Listening 2 - Final v3.pdf (208 kB)
Listening as Religious Practice (Part Two) – Exploring Qualitative Data from an Empirical Study of the Cultural Habits of Music Fans
journal contribution
posted on 2015-05-06, 08:43 authored by Clive Marsh, V. S. RobertsThis article analyses quantitative data from responses to open questions addressed by 231 musicusers
in a 2009-10 survey. By coding and quantifying the data provided, the analysis enables the
construction of four ‘acoustic axes’ (uplift-relax, inspiration-memory, energy-calm,
joy/happiness-sad/sadness) which make direct use of respondent-initiated terminology, and
which enable a means of mapping the activity which occurs for listeners in the affective space
created in the listening process. Use of these axes in turn suggests, at a second level of analysis
and interpretation, the construction of a musical-spiritual ‘social imaginary’ (Taylor) to grasp how
music is being used and understood by the music-users themselves with respect to their selfunderstanding
and life-commitments. It is concluded that whilst music-use cannot be termed
religious/a religion or a form of spirituality in any direct or simplistic sense, there is evidence
here of the seriousness and intensity with which listeners make use of their listening practices in
the activity of meaning-making.
History
Citation
Journal of Contemporary Religion (2015) 30:2, 291-306Author affiliation
/Organisation/COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE/Institute of Lifelong LearningVersion
- AM (Accepted Manuscript)