Local music and contemporary culture in Ireland: Changing identities

Past studies of Irish music and/or culture present a rather singular view: that of an agriculture-based, rural society that has maintained particular cultural practices in the face of increasing modernization and urbanization. In this study I propose a perspective of study that looks at features of Irish urban society and the influence of commercial music practices on local musicians. Borrowing from the perspectives of anthropology and popular music studies, I add to the literature in Irish folklore and ethnomusicology studies a view that critiques single-discipline perspectives on complex, urbanized lives.