Music and Cultural Analysis in the Classroom: Introducing Sociology through Heavy Metal

Author(s): Jarl A. Ahlkvist

Reviewed work(s):
Source: Teaching Sociology, Vol. 27, No. 2 (Apr., 1999), pp. 126-144
Published by: American Sociological Association
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1318699 .
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 MUSICAND CULTURALANALYSISIN THE CLASSROOM:
INTRODUCINGSOCIOLOGYTHROUGHHEAVYMETAL*
This article demonstrates that popular music's potential as a tool for teaching
interactive introductorysociology courses is enhanced when a culturalanalysis
of a specific music genre is incorporatedinto the classroom. Using this type of
analysis as an integrative course theme promotes active learning as students
apply sociological ideas to explain empiricalreality. Using heavy metal music as
an example, I present a two-part model for integrating a cultural analysis of
this music and its subculture into the introductory course. Students first
conduct a sociologically grounded culturalanalysis of heavy metal music. Then
they expand this analysis during the rest of the course by applying new
concepts, theories, and research to explain this cultural object sociologically.
The article's final section discusses the applicationof this model in a range of
class contexts and provides student responses to its use in an introductory
sociology course.

JARLA. AHLKVIST
Johnson State College

NUMEROUSAUTHORSHAVEcommented on the Thisarticledescribeshow musiccan serve

use of culturalobjects to promote interactive as an object of cultural analysis in the
learning in sociology courses (Bonomo introductory sociology course. First, I re-
1987; Burton 1988; Cosbey 1997; Groce view the advantages of an interactive ap-
1992; Laz 1996; Metz 1983; Sullivan 1982; proach to the introductorycourse and the use
Tolich 1992; Ziskind Berg 1992). Films, of music as a teaching tool in this context,
novels, short stories, and television pro- suggesting that music can do much more
grams have proven useful for illustrating than illustrate concepts and theories. Using
sociological ideas and providing interesting the example of heavy metal, I argue that a
narrativesto which students can apply theo- cultural analysis of one music genre pro-
ries and concepts. When studentslearnsoci- vides an integrativecourse theme and fosters
ology through music, songs and lyrics are active learning. Next, I describe how to
commonly confined to illustratingsociologi- involve students in a cultural analysis of
cal concepts and theories. In the model heavy metal music and offer examples of
described in this article, music offers stu- how instructors can help students to apply
dents the chance to harness concepts, theo- sociological ideas to extend this analysis
ries, and research findings to analyze cul- throughoutthe course. Finally, I offer sug-
tural objects, much like a cultural sociolo- gestions about how to apply this model in
gist. They learn sociology through the pro- diverse class contexts and discuss student
cess of explaining a culturalphenomenon. responses to my use of this approachwhen
teaching the introductorysociology course.
"*Iwouldlike to thankBrentBruton,Andrea
Perham,andthe anonymousreviewersfor their MUSICAND ACTIVELEARNING
valuablecommentson earlierdraftsof this pa-
per. Pleaseaddresscorrespondence
to theauthor An Interactive
Approach to Introductory
at theBehavioralSciencesDepartment, McClel-
landHall, JohnsonStateCollege,Johnson,VT Sociology
A sustained critique of the conventional,
05656;e-mail:ahlkvisj@badger.jsc.vsc.edu
Editor'snote:The reviewerswere Betsy Lu- lecture-based survey course in introductory
cal, TheresaMartinez,andJimRothenberg. sociology emerged in the 1980s. Lenski

TeachingSociology,Vol. 27, 1999(April:126-144) 126

MUSICAND CULTURALANALYSIS 127
(1983) and McGee, Vaughan, and Baker theguidance of theinstructor.Insteadof mem-
(1985) argued that the typical introductory orizing,and being mesmerized by, a set of
coursewas seriouslymisguidedanda major oftenlooselyconnected facts,thestudent learns
contributor to the discipline'sdecliningpop- a of
way thinking, askingquestions, searching
foranswers, andinterpreting observations. (P.
ularityamong students and its negativepub- 45)
lic image. Teachersof introductory courses
werecriticizedfor failingto makesociology A pivotalelementin activelearningis the
relevantfor their diverse audience,for the for studentsto applysociologi-
opportunity
shallow"encyclopedic quality"of the survey cal ideas to the explanationof empirical
course, and for their reliance on passive
realityandsocialissuesthatfacethem(Hale
learningmethods.Proponentsof interactive 1995; Lenski 1983; McGee et al. 1985;
approachesto teaching the introductory Wilson and Reiser 1982). Referencesto
course advocate depth over breadth, the
sociologyas a "tool"are ubiquitousin this
developmentof unifying themes, and a literature,highlightingthe belief that the
greatercommitmentto studentinvolvement goalof the introductory courseshouldbe "to
andactivelearning.Ratherthanapproaching assiststudentsin a small,but well-
the introductory courseas an overviewof an building
equipped tool-kit with which they can be-
academic discipline (the graduate school come familiar
enoughto applythe concepts
model),Sundgren(1994) suggeststhatintro- to analyticalproblems"(Mayer 1986:252).
ductorysociologyinstructorscan best serve Othersnote the importanceof encouraging
studentsby "emphasizing the importanceof
introductorystudents to think critically
sociologicalknowledgeas a tool for survival (Shepelak,Curry-Jackson, andMoore1992)
in a complexworld, andteachingthesocio- and the
practice sociological imagination
logical perspectivein a way that will en- (Brouillette and Turner 1992; Mathisen
hanceour students'educationandtheirabil-
1989; O'Flaherty 1992). Interactiveap-
ity to thinkcriticallyaboutwhat they read proaches to teaching sociology promote
andsee" (p. 348). Othersadvocateorganiz- these
1992; Smith 1996),
ing the introductory course aroundaninte- and I goals (Hilligoss
to demonstrate that a cultural
hope
grativethemethatprovidesa coherentstruc- analysisof musicis a usefulway to achieve
ture, narrowingthe range of conceptual them.
tools employedand focusingon a few cen-
tralissues. Barger(1987) describesthe way
"modernization" can be used as a unifying A UsingMusicin SociologyCourses
handfulof articlesdiscuss in-
themethathelps "tietogetherwhatit is that structors'use of music and sociology to illus-
lyrics
sociologyseeks to do" (p. 88). Meanwhile, trate concepts and theories. Walczakand
McGeeet al. (1985) discusshow "thecor- Reuter
(1994) describethe ways musicaids
poraterealitiesof everydaylife" and"social in the teachingof introductorysociology,
awareness"can be used as themesrelevant while Theresa addressesapplica-
to students.Othersociologistsbelieve that tions for courses M1artinez
in theory(BurnsandMar-
narrowingcoursecontentarounda themeis tinez 1993), deviance (1995), and race,
vitalfor thepromotionof criticalthinkingas
class, and gender (1994). In addition,the
a coursegoal (Mayer1986). Manysociolo- contributors to Reuterand Walczak'sSong-
gists hail active learning as essential for ware II: Using Popular Music in Teaching
transforming the introductory course.Ham-
Sociology (1993) describe techniquesfor
lin and Janssen (1987) describe active learn-
using music to illustrate concepts and theo-
ing below: ries across a wide range of sociological
sub-disciplines. Following Elterman(1983),
Ratherthanthe teacherpresentingfactsto the
the conventional approach has been to use
students,the studentsplay an active role in
learningby exploringissues and ideas under lyrics of songs played during class to foster
informal discussion and underscorethe rele-
128 TEACHINGSOCIOLOGY
vance of sociologicalinsights.Those using technique.It allowsmusicto be used as an
music in their teachingbelieve that this integrativethemefor the courseand makes
illustrativeapproachis quite successful. music an integral, ratherthan peripheral,
Martinez(1994, 1995) reportsthather use partof the learningexperience.Focusingon
of popularmusic helps to facilitateclass one musicgenreallowsthe class to system-
discussion,createsa uniquelearningenvi- aticallyapplytheirexpandingstockof socio-
ronment,O and encouragesstudentsto ques- logical knowledgeto understanding cultural
tiontheir"commonsense"assumptions. objects sociologically.Using music as the
Studentsin Walczakand Reuter's(1994) objectof a culturalanalysis,ratherthanas
introductory course respondedpositivelyto an illustrativetool, minimizesthedifficulties
the illustrativeuses of song lyrics. Mar- associated with the latter approach.Al-
tinez's (1995) comparisonof departmental thoughthe instructorselectsthe musicgenre
teachingevaluationssuggests that students for the classto analyze,studentshavesignif-
enjoyed her use of music to foster class icantlatitudein directingthe culturalanaly-
discussion.As a techniquefor encouraging sis, shieldinginstructorsfromcomplaintsof
studentinvolvementand interest in class biasedor limitedmusicalchoices.Theana-
discussion,the illustrativeuse of popular lyticalapproachalsoextendsthe pedagogical
music remains a strong pedagogicalap- value of using music in the classroombe-
proach.However,its limitationsshouldalso yond a relianceon song lyrics by allowing
be noted. Althoughstudentsmakethe links studentsto view musicthroughmultidimen-
between song lyrics and sociologicalcon- sional culturalobjects producedand con-
cepts and theories,if the instructorselects sumed by people embeddedin particular
the songs for specific illustrativepurposes, culturalandsocialcontexts.Finally,the use
studentscan view the music selection as of written assignmentsand small-group
biased (Martinez 1994) and narrow workhelpsto integratemusicintothestruc-
(Walczakand Reuter 1994). More gener- tureof the course.
ally, this approachdepends largely on a "Life,death,sex...Beer,maybe"(Spheer-
considerationof song lyrics, leaving the is 1989).Withthesewords,DaveMustaine,
audio-visualand subculturaldimensionsof leaderof the heavy metalbandMegadeath,
the culturalobjects unexplored(Walczak sums up the essenceof a loud, aggressive,
and Reuter 1994). Finally, as Martinez politicallyincorrectmusic that epitomizes
(1995) suggests,the use of music in sociol- low culture for many Americans.While
ogy classeswouldbenefitfromgreaterinte- hardlyuniqueto heavymetal,theseenduring
gration with other learning experiences, preoccupations, andthe "proudpariah"sta-
such as groupassignmentsand analysis/re- tus of its fans, make this music an ideal
actionpapers. culturalphenomenon for introductory
sociol-
Ratherthanjust using songs to illustrate ogy studentsto analyze.I use heavy metal
sociologicalconceptsandtheories,I propose music because of the prevailingnegative
an approachwherebystudentslearnsociol- stereotypesabout its fans and performers,
ogy as an analyticaltool. In the illustrative andbecauseit is oftenoutrageousandshock-
approach,the music itself, as a cultural ing--guaranteedto evoke strong (usually
object, is not of centralconcernonce stu- negative)feelings and high studentinterest
dentshave graspedthe conceptor theoryit and involvementfrom the outset. Another
illustrates.In contrast, an analyticalap- usefulcharacteristic of this musicfor peda-
proach makes the music an object of socio- gogical purposes is its longevity: heavy
logical inquiry, giving students practice in metal music spans 30 years and has met with
using theoretical, conceptual, and empirical considerable commercial success, maximiz-
tools to make sociological sense of it. This ing the likelihood that students have been
approach offers students a more active- exposed to it. Students can examine heavy
learning experience than the illustrative metal as a music-based subculture. It con-
MUSIC AND CULTURAL ANALYSIS 129

tainsdistinctsymbolicboundariesandmusi- 75-minuteclassmeetings.The culturalanal-

cal conventionsthatnovice cultureanalysts ysis of heavymetalis basedon a conceptual
caneasilygrasp. frameworkthat Griswold(1994) describes
as a "culturaldiamond."Representingthe
ANALYZINGHEAVYMETALMUSIC culturalobject, social world, creator, and
IN INTRODUCTORY SOCIOLOGY receiveras the four cornersof a diamond,
and tracing the six links between them,
Course Organization: Heavy Metal as an providesan heuristicdiagramfor introduc-
Integrative Theme ing the essentialquestionssociologistsask
the
Following suggestions of advocatesof a when studyingculture. Drawingon other
moreinteractiveintroductory I
course, orga- theoretical and methodologicalframeworks
nize my introductionto sociology class for culturalanalysis(Gottdiener1985;Gris-
aroundheavymetalas an integrativetheme, wold 1987; Johnson1986), I alert students
emphasizing depthoverbreadthandpromot- to the sociologicalnatureof culturalobjects
ing active learning.The Appendixoutlines andchallengethemto considerheavymetal
the topicsand readingstypicallycoveredin as theoutcomeof people'sactionin concrete
the course. Insteadof a conventionaltext- social circumstances,ratherthan of some
book, I use shortmonographs,like Charles inevitableprocessof culturalevolution.Swi-
Lemert'sSocial Things(1997), to introduce dler's (1986) metaphorof cultureas a "tool
the practicalrelevanceof sociologicalthink- kit" is also valuable for explaininghow
ing and selected articles from a reader peopleuse culturalobjectsas resourcesfor
(Ferguson 1996) to provide examples of developing "strategiesof action" and for
professional sociological scholarship. As highlightingthe dynamic relationsamong
shown in the Appendix,the course begins individuals,society, materialculture, and
with an introduction to the sociologicalper- non-material culture.
spectivethroughthe interactionist paradigm At the outset of the culturalanalysisof
that culminatesin the analysis of heavy heavymetalmusic,I involvethe studentsby
metal music. In the second part of the askingthemto examinethe visual imagery
course,I addresssociologicaltheory,apply- foundon heavymetalalbumcoversandCD
ing Marxand Durkheim'sideasaboutmod- sleeves.Smallgroupsof studentscollaborate
ern society to heavy metal. In the final to find key visualsymbolsamongthemate-
portionof the course, I refine previously rialsthatI handout in class.' I give students
coveredideasin the contextof severalpress- 15 minutesto familiarizethemselveswith
ing social issues: rationalization, stratifica- these materials,and each groupmustiden-
tion, gender,andrace. Afterits initialintro- tify at least five highly redundantsymbolic
ductionas the objectof culturalanalysis,I elements--typicallyconsistingof the color
use heavy metalas a recurringcase study, black, religious symbols, evil-lookingfig-
which providescontinuityand regularop-
portunitiesfor studentsto expandtheiranal- 'Thesematerials comefrommy owncollec-
ysis of this music using concepts, theories, tionand thecollegeradio musiclibrary.
station's
andresearchthatthe courseintroducesdur- Anadequate of olderheavymetalLPs
collection
ing the semester. canbe compiled quiteinexpensively fromused
recordstores.TheseLPshavetheaddedbenefit
A CulturalAnalysis of Heavy Metal of providing largergraphicsthanCDsor cas-
settes.Whilemorerecentrecordings are less
After several weeks discussing the sociologi- on vinyl,thevastquantity
likelyto be available
cal imaginationand its application by inter- of heavymetalmusicreleased duringthe 1980s
actionist sociologists like Erving Goffman, I and early 1990sand the recentcommercial
lead students through the basic steps of a slumpin heavymetalmusicguarantee theavail-
cultural analysis. This analysis proceeds in abilityof usedCDsandcassettes at reasonable
three phases and requires approximatelytwo prices.
130 TEACHINGSOCIOLOGY
ures, skulls,scantilycladwomen,longhair, 1980s. To introducethe psycho-social vari-
and so on. The hands-onaspectof this first ant,I playexcerptsfromsongsby bandslike
phaseallows studentsto set the agendafor Motorhead(1979), IronMaiden(1982), and
subsequentanalysisso thattheir immediate Black Sabbath(1970), which illustratethis
concernsand questionscan be addressed. brandof classic heavy metal. Meanwhile,
Althoughthe manifestpurposeof this phase the musicof speed, thrash,anddeathmetal
of the analysisis to introducestudentsto a bandslike Megadeath (1994), Slayer(1994),
dimensionof heavymetalmusicthatwe will and Necrosanct(1992) illustratethe darker
subsequentlyseek to explainsociologically, vision of metal in the 1990s. This second
workingin small groups, studentshave a phase of the culturalanalysisdemonstrates
chanceto expresstheir(usuallystrong)opin- that heavy metal is, as Walser(1993) ar-
ions aboutthismusic.In addition,thosewho gues, a discoursein whichvisual,sonic, and
are more familiarwith it can share their lyricaldimensionswork togetherto "speak
insightsandexperiences. to" fansof this music, while simultaneously
The secondphaseof the culturalanalysis expressingtheir lived experiences,fears,
is designed to demonstratethat "cultural hopes, and dreams.I roundout our initial
objectsand the people who create andre- informationsession by showingclips from
ceive them are not floatingfreely, but are the documentary film TheDeclineof West-
anchoredin a particular[social] context" ern Civilization II: The Metal Years
(Griswold1994:14). Througha discussion- (Spheeris1989), which chroniclesLos An-
basedlecture,I mapout the music'shistori- geles' heavy metal scene and the state of
cal and social development,playing brief heavy metal at its commercialpeak in the
tapedexcerpts(abouttwo minutes)of repre- United States. I use some of the film's
sentativesongs to illustrateheavy metal's interviewswith fans and artists,along with
musicalconventionsand lyricalthemes.In- the Megadeathsegmentthatendsthe film, to
corporatingscholarlywork on heavy metal shed additionallight on heavy metal'sdis-
music (Breen 1991; Harrell 1994; Straw courseandthe socialbackground of fansand
1990;Walser1993;Weinstein1991), I draw performers.
a fundamental distinctionbetweenphysical The in-classdiscussionof heavy metalis
andpsycho-socialheavymetalmusic, and I supplementedby informationthat students
describeboth"classic"andsubsequent vari- have foundon the Internet.I ask studentsto
ants of each type. Throughoutthis second exploreWebsitesfor a specificheavymetal
phase, I emphasizethatpower is the defin- artistand to summarizetheir findingsin a
ing conceptin heavy metal. Physicalmetal shortpaper.Theymustincludeprint-outsof
emphasizesmasculine strength, prowess, the relevantmaterialthey uncovered.This
potency,and toughness,while the psycho- assignmentprovidesanotheropportunity for
social themesaddressthe abuse of power, studentsto haveinputintothe culturalanaly-
the potentiallyliberatingpowerof the "dark sis and producesrich informationthatthey
side," and heavy metal as an empowering can sharein class as discussionsensueabout
antidoteto the psychologicalstrainsof mod- the sociologicallyimportantlink between
ern life. Beginningwith the physicaldimen- culturalobjectsandthe socialworld.Partic-
sion, we listen to the music of such metal ularly interestingand useful are the com-
progenitorsas Led Zeppelin (1969) and mentsfromheavymetalfansregardingtheir
early "cock rock" bandslike Deep Purple favoriteartistsandthe artists'reflectionson
(1972) and UFO (1979). I contrast classic their music. This information provides in-
metal, with its British working-class roots sight into the range of meanings circulating
and blue-collar sentiments, with the "lite in the heavy metal discourse and provides
metal" of Extreme (1989), Scorpions additional information on the social back-
(1984), and Ratt (1991), who softened the grounds of the music's creators and re-
metal sound and broadened its appeal in the ceivers. In addition, studentsget a sense that
MUSICAND CULTURALANALYSIS 131

they are unearthingnew information(I de- a "reconstructionof intentionality"or a

scribe it as qualitativedata) and makinga "brief"for a given socialactor,in this case,
uniquecontributionto the class's collective the heavymetalfan. This finalphaseof the
excavationof heavymetal.By the end of the culturalanalysisprovidesstudentswith the
second phase of the culturalanalysis,stu- experienceof takingthe same stepsas pro-
dents have an awarenessof the social and fessionalsociologistswho studyculture.
historicalcircumstances behindthe particu- The culturalanalysisconcludesas students
larsub-typesof heavymetal.Theyalso have test the explanatorypower of theirprofiles
a moreinformedunderstanding of whatthis by returningto the core visualsymbolsthey
music means to artists and fans. At this identifiedearlier. Now they must try to
point, the class is ready to apply their determinethe significanceof heavy metal's
knowledgeof heavy metalto a sociological visual symbolsfor fans of this music. Re-
explanationof the visualsymbolstheyiden- turningto theirsmall groups,studentstake
tifiedat the outset. on the challengeof explainingthe use of one
In the finalphaseof culturalanalysis,the redundantvisual symbolto the rest of the
class focuses on the fans of heavy metal class by sharingtheirindividualfan profiles
musicin an effortto tracethe socialcontexts and using them to determinethe symbol's
within which the fans receive this music. likely relevancewithin heavy metal'scos-
SimplifyingGriswold's(1987)methodologi- mology. This discussionclarifies the con-
cal framework,I ask studentsto developa nectionsbetweenthe visual symbols, sonic
sociological "profile" of an "ideal-type" conventions,and lyrical themes and fans'
heavymetalfan. Studentsdrawon theinfor- "horizon of expectations" (Griswold
mationgatheredfrom our class discussion 1994:83-85), promoting a sociologically
andtheirInternetsearchin orderto develop groundedexplanationof this music. Once
a compositethat will help us explain the they see the correspondence betweentheir
significanceof the centralvisualsymbolsin "ideal-type"heavymetalfan andthe music
heavymetal.Studentsarechargedwith indi- as a culturalobject, studentsrealize that
viduallydevelopinga fan profile using the cultureis like a tool kit, a resourcefrom
formatshownin Figure1. Eachof the four which people choose the "toolsfor living"
dimensionsin this tablecorrespondsto one that help them make sense of their social
of the phasesof "explanation" that,accord- experience.
ing to Griswold,mustbe takeninto account Throughthe initialimmersionin cultural
by the culturalanalyst(p. 26). The outcome analysis,studentslearnthatheavy metalis
of a completedtableis, in Griswold'sterms, more than the mindless music of

Figure1. SociologicalProfileof a HeavyMetalFan

Demographic
Categoriesa SocialGroupsb LocalSensibilityc Social/Cultural
Experienced
Gender: Economic Standing:
Sexual Orientation: Political Power:
Race: CulturalStatus:
Age: Time/Place:
Education: Other:
Occupation:
Other:

"aDemographic Categories:What is the basic social location of the "ideal-type"heavy metal fan?
bSocialGroups:With what human groups, organizations,and associationsis the heavy metal fan likely
to be involved?
"cLocalSensibility: To what kinds of values, beliefs, ideals, and folkways is the heavy metal fan
committed?
dSocial/CulturalExperience:At a more general level, where does the heavy metal fan "fit"into society
at large?
132 TEACHINGSOCIOLOGY
"disaffectedlosers"(a commonresponsein providesopportunitiesfor active learning.
phaseone). Rather,theybeginto understand Each application,highlightedin the Ap-
thismusicas a culturaladaptation toparticu- pendix,uses heavymetalas a case studyto
lar social circumstances,a point driven whichstudentscan applyconcepts,theories,
home in Gaines' (1991) ethnographicac- and research.In each case, playingaddi-
countof the lives of the heavy metal-loving tional song excerptsand examininglyrics
"burnouts" of Bergenfield,New Jersey(see (passedout in class)andvisuals(CD sleeves
Appendix, section I). As one studentcom- and album covers) stimulateclass discus-
mentedin her writeup on IronMaidenWeb sion. I also incorporate materialgatheredby
sites: students in their Internet assignmentanduse
video footage and written assignmentsto
I alwaysassumed thatheavymetalmusichad keep them actively involved in expanding
no realvalueandwas only for peoplewho the aforementioned culturalanalysis.Each
dropped outof highschoolandhadnoambition time studentsreturnto the analysisof heavy
to succeedin life. Listeningto thoseclipsyou the is to advancetheirunder-
played in class made me start to rethinkmy metal, of goal metal'sform and content
andvisitingthe websitesonlyrein- standing heavy
attitude,
forcedthatchange. as a culturalobjectby examiningthe links
between the four corners of the cultural
Once studentscome to appreciateheavy diamondfromdifferenttheoretical,concep-
metal'sculturalsignificanceas "something tual, and empiricalangles. In the process,
that tells you where you came from and studentsgain a deeperunderstanding of the-
whereyou'regoing; a force thatnourishes, ories, concepts,and researchbecausethey
must applythemto heavy metalmusic and
heals, impartslife-wisdom,enrichesone's
innerlife, sensitizesthe humanspirit, and can considertheirutilityfor themselves.
Theoretical headbanging: Marx and
generallymakes life habitable"(Reynolds
Durkheim takeon heavymetal.WouldKarl
1997:109),theyarereadyto applysociolog-
ical ideasto expandthis culturalanalysisin Marx and Emile Durkheimhave been fans
newdirections.Whilethe culturalanalysisis of heavy metal music? When introducing
classical theory in the introductory course,I
pivotalto the course, studentsmustunder- students a sense of the historical
standthatthis approachis neitherrepresen- try to give
tativeof sociologyas a discipline,nor is it rootsof the MarxistandDurkheimian tradi-
the only way thatsociologistsstudyculture. tions and demonstrate the continued rele-
vance of a concept that lies at the heart of
Organizingthe class aroundtopicsandread- alienation and anomie. In the
each theory:
ings thatrepresentsociology'smethodologi- I linka discussionof students'
cal, theoretical,and topical diversity and caseof Marx,
integratingdiscussionsand illustrationsof
own alienatingwork experiencesto expres-
otherways to studyculture-such as semi- sions of angerandfrustration foundin heavy
metal music. In much psycho-social heavy
otics, ritualanalysis,ethnography, andorga-
nizationalstudies-ensuresthatstudentsare metal music, this rage is often directed atthe
introducedto the discipline and able to powerful, whose greed and hypocrisy are
thistypeof culturalanalysis. blamed for social injustice. Sometimes these
appreciate
critiquesareaimedsquarelyat capitalism,as
in Queensryche's"Spreadingthe Disease"
Expandingthe CulturalAnalysisof Heavy
Metal:ApplyingSociologicalIdeas (1988):
The culturalanalysis described above serves
as a foundation for subsequent integrations Religionandsex arepowerplays
Manipulate thepeoplefor themoneytheypay
of heavy metal during the remainder of the Sellingskin,sellingGod
course. This section offers some examples The numberslook the same on their credit
of how the cultural analysis of heavy metal cards
music serves as a unifying course theme and Politicianssay no to drugs
MUSICAND CULTURALANALYSIS 133
Whilewe payfor warsin SouthAmerica to be the sign of the devil), and swaying
Fightingfire withemptywords together in unison. In light of the subsequent
Whilethebanksget fat structural breakdown in Russia and ethnic
Andthepoorstaypoor conflicts springing up across the former
Andtherichget rich
Soviet Union, heavy metal in this context
Andthecopsget paidto lookaway
As theone percentrulesAmerica offers a particularly salient case study for
discussing Durkheim's concern with con-
Faith No More's "War Pigs" (1989) and taining anomie and reinforcing social bonds
in modern societies. For students learning
Rage Against the Machine's leftist melding
of metal and rap (1992, 1996) also take aim about sociological theory for the first time,
at the same targets as Marx (the inside cover the opportunityto apply these new ideas to
of their Evil Empire album even features a understandan increasingly familiar cultural
makes Marx and Durkheim'sanalyses
collage of leftist tomes). The subsequent object
discussion centers on the degree to which of modernity more relevant and prepares
such social criticism parallels that of Marx them to appreciate each tradition'slegacy in
and whether this music has the potential to contemporary sociological scholarship.
combat false consciousness. Reconsidering Cultural inversions of power by thepow-
erless. Beginning with stratification, each
heavy metal in light of Marx's theory helps
students question heavy metal's unrelenting topic in the final section of the course
includes an application of theory, concepts,
cynicism and fatalism. It also helps students
and research to heavy metal music. I focus
explore the reasons that these themes res-
onate with people who feel acutely alienated my coverage of stratification,on poverty,
and drawn to music that rages against the using ethnographic studies by Anderson
"powersthat be." (1990), Duneier (1992), and McLeod
I begin the discussion of Durkheim by (1987), to help students see how structural
economic deprivation affects individuals at
asking students whether heavy metal might
the level of habitus. In different ways, each
serve to guard against anomie in modem
of these studies shows how people cope with
society. Songs like AC/DC's "For Those
About to Rock" (1981), Saxon's "Rockin' or resist class (and race) discrimination
deviant strategies based on inver-
Again" (1985), and Judas Priest's "United" through
(1980) can serve as examples of the way sions of the dominant culture: McLeod's
turn to drugs and crime;
heavy metal music evokes feelings of be- "HallwayHangers"
the inner-city African Americans studied by
longing and sharedcommitmentto the music
and its performers. Heavy metal concerts Anderson learn the often violent, "code of
further emphasize this collective feeling, the streets;" and the "sitting buddies" ob-
described by Weinstein (1991) as served by Duneier carve out a culture of
mutual respect in the midst of this street
community-building rituals. A series of
metal concerts held in the former culture. Heavy metal music, as a cultural
heavy
Soviet Union in the early 1990s provides a resource of the relatively powerless, also
features symbolic inversions, particularlyof
particularlyvivid case of this unifying func-
tion. A clip of AC/DC performing "For the sources of power. Discussing death
Those About to Rock" (Isham 1991) at a metal, Harrell (1994) explains:
huge outdoor concert in Moscow makes a
Poweris afterall largelya matterof position-
poignant point about the bond that unites
ing. And the way thatrockmusicin general,
heavy metal fans and performers. During anddeathmetalin particular, placesthegroup,
this clip, the camera pans the jubilant audi- the fan, and the ideologyin oppositionto the
ence who celebrates its newfound cultural entrenched valuesof society...servesto elevate
freedom, embodied in heavy metal music, the metalheadto a positionof moralsuperior-
by singing along, pumping fists in the air, ity....Embracing symbols,attitudes,andterms
giving the metal salute (considered by some that many traditionallyregardto be "of the
134 TEACHINGSOCIOLOGY
powersof evil" is also an empoweringtech- songs by death metal bands such as Brutal
niquesinceit revolvesaroundboldexploration Truth's "Regression/Progression" (1992)
ratherthanfearof culturalevils.(P. 101) and "PlanetGraveyard"by Deceased (1992)
dwell on the environmental, social, and
Heavy metal's fixation on evil can be under- psychological devastation wrought by
stood as a condemnation of legitimate
modernity, while Metallica's ironicallytitled
sources of power that may oppress and "...and Justice for All"
(1988) describes the
alienate heavy metal fans. Given heavy irrationalside of formal
rationality:
metal's popularity among less affluent
youth, the dark side of heavy metal can now Justiceis lost,justiceis raped,justiceis gone
be explored as a way for the disaffected to Pullingyourstrings,justiceis done
strike out against society by symbolically Seekingno truth,winningis all
inverting what the mainstreamholds sacred, Findit so grim,so true,so real
a process described by Weinstein (1991) as Lady justicehasbeenraped-Truthassassin
"transvaluation"(p. 262). Listening to songs Rolls of redtapesealyourlips
like AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" (1979), Now you're donein
Slayer's "Hell Awaits" (1985), or Judas
Priest's "Touchof Evil" (1990) andreexam- Weber's metaphorof the iron cage is also
reflected in the common heavy metal theme
ining the visual representations of evil in
of the rebellious individual'sstruggle against
heavy metal, with an understandingof the
effects of powerlessness and economic de- a repressive social order, such as those
depicted on concept albums like Queen-
privation on people's lived experience, is a
sryche's Operation Mindcrime (1988) and
powerful catalyst for discussing the ways
structural inequality shapes heavy metal's Rush's 2112 (1976). Applying Weber's and
discourse and the cultural tool kits available Ritzer's theories to heavy metal reveals an
to lower-income people. important sociological side of heavy metal's
discourse, which questions the supremacyof
Heavymetal and the iron cage of ratio- industrial
nality. Heavy metal's inversion of good and society and exposes the dark side
of modernity. The parallels between the
evil parallels the music's criticism of the
institutionsof modern society. Many heavy ideas of social theorists and heavy metal
artists help students understand that heavy
metal artists express the pessimistic view
metal is not just "mindless rebellion" or
that society is out of control and that the
inherent logic of "the system" threatens music for "troubled kids," and that the form
individualfreedom. To highlight this dimen- and content of this music require sociologi-
cal explanations.
sion, I ask studentsto apply Weber's analy-
sis of rationalization and Ritzer's (1996) Hot chicks, baby girls, and she-devils:
critique of "McDonaldization"to the music.
Sex, genderroles, and heavymetal.Depic-
The graphics on many heavy metal albums tions of women in heavy metal music are
represent the tension between techno-
almost universally sexist and in some cases
rationalmodernityand humanity. For exam- misogynous. Women are representedas one-
dimensional sex objects, the embodimentof
ple, the artworkon UFO's Obsession (1978)
album vividly contrasts individuality and evil, or childlike virgins. To broach the
I ask students to
bureaucraticconformity, while Sepultura's topic of gender roles,
Chaos A.D. album (1993) depicts a descent consider possible reasons for heavy metal's
generally derogatory depiction of women.
into a mechanical/organichell. The blurring
of nature and technology is depicted on the Typically, some students (usually male) for-
mulate a defense of the music on the
cover of Judas Priest's Painkiller (1990),
while the faceless dwellers of a bleak grounds that it reflects either natural or
social differences between the sexes, or it is
metropolis are featured on Sacred Reich's
"harmless entertainment," while others
Independent album (1993). In addition,
(usually female) condemn this aspect of the
MUSICANDCULTURAL
ANALYSIS 135
music as degradingand stereotypical.This differencedue largelyto racialstereotyping.
spirited discussion leads to the two-part Instructorscan use this connectionto show
question:Howandwhy arewomenandmen how race often overridesclass status.Ac-
socially differentiatedin our society, and cordingto FeaginandSikes(1994), middle-
how mighta culturalobjectlike heavymetal class AfricanAmericanscan not alwaysuse
musicprovidea culturalresourcefor learn- their class to avoid racial discrimination,
ing and practicinggenderroles? Examples while heavy metal'sracialassociationwith
of heavy metal's constructionof sexuality whitenesselevates it above rap music in
and gender roles can help studentsthink mainstream mediadiscourse.At thispoint,I
aboutthe "functionality" of differentialmale do not returnto heavymetalmusic. Rather,
and femalegendersocializationundercur- I highlightsome of the similaritiesbetween
rentsocialandeconomicconditions. rap and heavy metal, focusingparticularly
Useful songs for this topic includeGuns on the marginalsociallocationof traditional
N' Roses' "SweetChild O' Mine"(1987), creatorsand receivers,recognizingthatthe
wherethe womanin questionis a virginal, commercialization of both genres has in-
childlike being and W.A.S.P.'s "Ball- volved a diversificationof artistsandaudi-
crusher"(1985), which depicts women as ence, andthe obsessionwithpower.Playing
emasculatingnymphomaniacs.Sexualityis excerptsof rap songs thatparallelsome of
similarlysimplifiedandequatedwithmales' the centralthemesin heavymetalis a useful
physical dominationand objectificationof way to introducethisconnectionbetweenthe
women, as in AC/DC's "Let Me Put My two culturalobjects. Too Short's "I Ain't
Love Into You" (1980), or Motley Crue's Nothin' But a Dog" (1992) offers sexist
"She Goes Down" (1989). Accordingto depictionsof women. "Amerikkka'sMost
Weinstein(1991), "Whatheavy metaltakes Wanted"(1990) by "gangsterrapper"Ice
seriouslyis power" (p. 35). The struggle Cube illustratesrap'stransvaluation of vio-
over the "secondshift" work in the dual- lence and justice, and Public Enemy's
income families studied by Hochschild "Fightthe Power"(1990)revealsrap'sradi-
(1989)exemplifiesa powerstrugglebetween cal critiqueof the whitepowerstructure.
men and womenthathelps studentsunder- The object in this final section of the
stand why heavy metal music empowers courseis notto embarkon an analysisof the
males at the expenseof women. Concepts rap genre, but to show that similarsocial
from Hochscild'sstudy, like "genderstrat- forces are responsiblefor bothheavy metal
egy" andpower"balancing," canbe applied andrap,andthatbothcanbe conceptualized
to heavy metalto help revealhow themu- andstudiedas typesof oppositionalorresis-
of womenandsexuality
sic's representations tantculture.As Martinez(1997)asserts,rap
relateto adolescentgendersocializationand can be understoodas a "validand strident
men'sresistanceto changinggenderrolesin form of oppositionalculturalexpression"
the faceof socio-economicrestructuring. where "raplyrics narratea bitingdistrust,
Menaceto society:Heavymetal,rap, and disillusionment with, and critiqueof major
race. An interestingrelationshipexists be- societal institutionsand government"(p.
tween heavy metal and rap music. Both 279). Indeed, heavy metal and rap allow
music genreshave a similarlylow cultural fans to symbolicallyexpress resistanceto
status(Bryson1996)andare populartargets dominantcultural forms, ideologies, and
of moral crusaders(Garofalo 1997), yet identities:a process wherebymarginalized
heavy metal is associated with whites and people-such as the working-class, women,
rap with African Americans. According to and gay and lesbian youth---use music and
Binder's (1993) analysis of media depictions other signifying practices to make "noise"
of the two genres in the United States, rap (Hebdige 1979:133) that challenges society's
music is framed as a greater cultural threat symbolic order (Fuchs 1998; Redhead 1997;
to mainstream society than heavy metal, a Wald 1998).
136 TEACHING SOCIOLOGY

WrittenAssignments modelfor instructors interestedin usingthis

In additionto the Web search described music in their teachingand for those who
earlier, I use two written assignmentsto wish to have studentsanalyzeother music
encouragestudentsto expandour collective genres.In this finalsection,I addressappli-
culturalanalysison theirown terms. First, cations of this model and discuss student
at the end of the theorysection,I introduce responsesto my use of musicanalysisin the
Robert Merton's functional approach classroom.
through an exercise described by Levin
(1994:94-97). After giving them time to Applications
practicethis approachin smallgroups,I ask The implementation of the culturalanalysis
studentsindividuallyto conducta functional of musicraisesconcernsregardingtheappli-
analysisof heavymetalmusic and writean cationof this modelandthe typesof classes
essay.Theymustdiscusswhetheror not this that would benefit from this technique.
musicis functionalfor our societyandvari- First, using the referencescited, especially
ous functionalalternatives thatmighttakeits Weinstein's(1991) sociologicalsurvey,in-
place. This assignment allows studentsto structorscaneasilyacquaintthemselveswith
createtheirown theories(they are typically the social and historical backgroundof
anxiousto do this) as they systematically heavy metal music in order to put audio-
considerthe interaction of cultureandsocial visual examplesinto a sociologicalcontext
structures.Second,duringour discussionof for students.In fact, instructors canuse their
genderroles, I ask students to view Dream- relative ignorance about the music it-
worlds2: Desire, Sex, and Powerin Music self---the expertiseof the dedicatedmetal
Video(Jhally1995)andto writea reflective fan is neither necessarynor desirableto
essayon theirownuse of musicas a cultural implementthis model--to encouragestu-
tool for developinga repertoirefor "doing dentsto takethe lead in the actualanalysis,
gender"(WestandZimmerman1987). This while guiding studentstowardsociological
film examinesthe semioticsof music video explanationsof this music. However,a suc-
channels,arguingthatmusicvideospromote cessfulintegrationof the heavymetalanaly-
a dangerouslynarrowrange of sexuality. sis into an introductory coursedoes require
This topic has clear relevance given our a workingknowledgeof the music.Instruc-
classdiscussionof heavymetal'srepresenta- tors need to be familiarenoughwith heavy
tions of women and sex. This effective metalto leadstudentanalyststowardtenable
assignmenthelps studentslook beyondtheir conclusions.They must convince students
commonsenseexplanations for theirmusical that they are not ignorantof heavy metal
preferences.They often express consider- music. In short, the success of the heavy
able surprise, and sometimesembarrass- metalanalysisdependsas much on instruc-
ment,whenthey reflecton music'spossible tors' opennessto an interactiveclassroom
influenceon reinforcinggender strategies environmentand their ability to make the
thatcontradicttheirespousedgenderideolo- sociologicalimaginationreal to students,as
gies (see Hochschild1989). on theirexpertiseregardingthe music.
who areunwillingor unableto
Instructors
USINGA CULTURALANALYSISOF integratea heavy metal analysisinto their
MUSICTO TEACHSOCIOLOGY introductorycoursesto the degreedescribed
above might consider implementing a
Using heavy metal as an example, I have scaled-down version of the model. These
shown how music can demonstratecultural instructorscould reduce the number of cor-
analysis and be used as a case study for ners and links in the cultural diamondstud-
applying sociological ideas. In detailing how ied in the initial cultural analysis. For in-
I integratea culturalanalysis of heavy metal stance, this analysis could be confined to
music into my introductoryclass, I offer a textual analysis, exploration of the fan sub-
MUSICAND CULTURALANALYSIS 137
culture, or considerationof heavy metal's tory class, a culturalanalysisof music is
historicaldevelopment.A second approach appropriatefor larger classes. In large
would involve reducingthe numberof sub- classes, song excerptscan still be played
sequentapplicationsof the culturalanalysis, duringclass, but visualimagesmay need to
such as using it only to introducethe major be projectedusing slides or computerpre-
sociologicalparadigms.While the former sentationsoftware.Studentsin largerclasses
approachallowsfor significantreductionof may also benefitfromgreateruse of written
the culturalanalysis,it reproducestheprob- assignmentsandlisteningsessionsoutsideof
lems inherentin one-dimensionalcultural class (recordingsplacedon libraryreserve).
analyses (see Gottdiener1985; Griswold This will help to keep themengagedin the
1987). The latterapproachretainsthecom- culturalanalysis,since, withoutdiscussion
pleteculturalanalysis,butcurtailsthesubse- sections,participation in collaborativeanaly-
quentapplicationand elaboration,reducing sis maybe limited.
the scopeof ideasmarshaledto makesocio- Othertopics commonlycoveredin intro-
logicalsenseof heavymetal. ductorycoursescan also be used to explain
Instructorswho seek to integratemusic heavymetal.Forexample,the application of
intotheirclasses,butprefernot to use heavy key sociologicalideas to differentdimen-
metal, can adapt the culturalanalysis to sions of societycan be exploredthroughthe
othermusicgenres,particularlythoseasso- heavymetalanalysis.A sectionon deviance
ciatedwithcontemporary youthsubcultures. mightapplyBecker's(1963) workon moral
Whilethey may lack some of thepedagogi- entrepreneurs to understanding how heavy
cal advantagesof heavy metal, genres like metalbecamethe targetof a symboliccru-
rap,punk,techno,andvarioustypesof rock sade by the ParentsMusicResourceCenter
musiccertainlyprovidevivid commentaries (P.M.R.C.) and conservative religious
on the dimensionsof (post)modernlife that groups duringthe 1980s. Coverageof the
introductory classes commonly cover. political-economy couldincludeanexamina-
Thanksto a growinginterdisciplinary litera- tion of heavy metal's discourseon power
tureon popularmusic,anda proliferation of using insightsfrom class-, state-, andelite-
musicWeb sites on the Internet,instructors orientedapproaches.It might also include
can easilylearnenoughabouta musicgenre comparisons to representations of the plural-
to allow them to assemblethe music and ist perspectiveon power, politics, andin-
visualmaterialsneededto conducta cultural equalityfoundin mainstream pop andcoun-
analysis in class. Sociologically oriented try music. Finally,heavy metal could help
books have been writtenon music ranging introducesociologicalwork on family and
fromrap(Kelley1994;Rose 1994)andpunk religionby askingstudentsto considerthe
(Laing 1985; Savage 1992) to progressive widerimplicationsof socialrituals.Building
(Macan1997) and alternative(Felder 1993) on Levy's (1992) techniquefor teaching
rock, and techno/rave music (Thornton aboutfamilyrituals,studentscouldexamine
1996). Since the proposedmodel forteach- the concerthall alongsidethe dinnertableor
ing sociologythrougha culturalanalysisof churchas a site of ritualperformance.
popularmusic relies heavily on studentin- While introductorysociology lends itself
volvement, instructors
should carefully con- especiallywell to the integrationof a music
sidertheirchoice of music genre to ensure analysis,this approachcould be appliedin
students'interest. courses on social theory, social problems,
A second issue concerns the applicationof and race, class, and gender where stimulat-
the culturalanalysis model to differentintro- ing sociological thinking for application to
ductory class formats and other sociology contemporaryissues remains a prime objec-
courses, and how studentcomposition might tive. My experiences using variationson this
effect its implementation. Although I typi- approachin other courses, and the literature
cally have 20 to 30 students in an introduc- on the use of music to illustrateconcepts and
138 TEACHINGSOCIOLOGY
theories, suggest that an analyticaluse of may be the case in more ethnicallydiverse
music is a successfulpedagogicaltool in classes,it is likelythattheywill haveat least
these contexts.I employa culturalanalysis a stereotypicalview of the music and its
model in my culturalstudiescourse, where audience,thanksto high-profilemediacov-
progressiverock music serves as a vehicle erage of the music's alleged associations
for introducing andapplyingconcepts,theo- withteen suicideandSatanism.In my expe-
ries, anddebateswithinthislivelyinterdisci- rience, the most "metal-illiterate" students'
plinaryterrain.While facilitywith cultural curiosityusuallymotivatesthe culturalanal-
studies'analyticaltools is a key objectivein ysis, particularly once they get beyondtheir
this course,the formatis similarto the one commonsense understanding of this music
usedin introductory sociology:studentscon- andits fans.
ductan initialculturalanalysisthatincreases
in sophisticationas the instructorintroduces StudentResponsesto Heavy Metal in the
new concepts,theories, and research.My Classroom
sociologicaltheorycourse featuresa more Studentresponsesto my use of heavymetal
modestculturalanalysis.Drawingon Mar- in introductoryclasses over the last five
tin's (1995) applicationof sociologicaltheo- years suggest that the cultural analysis
ries to popularmusic, the class analyzes model is highly effective as an integrative
PinkFloyd'sDarkSide of the Moon(1973) theme in the interactiveclassroom.Course
albumusing the ideas of variousclassical evaluationsoffer anecdotalevidencethatthe
and contemporarytheorists.While I have culturalanalysisapproachis popularwith
not applied the model in this context, a the majorityof students,promotesactive
culturalanalysisof music may be particu- learning,and facilitatesa clearunderstand-
larly well-suitedfor use in courseson gen- ing of sociologicalideasandtheirapplicabil-
der and sexuality.As Reynoldsand Press ity to contemporarysocial issues. First,
(1995) remindus, popularWesternmusic studentsconsistentlymentionhow interest-
never straystoo far from sex and women, ing andengagingthey find the heavy metal
makinga wide rangeof music genresfruit- analysisandhow it helps themto relateto
ful targetsof analysiswhen teachingtopics sociologicalperspectivesand ideas, even if
like feminism,gender roles, and violence theywereunfamiliarwiththe music:
againstwomen.
The majorityof studentsin my classesare It wasaninteresting approach to thetopicswe
were learning about because we couldrelateto
white, manycome from ruralbackgrounds, it.
and many are first-generation college stu-
dents. A growing minorityare returning, I likedand it. I'mnota fanmyself,but
enjoyed
"nontraditional" students.Theirexposureto it has been very interesting to explorethe
heavy metal music throughtheir children, worldof heavymetal.
andthroughtheirownexperiencesasadoles-
centsin the 1970sand 1980s, oftenprovides I thinkit's a refreshing changeof pace.[The
an interestingcontrastto thatof the younger music] is also disturbing.
students.The troikaof geography,race, and
classmakesit likelythatmoststudentsin my A refreshingway to learnaboutsociety and
subcultures withoutyournosein a book.
introductorycourse are somewhatfamiliar
with heavy metalmusic, thoughfew admit It wasa goodwayto makesociologyveryeasy
to being fans. However, student knowledge to relateto.
about the music is not necessary because the
analysis is designed to inform them about I loved it! It was exciting,woke me up, and
the music from a sociological point of view. connectedwell withtheconcepts.
Even if heavy metal has not been an imme-
diate partof students'culturalexperience, as Second, students indicate that the cultural
MUSICAND CULTURALANALYSIS 139
analysis helps them develop a sociological becamemoreapparentas we startedapplying
understandingof this music and culture in the conceptsto it.
general. As many contributors to Teaching
I enjoyhavingone topicto relateideasbackto.
Sociology have noted, a vital task in sociol- It helps me gain a clearerunderstanding. I
ogy courses is to "make strange" students' thinkmusic(musicassociatedwithyoungpeo-
familiar environment, allowing them to see
ple) was a goodchoice.
things more sociologically. Students fre-
quently describe how the cultural analysis of I like puttingthe theoriesto work, or using
heavy metal revealed this cultural phe- them in some context that I am, at least
nomenon in a whole new light: vaguely, familiarwith. It also broughtMarx
and Durkheimand Weber's ideas into the
[The analysis]helpedbecauseit dealt with a present.
typeof musicI'm so unfamiliar withthatI was
used to stereotypingit, but I have different The most direct feedback from studentson
viewsnow. my use of music comes during the initial
cultural analysis. The enthusiasm of most
It helpedto show thatthese peopleare alien- students increases
atedandthattheyarenotas crazyas we might out the dramaticallyonce I hand
heavy metal materials for their pre-
think. I not only learnedhow to do cultural
sustain this level of
analysis, I also learnedthat things are not liminary analysis. They
enthusiasm throughout this section of the
alwayswhattheyseem.
course, which is indicatedby the high level
I thinkit fits [intothe course]great!It's better of involvement in class discussion, the num-
thansittingandstereotyping groupsthatpeople ber and quality of questions raised, and
will get offendedby. frequent dialogue among students. The ma-
jority of studentshold strong opinions about
I thoughtit was an interestingway to learn
heavy metal music, which helps them to
aboutwhy people belong to the groupsthat
quickly overcome the preconceptionthat the
theybelongto. instructor has a monopoly on sociological
I thoughtthat heavy metalput an interesting knowledge. Spontaneous debates about the
twist into the class because I never really meaning of visual symbols and lyrics, the
thoughtaboutwhy artistsmightdo whatthey distinctions between "good" and "bad"
do andwhateffectsit has. metal, and stereotypes about "metalheads"
often draw in previously reserved students
[Theanalysis]showedhow to pick a partof a and help to convince the skeptics that sociol-
cultureby lookingat the [fan's] surroundings
ogy may actually have some relevance to
andinfluences.
their lives. Studentsget especially engrossed
After understanding an "ideal type" heavy while listening to the music, tapping their
metalfanI was ableto do a culturalanalysisof feet, singing along, and reacting vocally and
heavymetalmusic. physically to songs they do or do not enjoy.
These spontaneous responses provide me
Finally, studentscomment on the value of with grist for subsequentdiscussion because
using sociological concepts, theories, and I can call on individual studentsto elaborate
researchto analyze heavy metal. on their response to a particularsong, and
the class can discuss the possible reasons for
Theexerciseswereveryhelpfulandgaveme a people's different reactions to the same mu-
firmgraspon sociologicalculturalanalysis. sic. This is particularlyimportantbecause it
provides me with an opportunityto reiterate
Heavy metal gave me somethingtangibleto how "history" and "biography"interact to
thinkof andstudy.I do not carefor the music
shape musical tastes and the ways individu-
itself, butI thinkit was helpfulin understand- als
interpretheavy metal music and lyrics,
ing andrelatingthe conceptsdiscussed.[This]
140 TEACHINGSOCIOLOGY
which serves as an introduction to the fan students have developed quite sophisticated
profile that caps the analysis. sociological explanations of heavy metal,
The only consistent critical feedback I bringing up many of the same points made
have received comes from a few students by scholars who have studied heavy metal
who question the narrow range of music professionally.
used in the class. Some students think that I Conducting a detailed cultural analysis of
go "overboard"with the heavy metal analy- heavy metal and integratingthis case study
sis and would prefer that we analyze a wider into the format of an introductorysociology
range of music and culturalobjects. I seek to course, takes the use of music in the class-
minimize this sentiment through the written room beyond its common use as an illustra-
assignmentwhere studentsdiscuss their own tive tool. Based on student evaluations of
music preferences and by encouragingstu- their illustrative use of song lyrics in an
dents to compare other music genres with introductory sociology class, Walczak and
heavy metal as we go through the various Reuter (1994) conclude that in futureclasses
applications. Student comments about the they "will move beyond the simple matching
limitations of my selection of songs occa- of lyrics to concepts, and will ask studentsto
sionally emerge, but because we are work- think more critically about the music itself,
ing with one music genre, this is less of a its cultural context, the political agenda of
problem than an indication that they are the performers and writers, and other
thinking more deeply about the music and points" (p. 268). Following up on these
the connections and contradictions between recommendations,I have developed a model
heavy metal subtypes. The model is flexible that significantly expands the possibilities of
enough to allow students to bring in music using music in sociology courses. In my
they feel may contributeto our analysis, and experience, asking students to conduct a
I can updatemy song illustrationsto keep up cultural analysis of music keeps them ac-
with the evolution of heavy metal. tively involved in the learning process, in-
It is also worth noting the few minor creasing the likelihood that they will realize
difficulties that I routinely experience when the practicalvalue of sociology as a tool for
using this model. Perhaps the most signifi- living. The culturalanalysis model described
cant challenge is persuading some students in this article adds music to the repertoireof
to take the analysis of heavy metal seriously teaching tools available for developing inter-
as a pivotal learning experience in the active introductorycourses.
course, ratherthan as an amusing diversion.
This attitudeusually subsides as we expand APPENDIX.COURSESYLLABUSFOR
the analysis using sociological ideas because INTRODUCTIONTO SOCIOLOGY
students begin to realize that analyzing
I. SOCIOLOGICAL THINKING
heavy metal helps them to learn the course A. TheSociologicalImagination
material. Some students also have an initial
Chapter1:ImaginingSocial
(ST) Introduction,
aversion to the fan profile, which they com- andChapter2: Personal
Things,Competently,
plain will promote the stereotypingof heavy Courage and Practical Sociologies
metal fans. This provides a golden opportu- (MSL)C. WrightMills:ThePromise
nity to review the differences between (MSL) Donna Gaines: Teenage Wasteland.
stereotypical and sociological thinking, and Suburbia'sDeadEndKids
given students' frequent use of stereotypes, (MSL) KathrynMarie Dudley:Dollars and
strengthensthe case for a sociological analy- Diplomas
B. Socialization
andInteraction
sis of heavy metal. Typically, once we get
(ST) Chapter3: Practicingthe Disciplineof
through the first application of Marx and Social Things
Durkheim to heavy metal, the majority of (MSL) Gwynne Dyer:Anyone's Son WillDo
students understand the logic of cultural (MSL) Robert Granfield:Making It by Faking
analysis. By the end of the course, many It. Working-ClassStudents in an Elite Aca-
MUSICAND CULTURALANALYSIS 141
demic Environment Metal]
C. Cultural Analysis: Subcultures and Socio- (ST) Chapter 10: Well-MeasuredLives in a
logical Visions [ASSIGNMENT: Internet WorldofDifferences
Search] (MSL) Lillian Rubin: Is This a WhiteCountry
(MSL) William Lewis: The Rastafari: Emer- or What?
gence of a Subculture (MSL) Joe Feagin and Melvin Sikes: Navigat-
(MSL) JamesR. Curtis:Miami's LittleHavana: ing Public Places
YardShrines, Cult Religion, Catholicism, and
Santeria REFERENCES
II. SOCIOLOGICALTRADITIONS
A. Classical Sociology: Cracks in the Thin Ice Anderson, Elijah. 1990. Streetwise:Race, Class,
of Modem Life [APPLICATION:Marx and and Changein an Urban Community.Chicago,
Durkheim] IL: Universityof Chicago Press.
(ST) Chapter4: Lost Worldsand ModernSoci- Barger, George W. 1987. "IntroductorySociol-
ology, Chapter5: Sociology and the New World ogy as a Study of Modernization." Teaching
Order:1848-1920 Sociology 15:88-91.
(MSL) Karl Marx and FriedrichEngels: Mani- Becker, Howard. 1963. Outsiders:Studies in the
festo of the CommunistParty Sociology of Deviance. New York: The Free
B. TwentiethCenturySociology: Science, Poli- Press.
tics, and Social Change[ASSIGNMENT:Func- Binder, Ann. 1993. "Constructing Racial
tional Analysis] Rhetoric:Media Depictions of Harm in Heavy
(ST) Chapter6: Sociology Becomes the Science Metal and Rap Music." AmericanSociological
of WorldlyStructures:1920-1960 Review 58:753-67.
(ST) Chapter7: Sociology Discovers Its Com- Bonomo, Thomas A. 1987. "HumanisticAppli-
plicated Vocation cation of Network News." Teaching Sociology
(MSL) HerbertGans: The Uses of Poverty: The 15:33-37.
Poor Pay All Breen, Marcus. 1991. "A Stairwayto Heaven or
III. SOCIOLOGICALRESEARCH a Highway to Hell? Heavy Metal Rock Music
(MSL) Mitchell Duneier:Slim's Table in the 1990s." CulturalStudies5:191-203.
(MSL) Robin Leidner:Over The Counter:Mc- Brouillette, John B. and Ronny E. Turner. 1992.
Donald 's
"Creatingthe Sociological Imaginationon the
IV. SOCIALSTRUCTURES First Day of Class: The Social Constructionof
A. Stratification: Race and Poverty Deviance." TeachingSociology 20:276-79.
[APPLICATION:Cultural Inversion/Transval- Bryson, Bethany. 1996. "Anything but Heavy
uation] Metal: Symbolic Exclusion and Musical Dis-
(MSL) Elijah Anderson: The Code of the likes." American Sociological Review 5:884-
Streets 99.
B. Modem Social Structures:Rationalization Burns, Thomas J. and Theresa Martinez. 1993.
and McDonaldization[APPLICATION:Weber
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the Machine. Sony Music International. at JohnsonStateCollege.In additionto introductory
Rage Against the Machine. 1996. Evil Empire. sociology,he teachescoursesin massmedia,political
Sony Music International. sociology, and social theory. His currentresearch
focuseson organizational culturesin the commercial
Ratt. 1991. "Lovin' You's a Dirty Job." Ratt and
radioindustry.
Roll 8191. Atlantic Records.