Social Protest and Music in Tahriz Essay

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Songs of Tahrir" video supports all four of Danaher's main claims in "Music and Social Movements." The video depicts several musicians who were at the forefront of the Tahrir Square social protests in Egypt, integral to the Arab Spring. Different types of musicians from multiple genres and generations all participated in the Tahrir Square protests, risking their lives in order to foment the peaceful social revolution. The video shows how music was in fact integral to the social movement of the Arab Spring as it unfolded in Egypt in Tahrir Square. In particular, the "Songs of Tahrir Square" video shows how music creates a shared consciousness and shared identity built around a commitment to peaceful change and democratic revolution. The video also shows how music inspires emotions, which are often collective emotions necessary to attract people to the movement and retain those who are already a part of it. Furthermore, the video shows how music is central to the movement takes place within the "free spaces" that are both symbolic and physical like Tahrir Square itself. Finally, the video also shows how music creates and sustains the group's unique subculture.

In terms of creating a shared identity, clearly the musicians depicted in the video helped to solidify the shared identity that was being developed during the revolution in Tahrir Square. When musicians were playing in public, the crowd sang and clapped along. The music helped to define their identities as Egyptians committed to social and political change.

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According to Danaher, the shared identity is "formed when groups seeking social change share common ideological, normative, and cultural goals," (812). In the case with Egypt, the protesters certainly shared ideological goals of ousting Mubarak and ushering in a new form of democratic government. Another aspect of shared identity is shared grievances, according to Danaher and those shared grievances were symbolized by the effigy hanging and the references to Mubarak. Shared grievances were expressed musically through the song "Beat it! Beat it!" which was expressly about Mubarak.

There is considerable emotional content in the protest movement, as the people are passionate about social and political change. They care about each other and their country. Therefore, emotions are integral to the success of social protest movements. Emotions are also integral to music. When music and social protest are combined, the results can be highly effective as emotions have an effect on crowd psychology (Danaher 813). Because the emotions generated through the music in Tahrir Square were uplifting, optimistic, and positive, the protests remained peaceful. Emotions are not only present because of the music, the emotions also have "rational and goal oriented components," such as generating activism and social change (Danaher 813). Through shared experiences of emotion, people experience empathy and feel a sense of community solidarity and shared identity as well. As Danaher points out, music and the emotions it….....

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