My PhD is the first Ethnomusicological study of women in American country music in the 21st century. It is informed by developments in the 1990s, with my study focusing on the years from 1993 – 2023.
My thesis examines how the perception of gender has shifted within the genre in this period; and how the experiences of women in country music during the 21st century, differ from those of the past.
I consider the impact of socio-economic, women’s and gender movements, and technological advancements; as well as the extent to which ideas of gender and politics unique to the US South have directly informed the opportunities women have to build a career in this genre. In addition to the discipline of Ethnomusicology, my study is informed by theory and methodology from American Studies, Sociology, and Gender Studies.
For my fieldwork, I employed the emerging methodology of hybrid ethnography which was largely developed by Przybylski in the years leading up to 2020 and was published just prior to the global pandemic, making it particularly useful for ethnographers like me, who were unable to travel during the two-year lockdown. The approach asks that the 21st century ethnographer employ skills which cut across both the digital and physical spaces. In this way, my work involved digital fieldwork on platforms such as a Twitter, Instagram, and close readings of websites, concert listings and blog posts. This digital aspect was supported by twelve weeks of in person fieldwork in Nashville once pandemic restrictions had lifted in 2022. It consisted of three in person trips, each at a different time of year to engage with the widest variety of events and participants. This hybrid approach had not previously been applied to an ethnographic study of country music, thus making my study unique in its methodology and allowing me to examine social and technological change on the platforms where it took place.
Further Details of Ben’s Academic Work
Educational History
- BA(Hons) First Class Degree in Media Production, University of Lincoln, UK, 2013
- MA Degree in Digital Media, University of Lincoln, UK, 2015
- PGCHE teaching qualification, Falmouth University Cornwall, UK, 2018
- Fellow HEA (Higher Education Academy), UK, 2018
- L3 ILM (Institute of Leadership Management) UK, 2020
- MPhil Music, University of Lincoln, UK, 2022
- PhD Ethnomusicology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Belgium, 2026 (Expected)
Research Funding
- The Marcus Cunliffe Award, British Association for American Studies, £1000, June 2022, to support PhD Fieldwork
- Turning Fund Award, University of Lincoln, £1800, June 2022, to support PhD Fieldwork
- COVID Relief Funding, University of Lincoln Eleanor Granville Centre, £500, June 2022, to support PhD Fieldwork
- Student Travel Grant, Univeristy of Lincoln, £500, June 2023, to support PhD Fieldwork
- Research Resources Allocation Fund, College of Arts University of Lincoln, £500, June 2023, to support PhD Fieldwork
- Travel Grant, European Association for American Studies, €1000, July 2023, to support PhD Fieldwork
Additional Activities
- Digital Education Developer, University of Lincoln, 2017 – 2023.
- Digital Communications Manager and Executive Committee Member, British Association for American Studies, 2021 – Present.
- Committee Member, Designing for Diverse Learners Group, 2023 – Present.
- Learning Technology Consultant, Faculty of Science, University of Nottingham, 2023 – Present.