Date of Award
1-1-2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.M. in Music
First Advisor
George W.K. Dor
Second Advisor
Obianuju A. Njoku
Third Advisor
Michael C. Gardiner
School
University of Mississippi
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Christianity is the largest religion in the world with a population of over two billion. More than ever before, the rapid growth of this religion is getting more diverse due to a great variety of doctrines and practices that it accommodates. From the inception of Christianity, music has been prominent and a powerful bedrock of its religious worship. This thesis, underpinned by the paradigm of sound as a social structure as espoused by Steven Feld, examines the intersectional identities in the music culture of the Deeper Christian Life Ministries (DCLM) in Nigeria. This research aims to fathom the musical functions of the focus group and understand how their music reflects societal idiosyncrasies as well as ethnic and national identity. In addition, the survey elucidates the relations between sound events and the social structures of the specified church. Moreover, I explored how music serves as a partial defining homology of all DCLM congregations while acknowledging regional stylistic differences. I conducted individual interviews with choir directors, choir members, pastors, church members using semi-structured interview guides. Findings from the research have yielded the history of the church and its music ministries. Thematic analysis of data also showed the meaning, continuity, and changes in the worship music tradition of the DCLM as well as intersections of gender, ethnicity, and other identities in the musical practice of the DCLM.
Recommended Citation
Moses, If-not-God, "Negotiating Intersectional Identities in the Music Culture of the Deeper Christian Life Ministries in Nigeria" (2023). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2550.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/2550