The Oxford Handbook of Country Music

by Travis D. Stimeling

Overview

Now in its sixth decade, country music studies is a thriving field of inquiry involving scholars working in the fields of American history, folklore, sociology, anthropology, musicology, ethnomusicology, cultural studies, and geography, among many others. Covering issues of historiography and practice as well as the ways in which the genre interacts with media and social concerns such as class, gender, and sexuality, The Oxford Handbook of Country Music interrogates prevailing narratives, explores significant lacunae in the current literature, and provides guidance for future research. More than simply treating issues that have emerged within this subfield, The Oxford Handbook of Country Music works to connect to broader discourses within the various fields that inform country music studies in an effort to strengthen the area's interdisciplinarity. Drawing upon the expertise of leading and emerging scholars, this Handbook presents an introduction into the historiographical narratives and methodological issues that have emerged in country music studies' first half-century.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190248178
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	07/03/2017
Series:	Oxford Handbooks
Pages:	592
Product dimensions:	9.80(w) x 6.90(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Travis D. Stimeling is an Assistant Professor of music history at West Virginia University. He has published two previous books with Oxford University Press: Cosmic Cowboys and New Hicks: The Countercultural Sounds of Austin's Progressive Country Music Scene (2011; paperback ed., 2016) and The Country Music Reader (2014). He served as a Senior Editor for The Grove Dictionary of American Music, 2nd Edition.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

CONTRIBUTORS

INTRODUCTION: Situating Country Music Studies
Travis D. Stimeling

Chapter 1: "Come Hither to Go Yonder": The Folklorist's Zigzag Path to Country Music Studies
Erika Brady

Chapter 2: The "Southernness" of Country Music
Patrick Huber

Chapter 3: The Country Music Association, The Country Music Foundation, and Country Music's History
Diane Pecknold

Chapter 4: Country Music as Cultural Practice
Clifford R. Murphy

Chapter 5: Geography and Country Music: Constructing "Geo-Cultural" Identities
Jada Watson

Chapter 6: On the Notion of "Old-Time" in Country Music
Greg Reish

Chapter 7: Country Music and Recording Practice
Travis D. Stimeling

Chapter 8: The Singing Voice in Country Music
Stephanie Vander Wel

Chapter 9: This Machine Plays Country Music: Invention, Innovation, and the Pedal Steel Guitar
Tim Sterner Miller

Chapter 10: Country Music and the Recording Industry
Charles L. Hughes

Chapter 11: Country Radio: The Dialectic of Format and Genre
Eric Weisbard

Chapter 12: Country Music and Television
Tracey E.W. Laird

Chapter 13: Country Music and Film
Barry Mazor

Chapter 14: The Sociology of Country Music
Richard Lloyd

Chapter 15: Class in Country Music
Leigh H. Edwards

Chapter 16: Race in Country Music Scholarship
Olivia Carter Mather

Chapter 17: Gendered Stages: Country Music, Authenticity, and the Performance of Gender
Kristine M. McCusker

Chapter 18: Sexuality in Country Music
Pamela Fox

Chapter 19: On the Sacred in Country Music
Stephen Shearon

Chapter 20: Goin' Hillbilly Nuts: Fashion Culture and Visual Style in Country Music
Caroline Gnagy

Chapter 21: Whither the Two-Step: Country Dance Re-Writes Its Musical Lineage
Jocelyn R. Neal

Chapter 22: "These Are My People": The Politics of Country Music
Jason Mellard

Chapter 23: Country Music and Fan Culture
Jonathan Wynn

Chapter 24: What's International About International Country Music?: Country Music and National Identity around the World
Nathan D. Gibson

INDEX

Editorial Reviews

"It might seem surprising that a book on country music is now part of the scholarly 'Oxford Handbooks' series. However, the nature of this book demonstrates that it clearly belongs there. Potential readers might not know what to expect from such a title, but they will find that it provides an informative literature review summarizing the state of research for country music. In his introduction, Stimeling (West Virginia Univ.) states that more thorough research has been done about the early history of country music and that scholarly coverage of its more recent history is marginal compared to that done on rock, pop, and jazz. Stimeling has assembled essays from an impressive group of scholars not only in music but also in fields such as history and folklore. They provide thought-provoking material, much of which has insightful an interdisciplinary perspective. This book is a welcome contribution to serious research on country music." —D. Arnold, University of North Texas, Choice

From the Publisher