Musical Highway: A Political History of Social Movements and the Role of Popular Music

Document Type

Presentation

Presentation Date

2017

Abstract or Description

This presentation was given at the Georgia Sociological Association Annual Conference.

Link to Program: https://www.georgiasociology.com/uploads/9/6/4/8/96484124/gsa_final_program_10-25-2017_v1.2__1_.pdf

Societies are an evolution continually in motion. Societies have evolved in terms of access to politics, civil rights and liberties, and both political and cultural norms. The response of government to demands for access has been just that – a response. Throughout the evolution of societies, social movements of various types and scales have preceded government response, and changes to the law. A key component of a social movement is popular music, and the role music plays in transmitting political messages, defining the grievances and demands of society, and providing a unifying symbol of the grievance. This paper analyzes popular music during key time periods throughout U.S. history. By analyzing social movements and music during critical periods of U.S. history, we view change through the lens of various segments of the population, and better understand the force music can have in defining, and perhaps prompting, the demands of a people and the response of governments.

Sponsorship/Conference/Institution

Georgia Sociological Association Annual Conference

Location

Lake Blackshear, GA

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