Caught Between a Scream and a Hug : Women's Perspectives on Music Listening and Interaction with Teenagers in the Family Unit
- Submitting institution
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Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
- Unit of assessment
- 33 - Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies
- Output identifier
- 2853770
- Type
- D - Journal article
- DOI
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10.1177/0305735613517411
- Title of journal
- Psychology of Music
- Article number
- -
- First page
- 611
- Volume
- 43
- Issue
- 5
- ISSN
- 1741-3087
- Open access status
- Out of scope for open access requirements
- Month of publication
- January
- Year of publication
- 2014
- URL
-
-
- Supplementary information
-
-
- Request cross-referral to
- -
- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
-
2
- Research group(s)
-
-
- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- Much literature exists concerning musical tastes and behaviours in everyday life situations (e.g. DeNora, 2000: Hargreaves & North, 2001) but there is comparatively little on music in the home environment. The aim of this research was, therefore, to enhance our knowledge of the impact of music on social relationships within the family unit, focussing on mothers and their teenage offspring – two groups who are experiencing a time of change in their lives. While the mothers were dealing with their offspring becoming less dependent and the physical changes of the menopause, the teenagers were working through the similar changes of puberty, together with the active process of identity-making, and the new emotional and cognitive needs of young adulthood. The key question was: is music a source for bringing people together through these changes, or the cause of disharmony? I led on the research and my co-authors contributed advice and read drafts.
I approached my underlying question through semi-structured interviews examining musical choices, and the reasons for those choices, personal opinions, the importance of social groupings, a need to share, tolerance of others’ choices, and the impact on familial relationships. The method was idiographic, interpretative (hermeneutic) and inductive. Reasons for music listening choices were explored encompassing themes of identity, emotion and memory.
The research was rooted in a growing personal awareness at the time of mothers experiencing conflict with their teenage children within the home, centred around ‘forced listening’ of the latters’ choice of music. Hitherto, I had always considered music as a contributor to health and wellbeing, something to be shared and an enhancer of communication. This research revealed a more nuanced and complex picture.
- Author contribution statement
- -
- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
- -