Skip to main content
ethnomusicology

ethnomusicology

1 9.9
The study of music from different cultures and its role in people's lives
  • noun
  • /ˌɛθnoʊˌmjuːzɪˈkɑːlədʒi/
  • Specialized
: etnomusicología
  • In ethnomusicology classes, students explore how social and cultural contexts influence musical traditions.
  • ethnomusicology and anthropology
  • study of ethnomusicology
  • ethnomusicology and musicology

Examples

  • Mostly, researchers look to periodicals in world music or ethnomusicology, which further isolates their work from others in the field of African studies.

    Academic text (1996)
  • In the ethnomusicology reader edited by Post, two articles talk about popular music and tourism.

    Academic text (2006)
  • We believe that ethnomathematics and ethnomusicology can help answer these questions.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Popular culture has become increasingly visible in the fields of American Studies, Anthropology, Ethnomusicology, and Folklore as well.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Also consider browsing through ethnomusicology journals or publications to get an idea of some of the musical cultures being studied by ethnomusicology professionals.

    Academic text (2009)
  • The contributors are professors and lecturers in a wide range of disciplines related to popular music, ethnomusicology, cultural studies, film music, and more.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Ryan Bazinet received his PhD in ethnomusicology from the CUNY Graduate Center in 2013.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Kate Modic is a Ph.D. candidate in Folklore specializing in Ethnomusicology at Indiana University.

    Academic text (1994)
  • The study of ethnomusicology reveals how different cultures express their identities through music.

  • Many universities offer courses in ethnomusicology, focusing on the relationship between music and culture.

Synonyms

musicology
vsethnomusicology
2 8.1

The study of music, including its history, forms, and cultural meaning

focuses specifically on music in different cultures and their social context

Surface Forms

Morphology

ethnomusicology = musicology (semi-transparent) = ethno + music + ology

The word is clearly built from 'ethno-' plus 'musicology', but the specialized academic meaning is not fully predictable for an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Ethnomusicology breaks into three parts: ethno- meaning 'people', music, and -ology meaning 'study'. So it literally means the 'study of people's music', which is why the field looks at music from different cultures and how it fits into social life.