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Soul music and country music propel American popular culture. Using ethnomusicological tools, Shonekan examines their socio-cultural influences and consequences: the perception of and resistance to hegemonic structures from within their respective constituencies, the definition of national identity, and the understanding of the ´American Dream.´

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1. Introduction: Outside Looking In 2. Folk Roots to Pop Masses: An Entangled History 3. Money and Media: Radio; Television; Film Representations 4. Race and Identity: Homies and Hillbillies 5. Gender and Relationships: Women and Femininity 6. Semiotics and Songs: Visual and Oral Meanings 7. Politics and power: Left or Right 8. Religion and Faith: Jesus Walks or Takes the Wheel 9. Conclusion: The American Dream

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"Soul, Country, and the USA introduces a new framework for a comparative study of these distinct, yet related musical genres. Stephanie Shonekan, a Nigerian immigrant, interprets their meaning within the context of race and identity and through the lens of democracy as defined in the American Pledge of Allegiance. This study adds an African Diasporic dimension to the literature on soul and country music." - Portia K. Maultsby, co-editor of African American Music: An Introduction, 2nd ed.

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Stephanie Shonekan is Asisstant Professor of Ethnomusicology and Black Studies at the University of Missouri, USA.

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