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The formation of ‘Hip-Hop Academicus’ – how American scholars talk about the academisation of hip-hop

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 April 2013

Johan Söderman
Johan Söderman*
Affiliation:
Amiralsgatan 46A, 211 55 Malmö, [email protected]
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Abstract

Social activism and education have been associated with hip-hop since it emerged in New York City 38 years ago. Therefore, it might not be surprising that universities have become interested in hip-hop. This article aims to highlight this ‘hip-hop academisation’ and analyse the discursive mechanisms that manifest in these academisation processes. The guiding research question explores how hip-hop scholars talk about this academisation. The theoretical framework is informed by the scholarship of sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. Hip-hop scholars were interviewed in New York City during 2010. The results demonstrate themes of hip-hop as an attractive label, a door opener, a form of ‘low-culture’, a trap and an educational tool.

Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Music Education , Volume 30 , Issue 3 , November 2013 , pp. 369 - 381
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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