Gender, Race, and Violence in Country Music
TDM 197CM
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
In this course, students will confront how themes of violence and gender inequality have shaped the politics and aesthetics of country music, from its origins in the early 20th century to its broad contemporary popularization. From murder ballads—a subgenre normalizing violence against women—to recent declarations of political ideology, the genre has undergone a shift in what is considered acceptable for radio play. Since the 1980s, women artists including the Chicks, Martina McBride, and Reba McEntire have addressed issues of domestic violence in their music, paving the way for the graphic revenge fantasies of twenty-first century artists like Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, and Taylor Swift. In this course, we will confront audiences’ often violent responses to non-white and non-male artists (from Beyoncé and Lil Nas X to Chappell Roan and Orville Peck), examining how this discrimination shapes the genre and industry. On the other hand, how do media narratives surrounding country music’s audience demographics impact how it is perceived, even for women and non-white artists? We will also discuss how artists emphasize themes of gendered violence in music videos and deploy humor as a means to make such messages more palatable. Students will consider how country music’s depictions of gendered violence have influenced and reflected real-world issues.
Course Notes
No prior knowledge or experience is required for this course. This course satisfies the “Critical" requirement for TDM concentrators and Secondary Field students.
Available for Harvard Cross Registration
