. The course will introduce students to a range of musical traditions from around the world through case studies that demonstrate the close relationship between music, society and culture (topics include nationalism, colonialism, identity, race and globalisation). Teaching will take the form of lecture-seminars, reading group sessions and tutorials. The course also has a strong practical element where students will have the opportunity to conduct ethnomusicological fieldwork including ethnographic interviews.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 2 |
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| Session | Second Sub Session | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
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Ethnomusicologists are interested in the study of music (broadly defined) in its social, cultural and political contexts. Rather than focusing exclusively on the musical object in and of itself, we are interested in ‘the study of people making music’ (Titon 1989: 2015). Ethnomusicologists examine the ways in which music is connected to and constructive of broader social structures. Usually drawing on extensive ethnographic research, ethnomusicologists seek to understand how and why music is performed, and what it means for the musicians and audiences involved. While the discipline is usually associated with the study of non-western or ‘world musics’, ethnomusicologists do in fact explore any musical tradition including western classical music and popular music. Therefore, ethnomusicology should not be defined by its object of study, but rather by its approach to the study of music.
The course is designed to give students an introduction to the field, its historical development and some of the key debates that characterise current research. The course will begin with an overview of the history of ethnomusicology as a discipline and students will be introduced to the range of methodological approaches that ethnomusicologists take in the study of music in its socio-cultural contexts. The course will be organised according to theoretical themes, where students will examine music’s relationship with issues such as identity, class, nationalism and globalisation. Each lecture will focus on a particular theoretical trope, which will be analysed through case studies from a range of musical traditions. The course is not meant to be an exhaustive overview of the discipline, but rather is intended to introduce students to some of the key debates and themes in the field necessary for further study.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
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| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Oral formative feedback will be provided throughout the course. |
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There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | ||
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| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
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| Factual | Remember | ILO’s for this course are available in the course guide. |
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