Sociology of Rival Music Genres and Music Consumption in Post-1979 Revolution Iranian Society

Abstract

This article examines the genesis of and competition among rival music genres in post-revolutionary Iran. Rival genres (pop music, rap music, rock music, traditional music, etc.) are genres that gradually emerged and developed since the 1920s. Relying on Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of cultural field I point out the important music genres in post-revolutionary Iran that act as a means of expressing conflict over the borders of the field, and why in this field, contrary to Bourdieu’s theory, instead of a bipolar situation, a multi-genre situation prevails. Then, with the data obtained from my previous research and that of others who mostly live in Iran, I try to depict a picture of music consumption based on the rival music genres in the field and show how, contrary to the ideals and slogans of the Islamic Revolution, under the influence of global youth culture, the consumption of popular music has become the dominant consumption.

Key Words:

• Culture
• field of music production
• global youth culture
• Iranian culture
• music consumption
• music genres
• music taste
• popular music
• post-revolutionary Iranian culture

Disclosure Statement

The author reported no conflict of interests in the research for or writing of this article.

Notes

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3 J. During (2004[1984]) Sonnat va Tahavol dar Mosigi-ye Irani [La musique iranienne: Tradition et évolution, Paris: Editions Recherche sur les civilisations] (Tehran: Toos Publication), p. 31.

4 L. C. Miller (1999) Music and Song in Persia: The Art of Avaz (London: Curzon Press); L. Nooshin (1996) The Processes of Creation and Recreation in Persian Classical Music, Unpublished Doctoral thesis, Goldsmiths’ College.

5 Miller, Music and Song in Persia: The Art of Avaz, p. 34.

6 Ibid, p. 52.

7 Ibid, p. 29.

8 H. Salehyar (2015) The Revival of Iranian Classical Music during the Second Pahlavi Period: The Influence of the Politics of “Iranian-ness”, Unpublished Doctoral thesis, Department of Music, University of Alberta.

9 M. Gelbart (2021) Romanticism, the Folk, and Musical Nationalisms, in: Benedict Tylor (ed) The Cambridge Companion to Music and Romanticism, pp. 74–91 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).

10 M. Shahabi (2003) Jahani-shodan-e Javani: Khorde Farhangha-ye Javani dar Asr-e Jahani-shodan [Globalization of Youth: Youth Subcultures in the Age of Globalization], Quarterly Journal of Youth Studies, 1(5), p. 9.

11 G. Rekabtalaei (2019) Iranian Cosmopolitanism: A Cinematic History, pp. 184–231 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).

12 N. Siamdoust (2017) Soundtrack of the Revolution: The Politics of Music in Iran (Stanford University Press), p. 46.

13 A. Youssefzadeh (2000) The Situation of Music in Iran since the Revolution: The Role of Official Organizations Source, British Journal of Ethnomusicology, 9(2), p. 36.

14 Siamdoust, Soundtrack of the Revolution: The Politics of Music in Iran, p. 250.

15 During, Sonnat va Tahavol dar Mosigi-ye Irani, p. 31.

16 F. Hemmasi (2013) Intimating Dissent: Popular Song, Poetry, and Politics in Pre-Revolutionary Iran, Ethnomusicology, 57(1), p. 57.

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19 A. Youssefzadeh (2000) The Situation of Music in Iran since the Revolution: The Role of Official Organizations Source, British Journal of Ethnomusicology, 9(2), p. 36.

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24 V. Ghasemi (2002) Sanjesh-e Negaresh-e Javanan be Anva-e Mosighi dar Shahr-e Esfahan [Measuring Young People’s Attitude towards Different Types of Music in Isfahan City], Farhang-e Isfahan, Special Issue, p. 78.

25 V. Ghasemi & S. A. Mirzaei (2006) Javanan va Hanjarha-ye Rasmi va Geyr-e Rasmi-ye Mosigi pap [Youth and Formal and Informal Norms of Pop Music: A Study in the Expression of Youth in Isfahan], Journal of Social Sciences Letter, 28(2), pp. 98–122.

26 Ibid, pp. 114–115.

27 R. Samim &V. Ghasemi (2011) Gerayesh be Masraf-e Gooneha-ye Mosigi Mardom-pasan va Mizan-e Parkhashgari dar Myian-e Daneshjooyan: Motale-e Moredi: Daneshjooyan-e Daneshgah-e Esfahan [A Survey on the Relationship between Popular Music Consumption and Aggression among Students, Case Study: Students of University of Isfahan], Journal of Iranian Cultural Research, 2(8), pp. 243–262.

28 A. Maleki & M. Rafiei (2013) Dastresi-ye Efteraghi be Sarmaye va Tozi-e Nabarabar-e Zaeghe-ye Honari: Tahlil-e Kammi Rabete beyn-e Sarmaye va Masrafe Farhangi [Differential Accessibility to Capital and Unequal Distribution of Artistic Tastes of Tehran Youth], Quarterly Journal of Iranian Association for Cultural Studies and Communication, 8(29), p. 82.

29 A. Vedadhir, E. Aminian, A. A.Tabatabaei, M. J. Salmani (2011) Javanan va Mosigi Pap: Baresi-ye Jame-e-shenakhti-ye Avamel Ejtemaei-Farhangi-ye Mortabet ba Gerayesh-e Daneshjooyan-e Daneshgah-e Tarbiat Moalem [Youths and Pop Music: A Sociological Study on Socio-Cultural Factors Related to Tendency of Tarbiat Moallem University Students to Pop Music], Social Problems of Iran, 2(1), p. 176.

30 M. Shahabi & M. Jahangardi (2008) Khastgah-e Ejtemaei-ye Olgooha-ye Estefade az Television-haye Mahvareh-ei Farsi Zaban dar Myan-e Mokhataban-e Tehrani [The Social Origins of Association- Patterns of Tehrani Audiences with The Persian Speaking Satellite Channels], Iranian Journal of Cultural Research, 1(2), pp. 38, 48.

31 A. Vedadhir, E. Aminian, A. A.Tabatabaei, M. J. Salmani (2011) Javanan va Mosigi Pap: Baresi-ye Jame-e-shenakhti-ye Avamel Ejtemaei-Farhangi-ye Mortabet ba Gerayesh-e Daneshjooyan-e Daneshgah-e Tarbiat Moalem, p. 186.

32 F. Javaheri, S. H. Serajzadeh, & S. Shekofteh (2012) Mosigi-e Ziramini Baznama-ye Daghdagheha-ye Javanan [Underground Music as a Representative of Social Concerns of Youths], Journal of Culture-Communication Studies, 13(18), p. 27.

33 Ali Shakoori & Amirhosein Gholamzadeh Natanzi (2010) Manesh va Sabk-e Masraf-e Mosigi: Motale-e-ye Moredi-ye Javanan dar Shahr-e Tehran [Habitus and Style of Music Consumption: A Case Study of the Youth in the City of Tehran], Global Media Journal, 5, p. 10.

34 A. Vedadhir, E. Aminian, A. A.Tabatabaei, M. J. Salmani, Javanan va Mosigi Pap: Baresi-ye Jame-e-shenakhti-ye Avamel Ejtemaei-Farhangi-ye Mortabet ba Gerayesh-e Daneshjooyan-e Daneshgah-e Tarbiat Moalem, p. 177.

35 R. Samim & S. Fatemi (2008) Pajoheshi Jame-e Shenakhti dar bab-e Masraf-e Mosigayi dar beyn Afradi ba Paygah-haye Ejtemaei-ye Motefavet: Motale-ye Moredi Tehran [A Sociological Survey on Musical Consumption Among People with Different Social Statuses (Case Study: Tehran)], Journal of Fine Arts, No. 32, pp. 127–135.

36 A. Vedadhir, E. Aminian, A. A.Tabatabaei, M. J. Salmani, Javanan va Mosigi Pap: Baresi-ye Jame-e-shenakhti-ye Avamel Ejtemaei-Farhangi-ye Mortabet ba Gerayesh-e Daneshjooyan-e Daneshgah-e Tarbiat Moalem, p. 177.

37 R. Samim & S. Fatemi, Pajoheshi Jame-e Shenakhti dar bab-e Masraf-e Mosigayi dar beyn Afradi ba Paygah-haye Ejtemaei-ye Motefavet: Motale-ye Moredi Tehran, p. 132.

38 M. Fazeli (2006) Jame-e Shenasi-ye Masraf-e Mosigi [Sociology of Music Consumption], Quarterly Journal of Iranian Association for Cultural Studies and Communication, 1(4), pp. 44.

39 M. M. Rahmati & S. Moradi (2010) Tozi-e Ejtemaei-ye Olgo-ye Masraf: Barresi-ye Saligheha-ye Honari dar Tehran [Social distribution of consumption pattern: A study of artistic tastes in Tehran], Sociology of Art and Literature, 3(1), pp. 27, 29.

40 M. R. Azadehfar & M. Nouri (2011) Thlil-e Nahve-ye Barkhord va Arzesh-gozari Mosigi Rak az Didgah-e Mokhataban: Motalee-ye Moredi Shanavandegan-e Iran va Torkiye [The Values of Rock Music Based on its Listeners Views: The Cases of Iranian and Turkish Audiences Perspective], Sociological Journal of Art and Literature, 2(2), pp. 186, 140.

41 M. Fazeli (2006) Jame-e Shenasi-ye Masraf-e Mosigi [Sociology of Music Consumption], Quarterly Journal of Iranian Association for Cultural Studies and Communication, 1(4), pp. 44, 48.

42 M. Fazeli (2008) Tasvir-e Sabk-e Zendegi-ye Farhangi-ye Daneshjooyan [A Picture of the Cultural Lifestyle of the Student Community], Journal of Iranian Cultural Research, 1(1), p. 182.

43 M. S. Zokaei & Z. Pourgholam Arani (2004) Khordeh Farhang ya Masraf-e Farhangi: Pajohesi dar beyn Dokhtaran Dabirestani-e Shahr-e Tehran [Subculture or Cultural Consumption: A study among female students in Tehran], Quarterly Journal of the Iranian Association for Cultural Studies and Communication, 1(4), p. 14.

44 Fazeli, Tasvir-e Sabk-e Zendegi-ye Farhangi-ye Daneshjooyan, pp. 175–198.

45 Shahabi & Jahangardi, Khastgah-e Ejtemaei-ye Olgooha-ye Estefade az Television-haye Mahvareh-ei Farsi Zaban dar Myan-e Mokhataban-e Tehrani, pp. 38, 48.

46 Fazeli, Tasvir-e Sabk-e Zendegi-ye Farhangi-ye Daneshjooyan, 1(1), p. 182.

47 Vedadhir et al., Javanan va Mosigi Pap: Baresi-ye Jame-e-shenakhti-ye Avamel Ejtemaei-Farhangi-ye Mortabet ba Gerayesh-e Daneshjooyan-e Daneshgah-e Tarbiat Moalem, p. 189.

48 M. Shahabi (2016) Youth subcultures in post- Revolution Iran: An alternative reading, in: Pam Nilan & Carles Feixa, eds., Global Youth? Hybrid identities, plural worlds, pp. 111 (London: Routledge).