Youth music and the construction of social subjectivities and communities in post-apartheid South Africa
Research summary
This is a joint research of the University of Helsinki’s discipline of Social and Cultural Anthropology and South Africa’s Human Sciences Research Council, with funding from the Academy of Finland and the National Research Foundation of South Africa for the period 2013-2016.
The project investigates the kinds of social subjectivities and forms of socio-political and economic empowerment that current youth music styles enhance among South African youth. The key questions are what kinds of social, racial, gender, class, religious and citizenship identities and communities are being imagined and created through music-related practices, and what kinds of empowerment strategies and realities they entail.
Description
In particular the project enquires why and in what circumstances some youths manage to connect with constructive values and ways of living, while others struggle or fail. In a broader sense the project contributes to the question of the position and potential of youth in the construction of the post-apartheid society and its capacities.
More information
Research info
Research title
Youth music and the construction of social subjectivities and communities in post-apartheid South Africa
Research timeline
1.9.2013 - 1.8.2016
Keywords
empowerment social subjectivities youth youth music
Region
Africa
Countries
Finland, South Africa
Institution
University of Helsinki
Social and Cultural Anthropology/ Social Sciences
Helsinki, Finland
Funding instrument
Academy of Finland
Project budget
200,000 - 500,000 euros
Head of research
Tuulikki Pietilä
Research team
Ibrahim Abraham, Tuomas Järvenpää, Benita Moolman, Tuulikki Pietilä
Partners
Human Sciences Research Council (South Africa); University of Helsinki (Finland)
Contact information
Tuulikki Pietilä
+358294122645
tuulikki.pietila@helsinki.fi
Open link
Record last updated
11.9.2015