How Do Culturally Constructed Identities Influence Musical Preference?

Abstract

Through surveys and interviews, this study takes an interdisciplinary approach from both the fields of anthropology and communication to analyze music preference in relation to aspects of identity that are culturally constructed, specifically sex, race, and sexuality. Initially, my research was solely focused on the anthropological aspects of this topic; however, having studied both disciplines, once the data collection began it became clear that the theories and practices can be intertwined, and both are needed in order to fully explain this study. While my research is based on theories and concepts in these fields that will be discussed below, my study sheds light on aspects of this topic that have not been widely studied before,specifically the roles that intersectional, personal, and collective identities play in music choice as well as stereotypes.