Music Preference Of College Students

This thesis tries to analyze music preference of college students in China from the angle of the social psychology of music. The thesis is made up of preface, three chapters, conclusion, plus reference and appendix.In preface I introduce the purpose of this thesis, methodology and other's studies, as well as index of my thoughts. Main body of text consists of three chapters discussing music preference of Chinese college students from point of emotion, identity, and cultural expression, respectively. Chapter 1, intraindividual level. I comprehend their music preference as their ways of emotion states. I discuss emotion's functionality, sociality and expansibility from the angle of music social psychology. I discuss external emotion sources from relationship between music and emotion. Music preference is one of their ways to build emotion track. The role of social cognition in psychological arousal of emotion is also discussed.Chapter 2, social groups level. I comprehend their music preference as their ways of identity construction. Music preference of college students is one of their ways to describe self and describe the position of self in society. Music preference also plays major role during identity modeling, they represent different identity in different social settings. They use music preference as a strong cultural symbol to express their concept of self and personal identity. Music preference also affects their badge of group identity, social identity, and gender identity. Social influence is their main reason to represent different identity, in ways of social reputation, environment information and self-presentation motives.Chapter 3, social groups level. I comprehend their music preference as their ways of showing the cultural style which they accept. Starting from their music consumption, I emphasize this consumption is actually the consumption of cultural meanings. Discussing the relationship between their music preference and their sub-cultural representations—such as identity crises, chasing fashion, and marked individuality. In their music preference, pop music conflict with classical music and merge with classical music also. Through these they represent their own meanings. In conclusion, multiple meanings of social background are explored. Social background includes everyday environment, education, family and identity background, ideological background.Main clue of this thesis is, whatever we treat undergraduate's music preference, it is their own ways to adapt society, and their own ways to be regularly socialized.