First Class, 8/27: Introduction and Heavy Metal Islam

Sorry this is so late everyone! Kind of forgot classes started I guess…

So last week we started with introductions, and then discussed ground rules for class discussions.  Here are the main points:

-no hand raising

-‘ouch/oops’: if you’re offended by something someone says, you should respond with ‘ouch’, to which the offending person should say ‘oops’ as a way of clearing the air

-‘step up/step back’: if you find you’re speaking too much, step back; if you haven’t said anything yet, step up

-be direct! no metaphors in order to avoid directly stating your positions (especially about bunnies)

Basically, think about what you say it before you say it to avoid directly or indirectly offending other people in the class.

About Heavy Metal Islam:

-the economic aspect of oppression as described in Levine’s book: the impact that neoliberal policies have on underground artists

-globalization: both as a positive (spreading these new and potentially liberating artistic forms and genres) and negative (creating the neoliberal economic conditions that stifle creativity in many cases) force

-criticism: is metal, as a violent and angry musical form, really a means toward peace and reconciliation in the Middle East?

-response: metal is more a coping mechanism, a way for young people to escape the political and social repression of their societies

-resistance to metal as an alien, outside (Western) force

-yet different forms of music are forms of protest in and of themselves