Projects / Programmes
Music and politics in post-Yugoslav space: toward new paradigm of politics of music at the turn of centuries
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 6.03.00 |
Humanities |
Anthropology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| H320 |
Humanities |
Musicology |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 5.04 |
Social Sciences |
Sociology |
music, affect, political agency, post-Yugoslav space
Researchers (7)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
The proposed project sets out to develop a more nuanced approach to the study of the power of music in political mobilization, participation and building political communities. In doing so, the project team focuses on the relation between music, emotion, and affect, as a particularly potent conceptual framework for understanding the capacities to act politically in the contemporary times. Thus, the project will contribute to substantial reconfiguring of ideas about political agency in 21st century through a peculiar combination of theoretical and empirical research.
The crucial objective is to show how the intensity of sensorial experience of collective music performing and listening prompts both individuals and collectives to act as political subjects. Theoretically, the project is rooted in the so-called “affective turn” that emerged in the last twenty years as the most important growing field of inquiry in many disciplinary fields including cultural theory, philosophy, political theory, anthropology, and psychology.
Practically, our approach is firmly situated within the ethnographic tradition of the disciplines of ethnomusicology and anthropology, and emphasizes the necessity of interweaving theoretical discourse with ethnographic inquiry. The project team will conduct extensive ethnographic research of collective music performing and listening as a prime example of the production of political agency. However, our case studies are not limited to one nation-state (Slovenia) but will take a decidedly regional approach by focusing on the area of former Yugoslavia. Moreover the data includes examples from various collective music performing and listening, which are currently gaining renewed importance worldwide as a specific transnational phenomenon. This material is crucial for the three central themes, all related to developing of new notions of political agency: 1) Politics of music beyond identity; 2) Politics of idealism and utopia; 3) Selforganization and radical amateurism.
Methodologically, the project combines desk research with ethnography including participant observation; audio-visual methods; interviews and sensory ethnography. Three critical workshops that are used as a methodological tool are meant to be organized to enable better synergy of the collected ethnographic material and desk research.
The project team involves renowned experts in ethnomusicology and anthropology who are engaged with the practices and politics of music-related phenomena in the area of Central and Southeastern Europe, and who already collaborated in several national and international projects.
Significance for science
The project addresses the growing interest in the study of affective and sensory turns, which in the past decade has been steadily rising in ethnomusicology and anthropology. By providing an extended review of the literature across various streams of inquiry, spanning ethnomusicology, anthropology and sound studies, the project challenges and moves beyond the long-lasting conceptual boundaries; it raises important theoretical questions, and makes a major contribution to the study of music and affect. It provides an insightful resource that encompasses many schools of thought, voices, themes, cross-references and an extensive bibliography for further inquiries. It departs from connecting and upgrading pre-existing research models, the project contributes to the development not just of music-related scholarship in Slovenia (national), Central and Eastern European (regional), but also in the wider disciplinary fields of ethnomusicology, anthropology, sensory and materiality studies (international).
On the ethnographic level, the research will pay attention to the latest social, political and musical phenomena in the area of Central and Southeastern Europe. Due to the specific angle of combining theoretical and ethnographic approach, the project draws attention to important theoretical tendencies beyond “Western” approaches. Since most of theoretical work has remained focused on Western settings, project presents a valuable contribution to developing new knowledge and brings innovative and globally relevant results. Such a strong potential for international impact is already proved by the invitation to the project leader by the editors of the Theory in Ethnomusicology Series of Oxford University Press to contribute with a theoretically-oriented book on music and affective politics.
As regards the research team, the project brings together established researchers from the two main research institutions, also involved in teaching activities. Therefore, in addition to its basic purpose to broaden and deepen knowledge and understanding of the subject with transnational implications, the project results will make a significant contribution to the developing of the curricula in ethnomusicology and anthropology for both undergraduate and graduate students.
Significance for the country
The project addresses the growing interest in the study of affective and sensory turns, which in the past decade has been steadily rising in ethnomusicology and anthropology. By providing an extended review of the literature across various streams of inquiry, spanning ethnomusicology, anthropology and sound studies, the project challenges and moves beyond the long-lasting conceptual boundaries; it raises important theoretical questions, and makes a major contribution to the study of music and affect. It provides an insightful resource that encompasses many schools of thought, voices, themes, cross-references and an extensive bibliography for further inquiries. It departs from connecting and upgrading pre-existing research models, the project contributes to the development not just of music-related scholarship in Slovenia (national), Central and Eastern European (regional), but also in the wider disciplinary fields of ethnomusicology, anthropology, sensory and materiality studies (international).
On the ethnographic level, the research will pay attention to the latest social, political and musical phenomena in the area of Central and Southeastern Europe. Due to the specific angle of combining theoretical and ethnographic approach, the project draws attention to important theoretical tendencies beyond “Western” approaches. Since most of theoretical work has remained focused on Western settings, project presents a valuable contribution to developing new knowledge and brings innovative and globally relevant results. Such a strong potential for international impact is already proved by the invitation to the project leader by the editors of the Theory in Ethnomusicology Series of Oxford University Press to contribute with a theoretically-oriented book on music and affective politics.
As regards the research team, the project brings together established researchers from the two main research institutions, also involved in teaching activities. Therefore, in addition to its basic purpose to broaden and deepen knowledge and understanding of the subject with transnational implications, the project results will make a significant contribution to the developing of the curricula in ethnomusicology and anthropology for both undergraduate and graduate students.
Most important scientific results
Interim report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Interim report
