The Commodification of Music: Performative Dimensions
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Date
2023
Authors
Lihus, Mariia
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Abstract
The article focuses on the phenomenon of the commodification of culture that is analyzed through the prism of the art of music. The premodern, mechanical, electronic, and digital stages of the commodification of music are defined and discussed. The article demonstrates the narrowness of the critical theory approach in considering the commodification of culture as a threat to the cultural value of art. The phenomenon of commodification is reinterpreted from the perspective of cultural sociology. In particular, based on the ideas of J. C. Alexander’s strong program in cultural sociology, the performative dimensions of communication concerning cultural objects as commodities are considered. Such theoretical framework enables to justify the contextuality of the artwork’s “aura” and its sociocultural value as a collectively created meaning in the process of performance communication. The research demonstrates that commodification creates new opportunities for the performative success of cultural communication widening its contexts. At the same time, it is emphasized that commodification may lead to the degradation of the sociocultural value of musical compositions in case of the audience’s passivity in musical performances.
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Keywords
commodification, music, aura, performance, value, cultural sociology, article
Citation
Lihus M. The Commodification of Music: Performative Dimensions / Mariia Lihus // Agathos: An International Review of the Humanities and Social Sciences. - 2023. - Vol. 14, Issue 1. - P. 139-150.