Background:

There are many conceptions of the purpose and methods of anthropology. The analytic question below arise from some of the major currents in cultural anthropology.

Analytic Approach:

An anthropologist might approach the analysis of a musical work as follows:

1. How does the music-making support the social structures of an existing culture? (FUNCTIONALISM)
   
   
2. What deep structures do the musical behaviors point to or suggest? (STRUCTURALISM)
   
   
3. What symbolic communication is represented by the music-making? (GEERTZIAN)
   
   
4. What policies would you recommend in a society whose musical culture is being displaced? (APPLIED STUDIES)

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