MUS41070

This module offers an introduction to the discipline of ethnomusicology, exploring its theoretical foundations, methodological approaches, and contemporary challenges. Ethnomusicology, the study of 'music as culture' (Merriam), or of 'people making music' (Titon), has expanded both its scope and its theoretical preoccupations since its early (and unavoidably colonial) foundations. To understand, critique, and contextualise its development as a discipline, we begin by situating ethnomusicology within its broader intellectual history, highlighting the shift from early 20th-century methods (collection, comparison) to the more nuanced, context-sensitive approaches that emerged in the post-colonial era. We will then engage with classic thematic preoccupations of the discipline, such as music and identity, music and the nation, and address issues of representation and appropriation. The final section of the module addresses more contemporary concerns in the study of ethnomusicology. Topics such as the impact of globalisation, the the advent of applied methods, and the decolonisation of ethnomusicological practice will be critically examined. Students will be encouraged to reflect on the future directions of the field, considering how ethnomusicology can remain relevant and socially responsible in our current political and social context. Interwoven throughout the module will be a discussion of ethnographic methods.

By the end of the module, students will have developed a critical understanding of ethnomusicology's theoretical underpinnings and methodologies, as well as the contemporary issues shaping the discipline.