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The Importance and Power of Music in our Society
  • Level Foundation
  • Duration 20 hours
  • Course by Universiteit Leiden
  • Offered by

About

Music plays an important role in our daily lives and is woven into the fabric of society. We listen to music while alone or in company, in a dance club or at home, through simple headphones or via high-end speakers, as background or as foreground, after we get up or before we go to bed. Music accompanies us when we are traveling, doing sports, shopping, working or relaxing. This omnipresence of music raises several questions: how does music affect our lives? What is the relation between the society we live in and the role, function, and position of music within that society? How is music influenced by and does music influence social, political, economic, technological, and multiple other developments? Do these questions trigger you? Music and Society provides a thorough introduction to the various ways in which music and society are connected through engaging lectures, insightful interviews, challenging assignments, interesting readings, and of course a lot of musical examples. The course aims at increasing your insights on where, how and why we listen to music, how music contributes to shaping our identity, how music forms, expresses, and subverts political ideas, and how music affects our norms and values.

Modules

Introduction

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 Plugin
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • Introduce yourself

2 Videos

  • Music and society: general introduction
  • How to succeed in your online class?

1 Readings

  • Meet the instructors and the team

Are you aware of how much music you hear every day?

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • Is the "musicalization of culture" good or bad?

2 Videos

  • "A day in the life of a listener"
  • Reflection on "a day in the life of a listener"

What is the role of background music?

    • 3 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • Do you think that background music is ethical?

3 Videos

  • Music between consciousness and subconsciousness: An interview with Anahid Kassabian
  • Music between consciousness and subconsciousness: An interview with Thomas van Straaten
  • Reflection on the interviews with Anahid Kassabian and Thomas van Straaten

How is music influencing your life and behavior?

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • Can music have specific roles?

1 Videos

  • "Music for Airports": The various roles of music

1 Readings

  • How can music and society be related?

Conclusion

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 PeerReview
Show info about module content

1 Peer Review

  • Keeping a music diary

1 Discussions

  • Design your own sonic environment

1 Videos

  • Music and atmosphere: Concluding discussion

Introduction

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Music and personal identity

1 Discussions

  • How my position influences my musical taste

1 Videos

  • Music and identity: An introduction

1 Readings

  • Music and personal identity

On Music, Personal and Collective Identity

    • 3 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • Same song, different meaning

3 Videos

  • Music and personal identity: the power from outside vs. the freedom from inside
  • Music and collective identity: One song, many identities
  • "I will survive": Music between repetition and difference

1 Readings

  • Deconstructing identity: Mark C. Taylor

Daniel Barenboim on Music and Identity

    • 2 Videos
Show info about module content

2 Videos

  • Music and clashing identities: An interview with Daniel Barenboim
  • Reflection on the interview with Daniel Barenboim

Pierre Bourdieu on Music and Identity

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Music and identity: Exploring Bourdieu’s views

1 Discussions

  • My musical preferences are really mine ... or not?

2 Videos

  • Does social position affect musical taste? An introduction to Bourdieu
  • From inequality in society to inequality in music: Bourdieu’s critique

1 Readings

  • Music and identity: Exploring Bourdieu’s views

Conclusion

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 PeerReview
Show info about module content

1 Peer Review

  • Hello my name is...

1 Videos

  • Music and identity: Concluding discussion

Introduction

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • When can music become an effective "weapon"?

2 Videos

  • Music and politics: An introduction
  • From noise regulation to national hymns: Music and the state

Theodor Adorno, Politics, and the Cultural Industry

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Music and politics: The fetish character in music and the regression of listening

1 Discussions

  • Regression of listening

1 Videos

  • Music and culture industry: An introduction to Adorno

1 Readings

  • Music and politics: The fetish character in music and the regression of listening

On Music and "the Political"

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Affective tonality? What's that?

1 Discussions

  • Can music really control our behavior?

2 Videos

  • Power is everywhere: From “politics” to “the political”
  • Disciplining and controlling: Music and the political

1 Readings

  • Affective tonality? What's that?

On Music and Political Resistance

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • How music becomes noise: Jacques Attali

1 Discussions

  • Enjoyment versus subversion

2 Videos

  • Undermining authority: Music and subversion
  • The possibility of subversion through music: Adorno revisited

1 Readings

  • How music becomes noise: Jacques Attali

Louis Andriessen on Music and (Cultural) Politics

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • How can music be subversive?

1 Videos

  • Music, cultural policy, and resistance: An interview with Louis Andriessen

Conclusion

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 PeerReview
Show info about module content

1 Peer Review

  • Politics and resistance in "national anthems"

1 Discussions

  • Can music be harmful and are restrictions therefore justifiable?

1 Videos

  • Music and politics: Concluding discussion

Introduction

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • Do we become better people through music education?

1 Videos

  • Music and ethics: An introduction

On Music and Virtue

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
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1 Discussions

  • I'll take you to the candyshop

1 Videos

  • Music and virtue: Good music for the good soul

On Music and Hospitality

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Post-Modern Ethics: Beyond Good and Evil

1 Discussions

  • Can music make us more tolerant?

2 Videos

  • Music and hospitality: An introduction
  • Ethical listening and perceptual care

1 Readings

  • Post-Modern Ethics: Beyond Good and Evil

Ton Koopman on Music and Respect

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
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1 Discussions

  • Paying respect or taking responsibility?

2 Videos

  • Music and respect: An interview with Ton Koopman
  • Reflection on the interview with Ton Koopman

On Music and "Bildung"

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Music and Ethics: Freedom, Bildung and Art

1 Discussions

  • Discipline and Bildung

1 Videos

  • Music and “Bildung”: Character first

1 Readings

  • Music and ethics: Freedom, bildung and art

Nanette Nielsen on Music and Engagement

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
Show info about module content

1 Discussions

  • How do we come from a musical ethics to a general ethics?

1 Videos

  • Music and engagement: An interview with Nanette Nielsen

Conclusion

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 PeerReview
Show info about module content

1 Peer Review

  • From music to behavior to judgment

1 Discussions

  • Is downloading music ethically justifiable?

1 Videos

  • Music and ethics: Concluding discussion

Auto Summary

"The Importance and Power of Music in our Society" is a foundational Arts & Humanities course offered by Coursera. Led by expert instructors, this 1200-minute course explores the profound connection between music and society. Through engaging lectures, interviews, and musical examples, learners will delve into how music influences and is influenced by social, political, economic, and technological developments. Ideal for those curious about music’s role in shaping identity and societal norms, this course offers a comprehensive understanding, available with a Starter subscription. Perfect for anyone eager to explore music's societal impact.

Marcel Cobussen
Instructors

Marcel Cobussen

Hafez Ismaïli M'Hamdi
Instructors

Hafez Ismaïli M'Hamdi