Emms Rachel, Crossley Nick
University of Manchester.
Can Rev Sociol. 2018 Feb;55(1):111-135. doi: 10.1111/cars.12181.
Translocal music worlds are often defined as networks of local music worlds. However, their networked character and more especially their network structure is generally assumed rather than concretely mapped and explored. Formal social network analysis (SNA) is beginning to attract interest in music sociology but it has not previously been used to explore a translocal music world. In this paper, drawing upon a survey of the participation of 474 enthusiasts in 148 live music events, spread across 6 localities, we use SNA to explore a significant "slice" of the network structure of the U.K.'s translocal underground heavy metal world. Translocality is generated in a number of ways, we suggest, but one way, the way we focus upon, involves audiences traveling between localities to attend gigs and festivals. Our analysis of this network uncovers a core-periphery structure which, we further find, maps onto locality. Not all live events enjoy equal standing in our music world and some localities are better placed to capture more prestigious events, encouraging inward travel. The identification of such structures, and the inequality they point to, is, we believe, one of several benefits of using SNA to analyze translocal music worlds.
跨地方音乐世界通常被定义为地方音乐世界的网络。然而，它们的网络特性，尤其是其网络结构，一般都是假设的，而非具体绘制并加以探究。形式社会网络分析（SNA）开始在音乐社会学领域引发关注，但此前尚未被用于探究跨地方音乐世界。在本文中，我们基于一项对474名爱好者参与分布在6个地区的148场现场音乐活动情况的调查，运用社会网络分析来探究英国跨地方地下重金属世界网络结构中一个重要的“切片”。我们认为，跨地方性通过多种方式形成，但我们所关注的一种方式是，观众跨地区去参加演出和音乐节。我们对这个网络的分析揭示了一种核心—边缘结构，并且我们进一步发现，这种结构与地区相关。在我们的音乐世界中，并非所有现场活动都具有同等地位，一些地区更有条件承办更具声望的活动，从而吸引外地观众前来。我们相信，识别这样的结构以及它们所指向的不平等现象，是运用社会网络分析来研究跨地方音乐世界的诸多益处之一。
