The Role of Art in Society (Essay Sample)

The Role of Art in Society
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The Role of Art in Society
Introduction
The role of art in the society is without adoubt very significant. The relationship between art and society in the modern day is very strong. The term art embodies a number of aspects including both the performing and visual art, such music as well as dancing among many other areas. All these forms of art impact on the society in an imperative way, including establish the way the people in the society feel and act (Laycock, 2005). The diverse types of art that exist in the planet today have had to change the lives as well as ways of living of different people in a significant manner. This particular essay, thus, endeavors to present the role of music as a form of art in the society. The argument is founded on the premise thatart presents both positive as well as negative influences among people in the society.
Main Body
The role and function of art in today’s society cannot be ignored. Music bears significant part among various people today in several ways. As a result, music is a very essential aspect in the lives of the entire community including children and adults. Apart from making people happy, music also serves to distract people from their problems, while offering them with the outlet for the release of people’s tensions or anxieties. On the average, it is argued that people listen to different forms of music for about 1.5-2.5 hours per day. It is without doubt to say that the position of music in the lives of people is paramount for cultural as well as socialization of diverse groupings of persons. Music is a mechanism, which has been known over time to form and sustain associations among people, while at the same time enhancing their identities. This can be very helpful since it enables many of these people to learn more concerning their different gender roles and their expectations from the community. Heavy metal, country, rap, and pop music are all the various types of music, which contain a variety of pro-social themes. These forms of music offer entertainment as well as adistraction from problems and acts as a way to relieving anxiety. The greater part of the public in the society use music in order to deal with loneliness as well as take control of their emotions. In addition, music can be used as a background for romance and can serve as a basis for developing relationships in a number of settings. Music can also be employed in the process of identity formation among different groups and more often, music preference offers the means through which to achieve group integration as well as identity into people’s culture. A number of studies have also suggested that music offer many of the people the means to resolve disagreements (Weir, 2000). In addition, research reveals that there is a considerable difference in use of music among men and women in the society. Female youths are more likely to use music in order to reflect their emotional states as compared to males, especially when encountering feelings of distress. Males, on the other hand, are most likely to use music and its lyrics as a stimulating activity, as a way of enhancing their levels of liveliness, or as a way of developing more positive image (Rosenbaum, 1987). This is often possible through the creation of employment opportunities, where themajority of people in societies have drawn up to become professional music artists and consultants or tutors.
In terms of the role of music in the formation of people’s uniqueness, different groups of people have been capable of establishing endurable identities of them. In fact, identities are often formed within the context of individuals or sometimes within groups. Many individuals in the society are able to present their arguments as well as observations concerning how they use music in order to make statements concerning themselves, and then test these statements within a group dynamic. Music is used as a tool through which these people are able to form aunity, which is an integral part towards their identity formation. People also use music to depict who they are, and the manner that they want to perceive themselves, as well as who they want to be. Music also plays a vital role in people’s group dynamics. Different social systems, which are at work within various sub-cultures, serve as sociopolitical mechanisms for youths’ socialization. In addition, many of these youths are able to construct their views about the world with others who share their beliefs. Thus, the consumption of various forms of music can act as defiance or sometimes a ritual of resistance, which distances the youths from others who do not share their views and beliefs about the world. In terms of cross-cultural understanding, music plays very important function with an incredible influence to boosting the level of collaboration among different societies, for instance, cooperation among artists from conflicting communities can be able to bring their people together, therefore, resolving many of the issues creating disparities among these societies. Music has also been given credit to enhancing the world’s community engagements. This kind of commitment may include the power to bring cohesion and societal welfare among the many societies today since the income generated from music activities can be used in order to create a number of programs. Similarly, music has the power to document the various histories of communities in the world today, through linking people with their future generations.
However, music plays an adverse effect on the lives of people in the society. In particular, the impact that music on the behaviors of youths is of a paramount concern. Music has become much more explicit in their references to sex, aggregation, suicide, drug, as well as violence over the years, especially with certain genres of music. In addition, youth’s preference to different forms of music may be associated with certain behaviors. In addition, the effect of music messages are of primary importance, since a number of studies have reported that repeated exposure to sexual messages, violence, and use of substances in music may produce considerable changes in behavior as well as attitudes of the many of the people in various communities. Much of the anti-social types of music, mainly from rap and heavy metal, pose detrimental effects on people, especially the youths. Many of the heavy metal music have themes of retribution, anguish, as well as alienation (Fischer and Greitemeyer, 2006). These forms of music may also include references to drug abuse, sex, violence, Satanism, in addition to suicide. Rap music, on the other hand, are often chanted and accompanied by rhythmic music, which may comprise dragging a phonograph needle across a record. Rap music is often very easy to understand. Furthermore, rap lyrics that often contain objectionable messages, often expound on the issues of urban life, which may sometimes include drugs, sex, violence, or misogyny themes. Just like the heavy metal music, rap lyrics also express messages of alienation and powerlessness among the people, especially among youths (Weir, 2000). Pop music is another type of music that addresses many themes, which may also include references to violence, sex, substance abuse, and Satanism. These lyrics may also contain objectionable messages.
Conclusion
Fundamentally, art has played a significant function in the lives of people with th...