SociologySounds is a simple site to make it easy for teachers to find and share great music for their classes. Pairing a great song with a sociological concept can be tricky, but here it's just a few clicks away.
SociologySounds from Nathan Palmer on Vimeo.
A great way to start class is to play music in the last few minutes before it begins. You set the tone for the discussion, awaken sleepy students, and when the music ends everyone knows to stop talking; it's magic... or classical conditioning.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 6:25PM Joyce Zitkovich says, "Portrays essence of a non-violent protest to war, in this case, inspired by Peace Movement toward Vietnam War during the late 1960's and 1970's, as well as giving the subtle flavor of anti-establishment youth ("Who are they to judge us, just because out hair is long...")"
Submitted By: Joyce Zitkovich
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 6:20PM Dan Hoyt says, ""The video starts with historical Watts riot scenes and then moves to clips of contemporary movies depicting Black violence (men) and sexuality (women). The rap describes provides descriptions, likely familiar to those who have seen the movies. Most important, after multiple scenes exemplifying violence, the lyrics are ...""Just an illustration of a few scenes helped to raise a generation"" (at 3:40 in the source video).
I use it to introduce the lecture on culture and media.
The last minute of the video replays a scene from Menace II Society and is the portion that is particularly explicit in language and would warrant a trigger warning. Cutting it off right after the key lyrics at (3:40) avoids the most explicit content while retaining the effect. "
Submitted By: Dan Hoyt
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 6:14PM Dan Hoyt says, "I use this song when I am introducing the Sociological Imagination, talking the ability to connect one’s personal experiences to society at large and greater historical forces. I use one that overlays the song with video of the Vietnam conflict. It can also be used to make the point that historical forces influence some persons more than others - social class (the lyrics "I am no senators son") and cohorts (older males, not draft age). In lecture I use Elder's Children of the Great Depression as an example of using the Sociological Imagination to understand the influences of broad social context."
Submitted By: Dan Hoyt
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 6:12PM Letta Page says, "While Jolene is originally a Dolly Parton song (and a damn fine one), the White Stripes' rendition came out on their album de Stijl in 2000 (and brought a tear to my eye in public shortly thereafter). It's incredibly affecting and beautiful, but that's not what makes it class-worthy. As you listen, you'll notice: Jack White never changes a pronoun. As he sings, earnestly, he pleads, "Please don't take my man." It throws people when they're moved to tears by the sound of White howling and realize he's expressing this anguish over, well, a guy. It challenges gender and sexuality assumptions, without ever being direct - Jack White didn't make any grand statement that he was going to rebelliously not change the lyrics or that he was bisexual or homosexual (or any kind of -sexual, really), he just sang the guts out of a Dolly Parton song. And his version is damn fine, too."
Submitted By: Letta Page
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 6:07PM Letta Page says, "We all know of Johnny Cash as "the Man in Black," but very few people seem to have actually paid attention to the nearly revolutionary lyrics. The video I'm linking is just the lyrics (in an awful font) along with the song, showing that along with underscoring his religious beliefs, Cash sang about how "things need changin' everywhere you go, but 'til we start to make a move to make things right, you'll never see me wear a suit of white." He sings of prisoners who remain behind bars even after paying their dues, of those living on the "hungry, hopeless side of town," and of young men dying on battlefields. It's a contentious, rebellious singalong."
Submitted By: Letta Page
