Papers must be typed (double-spaced) in 12-point font with normal margins
listing sources appropriately at the end of the paper.

In this section of the class, our focus will be pop music and identity. We will look at various ways in which people associate music with identities, from Indian immigrants using bhangra to negotiate new identities in London to the music industry categorizing many diverse people and forms of music as “Latin.”

While we are spending time looking at ways other people associate pop music and identity, your assignment will be to apply what you learn to a consideration of pop music and identity in your own life.

What music is important to your identity? Probably you would consider yourself a member of several different groups or communities that have music associated with them. For example, I once met a group of kids who were only allowed to listen to one type of pop music: Christian rock. Punk in the late 1970s was not just a musical style but also a social movement important to some young peoples’ identities.

For this paper, you will write about one such example in your own life that demonstrates a connection between pop music and identity. Maybe your family traces its ancestry to a particular country and listening to a style of pop from that country makes you feel connected to a sense of national and/or ethnic identity. Maybe you are a fan of jam band music and you and your friends identify as a group that shares this common interest. Maybe you grew up listening to the Beatles and that is an important part of your family’s identity.

Paper length: 3-4 pages (not including list of sources)

Following is what the paper must include:

1. An introductory paragraph including your thesis statement and summarizing the goals of your paper.
2. A second section describing in more detail the topic you have chosen. What kind of music are you discussing, and what is the group identity associated with the music?
3. A third section elaborating on your thesis statement. In what specific ways is the identity of the group associated with this music? Give examples. How does the group express this identity? Again, give specific examples.
4. A concluding paragraph, summarizing the main points of your paper.

Sources:

You will need to include at least two (2) written sources in your paper. At least one of these sources must be come from readings for the class (for example, Negus’ chapter on identity). You can also include sources (articles, websites, etc.) associated with the style of music and/or group you are discussing.