Lil' Wayne for Exercising, Adele for Relaxing at Home: Artists, Listening Situations, and Racial Crossover

• In Event: 235 - Regular Session. Popular Culture and the Politics of Authenticity

Abstract

The ways in which music creates either bridges or boundaries between people has long been of interest in the sociology of music, but the existing survey-based research on these topics does not adequately address the specificity of musical practices in particular listening situations. In this research I use a mixed methods approach to examine racial segregation and crossover in musical tastes as measured through relationships between musical artists and listeners in particular situational contexts. Based on a survey of students at the University of Mississippi, I examine how intersections of race, gender, and ten listening situations connect to specific musical artists and genre categories. Drawing on social network analysis and correspondence analysis, I present netfield maps showing that an overall pattern of racial segregation in musical tastes is intersected by multiple paths of racial crossover. I use case studies to examine how two artists, Lil' Wayne and Adele, are incorporated into either exemplar or token racial crossover profiles by black and white listeners. Results show that black musical styles, whether these are performed by black or white musicians, are central to crossover in the musical field. I draw implications for the study of social inequalities in the sociology of music and for mixed methods approaches to cultural analysis.

Author

• John Sonnett, University of Mississippi