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Singing the critical life: folk, place, and the palimpsest of rhythms in the beat of the city

David Weir (York St John University, York, UK)

Journal of Organizational Ethnography

ISSN: 2046-6749

Article publication date: 22 March 2017

152

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an ethnographic account of a folk music venue from the perspective of a participant observer.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is based on a classic thick description, describing the central participants in a performance and the operation of spacing and timing processes, thus significantly creating private ownership of a public space.

Findings

There are collective proceses of spacing and timing that are informal but normative framing what superficially appears to constitute random or unstructured activities. The musical knowledge and performance competence drive these processes rather than externally visible considerations of authenticity.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is a single-venue descriptive research.

Originality/value

This paper adds to the relatively few small-scale ethnographies of urban music venues.

Keywords

Citation

Weir, D. (2017), "Singing the critical life: folk, place, and the palimpsest of rhythms in the beat of the city", Journal of Organizational Ethnography, Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 46-59. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOE-01-2017-0004

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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