Presentation

Lisbeth Arellano - Presentation

"The Production of Popular Music as a Confidence Game: The Case of the Chicago Blues."

In the article "The production of Popular Music as a Confidence Game: The Case of the Chicago Blues," by David Grazian the main topic is live music as well as live performances. Grazian makes the point that Chicago Blues has resemblances between the traditional confidence game and the production of popular music. Blues is said to have always been able to sell itself mostly for its authenticity as well its close attachment to certain regions of the United States. Blues has always been a connection to the emotional state of love, desperation, and loneliness but most importantly an even bigger connection to the black-working class. Blues is a confidence game, there is a circle to making blues so popular among people. Owners finance the circle paying for musicians to perform at their clubs as well as to work as insiders. Blues clubs won't succeed without the authenticity of blues music in general, although many times it is only fantasy, the authenticity still plays a big part in selling the music as well as selling it to a live audience. Performance is a big part in the music world, more specifically for the Blues genre no matter the audience.

"Free Spaces, Collective Identity, and the Persistence of U.S. White Power Activism"

In the article "Free Spaces, Collective Identity, and the Persistence of U.S. White Power Activism," by Robert Futrell and Pete Simi begin with introducing the "free spaces" theory by Francesca Polletta. They discuss three particular types of ideologies which caused a trigger in the movement of the white power movement. The three ideologies introduced are indigenous, transmovement and prefigurative. It is brought up how WPM have a variety of brahes as well as their own beliefs, such as practicing homeschooling as well as having small intimate gatherings amongst themselves. WPM in the United States is made up of several different groups such as the Klu Klux Klan, Christian Identity sects, neo-Nazis, and white powers skinheads. Although they are different when compared to one another, their ideologies are quite similar when it comes to maintaining white supremacy. Although being involved in groups as these listed can keep individuals from jobs and living a normal life, they choose to follow their ideologies because there are those who applaud them for their work making it difficult to end organizations very much like these.