Music and gender

Music is one of many ways we perform, express, and understand gender. Through music, we navigate cultural expectations, embody or disrupt gender norms, and communicate identities to others. But gender itself isn’t universal or static—it’s culturally specific, flexible, and shaped by social conventions rather than biology alone.

This module examines how gender shapes music-making and how music reveals culturally specific understandings of gender. We’ll consider how musicians negotiate gender norms within their communities, and how ethnomusicologists study gender in musical contexts. The readings will introduce you to specific cases highlighting the complex intersections between gender identity, musical performance, cultural expectations, and scholarly perspectives.

Required reading

Our first reading by Kathryn Alexander introduces gender as a socially constructed set of roles and behaviors. She describes how gender isn’t biologically determined but instead shaped by cultural expectations, behaviors, and symbols. Alexander illustrates how gender impacts musical practices through two key examples: an Inuit vocal game and the hulu tradition in Hawai‘i.

Kathryn Alexander, “Music and Gender”

In the second reading, Alexander shifts focus to how scholars have studied gender in music, especially within ethnomusicology. This essay emphasizes how feminist and queer perspectives have impacted academic research and methods over time.

Kathryn Alexander, “The Study of Music and Gender”

Assignment: Music, gender, and cultural context

For this discussion, reflect on how gender shapes musical experience, roles, or understandings within a musical context you know well. Drawing explicitly from this module’s readings:

Choose a musical tradition or community you know or have observed (this could include popular music, religious music, classical ensembles, or informal settings). Reflect on how gender roles are defined, expressed, or challenged through music. In a short essay (300 words), consider how cultural expectations exist around gender in this context. Who reinforces or disrupts these expectations, and what happens as a result?

Explicitly connect your insights to points from at least one of this module’s readings, clearly referencing ideas or examples.

An important note

In your responses to classmates, thoughtfully engage with their perspectives. Consider how their observations resonate or contrast with your own experiences or understandings of gender and music. Aim for meaningful conversation and deeper understanding through dialogue.

Clearly reference the readings in your reflection and responses. Without specific connections to the readings, you won’t receive full credit. Review the discussion grading rubric for details, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions!