I have the outline and source mostly: Using materials read and discussed in the course (especially those by Small, Nussbaum, Brown, and Mattern, as well as those concerning your chosen case study), write an essay of approximately 1750 words (ca. 5–7 pp., to be turned in on Canvas) that compares a recent form of musical protest with one of the historical case studies that we have addressed in class.
Possible topics for comparison include (but are not limited to):
The Iraq War and the U.S. military
The Occupy Wall Street movement
Disability rights activism (ex: Leroy Moore & “Krip Hop Nation”)
The U.K.’s departure from the E.U. (“Brexit”)
Protests against economic injustice in Chile (2019)
Recent anti-government protests in Iran surrounding the nation’s hijab law (2022)
Reproductive rights movements in Ireland (2018), Argentina (2020), and the U.S.
Climate change activism/protests (global)
In addition to a close reading of specific musical examples, your paper should also consider the diverse perspectives of those on all sides of each issue and the power structures in both the historical and contemporary contexts you have chosen to study. Ultimately, you should demonstrate how examining your topics provides us with a better understanding of the relationship between music and protest, both in the United States and abroad.
In your paper, you should consider the following questions in relation to each movement in your comparison:
- Who are the people protesting or making a political statement, and why?
- The historical context in which your selection was created (why it was important, who it was written for, what else was happening at the time)
- What statement or statements are those using the music trying to make? What changes do they hope to effect in society at large?
- What methods did the movement use to try to achieve their goals?
- What role did music play in this movement? What was its musical style? (think about rhythm, meter, tempo, dynamics, melody, harmony, tonality/mode, and form)
- Which of the movement’s methods were successful?
- Was their contribution to history important, or not? Why?