Sociology of Culture
Event time: Wednesday 16:15-17:45
Instructor: Emília Barna
"From youth subcultures to nationality and ethnicity in a globalised world"
The course introduces basic theories and concepts of the sociology of culture and cultural studies relating to cultural identity, youth subcultures, nations and ethnicity, placing them into context through the discussion and debating of familiar examples. Throughout the term, we will critically examine the concepts of "high culture" and "mass culture", as well as those of nation, tradition, and community. The aim of this critical inquiry is not the relativisation of the mentioned concepts, but the introduction of those processes of social construction that lead to the emergence, consolidation and at times (re)negotiation of these categories and the related values and emotions. Through such inquiry, we are aiming towards a more nuanced understanding of the social-cultural conflicts of today’s globalised society by the end of the term. Beyond presenting relevant theories and literature, the goal is to discuss the practical relevance and applicability of the observations through examples taken from across the globe.
Dr. Emília Barna is a sociologist and popular music researcher. She completed a Popular Music Studies PhD programme in 2011 at the University of Liverpool School of Music. The title of her doctoral thesis was "Online and Offline Rock Music Networks: A case study on Liverpool, 2007-2009." Her main research areas include the sociology of popular music, the study of the relationship between music scenes or genres and technology, the digital music industries, and the gender aspects of popular music. With Tamás Tófalvy, she recently co-edited the book Made in Hungary: Studies in Popular Music (2017, Routledge). Outside of BME, she also teaches as part of the “University of Music” programme of the University of Pécs. She is Advisory Board Member of IASPM@Journal and member of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music (IASPM) since 2005. Between 2013 and 2017, she was Chair of IASPM Hungary. From 2017, she has been a member of the Working Group for Public Sociology “Helyzet."