Last modified: 11 Jul 2025 13:46
Music plays an important part in our daily lives and is interwoven into the fabric of human social and cultural life. This course introduces students to key concepts in the study of music, culture and society (such as identity, place, religion, politics and globalisation) through a combination of lectures summarising key topics and tutorials allowing for deeper discussion. Students will approach these topics through a range of case studies from different musical genres and traditions.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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Music plays an important part in our daily lives and is interwoven into the fabric of human social and cultural life. While we may enjoy music as a form of entertainment, it is also an integral part of how human societies and cultures understand the world around them. Music is embedded in social structures; it serves social and cultural functions; it represents cultural beliefs, value systems and identities; it is involved in politics and power; it enables communities to present a sense of belonging and place, and so much more. Music, in some shape or form, is part of every society and culture (both past and present) that we are aware of. This omnipresence of music raises key questions: why do we listen to, play and create music and how does it affect our lives, identity and political views? What is the relation between the society we live in and the role, meaning and value of music within that society? In this course, we will try to answer these questions.
To answer questions such as these, students will be introduced to a range of theoretical approaches to the study of music in its social and cultural contexts, drawing from a range of disciplines such as ethnomusicology, historical musicology, popular music studies and the sociology of music. Students will also learn about and explore a range of case studies drawn from different musical cultures around the globe, some familiar and some less so. By the end of the course, students will have learnt a number of different ways in which we can approach the intricate relationship between music, culture and society. This will enable students to develop key analytical skills for understanding music in different contexts from a cross-cultural perspective, strengthening their critical thinking and active citizenship.
Topics are likely to include: music in human life (theoretical approaches to music, culture and society); methodologies for the study of music, culture and society; music and identity; music and place; music, religion and belief; music, politics and power; music and the environment; music, globalisation and migration; music and technology; music and cultural memory. These topics will be approached through a combination of weekly lectures that introduce students to specific topics and ways of studying music, culture and society, with weekly follow up tutorials where topics are explored in more detail through interactive discussions, exercises and case studies.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 20 | Feedback Weeks | 23 | |
| Feedback |
Creative research assignment: students can choose between a number of creative research projects that enable them to engage with theoretical approaches on the course in relation to specific case studies. Students will have four choices to choose from (a hypothetical field research project; a curated playlist; an album review; a concert/festival review); each can be submitted as a written report (1000-words) or a 10-minute pre-recorded presentation (with accompanying PowerPoint where appropriate). Written feedback will be provided via MyAberdeen within the usual 3-week window after submission. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural | Apply | Students will develop skills in written/oral communication and group work through assessments and tutorial participation. |
| Procedural | Create | Students will be able to design their own work in response to course topics and the essay/creative research assignment. |
| Procedural | Understand | Students will build an understanding of how music is intertwined with its social, cultural and political contexts. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 60 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 20 | Feedback Weeks | 23 | |
| Feedback |
2000-word essay: students will pick an essay topic from a range of questions, enabling them to research and discuss one of the topic areas covered in the course. Or they can choose to design their own question in conversation with the course coordinator. Written feedback will be provided via MyAberdeen within the usual 3-week window after submission. |
Word Count | 2000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Factual | Apply | Students will learn theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of music, culture and society from across different disciplines and apply these to different case studies. |
| Procedural | Apply | Students will develop skills in written/oral communication and group work through assessments and tutorial participation. |
| Procedural | Understand | Students will build an understanding of how music is intertwined with its social, cultural and political contexts. |
| Reflection | Evaluate | Students will be able to critically reflect on their relationship with music in its cultural and social contexts, through tutorials and the assessments. |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
3,000 - word essay: students will pick an essay topic from a range of questions, enabling them to research and discuss one of the topic areas covered in the course. Or they can choose to design their own question in conversation with the course coordinator. Written feedback will be provided via MyAberdeen within the usual 3-week window after submission. |
Word Count | 3000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Reflection | Evaluate | Students will be able to critically reflect on their relationship with music in its cultural and social contexts, through tutorials and the assessments. |
| Procedural | Create | Students will be able to design their own work in response to course topics and the essay/creative research assignment. |
| Conceptual | Analyse | Students will learn to summarise and discuss information about music, culture and society from lectures, tutorial discussions, readings and wider listening. |
| Procedural | Understand | Students will build an understanding of how music is intertwined with its social, cultural and political contexts. |
| Procedural | Apply | Students will develop skills in written/oral communication and group work through assessments and tutorial participation. |
| Factual | Apply | Students will learn theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of music, culture and society from across different disciplines and apply these to different case studies. |
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