Music in Development

Key information

Status
Module not running
Module code
15PMUC034
FHEQ Level
7
Credits
15
Department
School of Arts & Department of Music

Module overview

The programme will attract applicants with a demonstrably strong background in music and evidence of a serious, sustained interest in development and creative communication.

An undergraduate training in ethnomusicology, music psychology or music sociology would be an advantage, although significant fieldwork experience may off-set the absence of formal academic qualifications in this area. We particularly welcome those who have worked for some time in the field of music and/or development.

The programme will be of use to students who are interested in a career in international agencies, humanitarian organisations, and (local and international) NGOs, UNESCO, audio and audio-visual archiving, media for development (radio, film, new digital technologies) and social therapies/community music. It would also provide a useful background for those wishing to proceed to MPhil/PhD in disciplines such as Ethnomusicology, Development Studies, Anthropology of Development and Theatre/Media for Development.

Objectives and learning outcomes of the module

On successful completion of this module students will be able to

  • Demonstrate a critical understanding of Applied/Advocacy Ethnomusicology and its interactions with allied disciplines, such as Development Studies, Theatre/Media and Development, and the Anthropology of Development;
  • Demonstrate a critical understanding of music as a culturally embedded practice and its potential as a tool for communication and transformation in a range of development contexts;
  • Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of the musical performance practices and their meanings in select regions of the world;
  • Demonstrate a critical understanding of ethnographic research methods and applications; and
  • Demonstrate the development of a range of applied/practical skills aimed at linking musical production and meaning to social action and advocacy.

Workload

  • Lectures: 1 hour per week
  • Seminars: 1 hour per week

Method of assessment

  • 750-word project proposal (worth 30% of marks)
  • 2,250-word research essay (worth 70%)

Preparatory Texts

  • Rice, Tim. 2014. Ethnomusicology:  A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Crewe, Emma and Axelby, Richard. 2012. Anthropology and Development: Culture, Morality and Politics in a Globalised World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Hesmondhalgh, David. 2013. Why Music Matters. Wiley-Blackwell.

Disclaimer

Important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules