Brief Discussion of Race,
Class and Gender
Race vs. Ethnicity
 “It is important to note that race is predominantly a social
construct - in other words, scientists have discovered that
only 2 percent of our genes are ultimately responsible for
the visible differences such as skin color. Although it is not
an exact science, social groups play a very important role
in defining the rules of race” (Pizarro-Eckert).
 “Ethnicity (n) a term which represents social groups with a
shared history, sense of identity, geography and cultural
roots which may occur despite racial difference
– Let's consider Puerto Ricans as an example of an ethnicity. Many
Puerto Ricans represent various blends of White, Red and/or Black
races and yet they refer to themselves collectively as Boricuas”
(Pizarro-Eckert).
Class
 A variable thing, but often sociological
definitions are based, in part, on access to
resources and wealth.
 Definition: “When sociologists talk of social
class, they refer to a group of individuals
who occupy a similar position in the
economic system of production” (Marks)
Gender
 Again, as with other definitions, this is
variable. Gender seems completely
biological, but there are social aspects.
(Think about boys playing with “dolls” and
girls playing with “toy soldiers.”)
 A definition: “Category to which an
individual is assigned by self or others, on
the basis of sex. Cf.: sex, gender role”
(Webmd.com).
How Does this Matter in Music?
 It matters because when you look at music, musicians, and
the business of music, all three “lenses” help you see
things you might miss otherwise.
 For instance, look at these lyrics from a classic Led
Zeppelin Song, “Black Dog”: “Hey, hey, mama, said the
way you move?/Gonna make you sweat, gonna make
you groove” (Plant).
– Mama (Race): A word that one often hears in blues music (Robert
Johnson: “My mama’s red hot”), and a shout out, probably, by the
blues loving men in Led Zeppelin to their Black blues heroes.
– “Gonna make you sweat” (Gender): You have a not so oblique
reference to a man making a woman “hot.”
– “Gonna” (Class): The language here is of working class origins.
Gonna is not said by upper crust folks in England or the United
States. Robert Plant, the lyricist for Led Zeppelin, is using his
home language, and the home language of his Black blues Heroes:
the language of the working classes.
How Does this Matter in Music?
 When you begin to think about race, class,
and sex, music begins to look different.
 You’re going to see this when you begin to
do your work.
Works Cited
Marks, C. “What is Social Class”. Homepage of C. Marks.
21 April 2007.
<http://copland.udel.edu/~cmarks/What%20is%20social%2
0class.htm>.
Pizarro-Eckert, Susan. "Race - Definitions of Key Race
Relations Terms“ About.com. 21 April 2007.
<http://racerelations.about.com/od/skillsbuildingresources/g
/racedef.htm>.
Plant, Robert. “Black Dog Lyrics.” Lyrics.com. 21 April 2007.
<http://www.lyricsfreak.com/l/led+zeppelin/black+dog_2008
1883.html>.
Webmd.com. “Definition of Gender.” Medical Dictionary 21
April 2007.
<http://dictionary.webmd.aol.com/terms/gender>.