Oxford Handbook of Country Music

Now in its sixth decade, country music studies is a thriving field of inquiry with 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, explore significant lacunae in the current literature, and provides guidance for future research. More than simply treating issues that have emerged within this subfield, the chapters in this volume connect broader discourses within the various fields that inform country music studies in an effort to strengthen the area's interdisciplinarity. In particular, chapters explore national identity in non-Western countries, fashion, politics, and geocultural identities within the genre. Drawing upon the expertise of leading and emerging scholars, this Handbook presents an introduction to the historiographical narratives and methodological issues that have emerged in country music studies' first half-century. -- from dust jacket.