4 research outputs found
The âlonely raverâ: music livestreams during COVID-19 as a hotline to collective consciousness?
This paper offers an explorative analysis of the online social practices of
livestreamed concerts as one of the most popular cultural outlets during the
COVID-19 imposed âlockdownâ in Europe. Ritual theory is used to investigate
the potential of these virtual concerts in generating a collective
consciousness, and the related feelings of social solidarity and resilience,
specifically important in times of physical isolation. Through a thematic
content analysis of the comments (n = 1501) posted during livestreamed
techno concerts in the Netherlands, we find that both old and new ritual
actions are used to form online communities. While these ritual activities mark
participation and remind members of a previous collective feeling, the
omission of visceral elements of a physical audience hampers the
establishment of a renewed sense of social solidarity
The beauty of balance â an empirical integration of the unified model of aesthetics for product design
The
Unified
Model
of
Aesthetics
provides
a
comprehensive
theory
on
aesthetics
of
product
design.
It
posits
that
aesthetic
appreciation
derives
from
the
reconciliation
of
the
needs
for
safety
and
accomplishment,
which
manifests
itself
through
the
principles
of
unity-Ââin-Ââvariety,
most-Ââadvanced-Ââyet-Ââacceptable
and
autonomous-Ââyet-Ââconnected.
The
present
study
considers
the
empirical
integration
of
these
principles,
using
a
survey
that
scrutinizes
aesthetic
preferences
of
300
respondents
for
20
products.
The
principles
are
scrutinized
separately,
after
which
we
conduct
an
integrated
test
to
examine
their
combined
effect
and
relative
importance
for
aesthetic
appreciation.
We
find
that
the
perceptual
qualities
of
unity
and
variety
strongly
affect
aesthetic
appreciation,
but
the
typicality
of
a
design
becomes
of
little
importance
when
taking
into
account
perceptual
and
social
measures
âWear Clogs and just Act Normalâ: Defining Collectivity in Dutch Domestic Music Concerts
The last few decades have seen a surge in the consumption of locally produced popular music in the West. Domestic music â music made by national artists and sung in the national language â has gained increasing popularity, specifically within the lower to middle-class segments of the native population. This article uses the Dutch music genre levenslied to explore this growing trend. From a neo-Durkheimian perspective, we can assume the presence of collective effervescence â a shared intensified mood drawn from collective assembly. However, it is less clear how this collectivity is brought about and experienced. In other words, what are the requirements for this state of effervescence to occur? Looking not only at the totems these concertgoers celebrate but also the established symbolic boundaries, can help us understand how the group defines itself, adding to our knowledge of the rise in popularity of domestic music.
We interviewed 20 concertgoers about their experience of these concerts. The analysis finds that the establishment of collectivity is influenced by three symbolic boundaries: (1) intercultural, (2) interclass, and (3) intraclass. Through the negative othering of ethnic monitories â those considered socially higher, and those considered morally lower than themselves â the audiences of these concerts glorify a very narrow image of Dutchness, obtaining a sense of self-worth through the celebration of an idealized national image rooted in nostalgia. The increasing popularity of levenslied concerts (and domestic music more generally) can, therefore, be understood in relation to broader societal changes and connected with a âsqueezed middleâ class, clinging to tradition and their declining social position