Abstract
Research carried out reveals that Culture is considered as a way of living directed to a particular society as adopted in their standards of living; this culture may include the language of the particular community, their dressing modes, religion, customs and even rule and regulations provided by the governments. In essence, music plays an important role in integrating this culture to the entire community. Indeed music over the recent past has become an important channel of communication not only to the youth but to the entire members of the society.
This paper will discuss the importance of music to the Spanish culture and also analyze its representations through advertisement on various entertainment and sporting Spanish events. It will finally analyze the importance the songs have on the improvement of the people’s way of life and their culture in the Spanish community. This paper will discuss the importance of music to the Spanish culture and also analyze its representations through advertisement on various entertainment and sporting Spanish events. Several music artists have been trying to have more people get informed on the basic social topics such as epidemics like HIV/AIDS, poverty, sexual immorality and even the importance of education to the girl child since most of the Spanish people are reported to be poor and have less information on different social issues affecting them in their daily lives.
Table of Content
- Literature Review
- Introduction 3
- The positive Outcomes of Music on the Spanish Culture
- Music Used as an Entertainment Tool
- Music as a Method of Education
- Advertisements through Music
- The Negative Outcomes of Music on the Spanish Culture
- Musical Miseducation among the Spanish Youths
- Alcohol Abuse
- Increase in Underage Drinking
- Automobile Crash
- Gun Crime
- Violence
- Murder
- Deception
- Recommendations
- How to Deal With the Musical Misinformation 10
- Communication/Education
- Rehabilitation
- Knowing the Child’s Friends
- Censorship of Internet and Television Music Programs
- Conclusion
- Reference
Literature Review
Introduction
Culture is usually defined as the characteristics or behaviors that a particular society has adopted in their standards of living, this culture may include the language of the particular community, their dressing modes, religion, customs and even rule and regulations provided by the governments. Music in the Spanish culture has been in the frontline in educating the Spanish people on important and social issues affecting them such as politics, drugs, terrorism, and popular music to sports. It is evident that songs have been composed by some artistes to try and spread various messages among the Spanish people. some of the music artists are Calamaro, Alejandro Sanz.
The positive Outcomes of Music on the Spanish Culture
Music Used as an Entertainment Tool
The Spanish community is globally identified as a community with many events and celebrations through which music is regarded as one of the means of entertaining its people. It is reported that the Spanish culture involve greater celebrations accompanied by dances and singing that goes hand in hand with parades of giants and correfocs of devils and firecrackers.
It is reported that the Spanish traditional festivals are done on an annually basis where music is also used as part of the festivals as a sign of marking the celebration in the community. This indicates that in every season their must be a festival for the Spanish people to celebrate for example in the summer season, the community have created a tradition that people stay up until dawn through which people are allowed to eat a number of food including fruits and Cava drinks as they celebrate, this people believe that they are always incited by the devils to sing and dance surrounding the Bonfire until dawn (Ansdell, 1997).
Music as a Method of Education
The Spanish community is regarded a society whose culture include music, dances, religion and language reports indicate that in the past years the Spanish people were faced with various challenges including, poor infrastructure, diseases and high population. Though poverty exists in this community it shares a common interest in its culture where music is the only way communicating and educating its people on various social factors affecting its culture (Ansdell, 1997).
Music throughout the world has been in the frontline educating members of the public on important social issues ranging from politics, drugs, terrorism, and popular music to sports. In addition to videos, movies, plays and advertisements in sports’ and entertainment channels, songs have been composed by some artistes to try and spread various messages among the Spanish people (Emad, 2006).
Social marketers have been trying to have more people get informed on the basic social topics such as epidemics like HIV/AIDS, poverty, sexual immorality and even the importance of education to the girl child since most of the Spanish people are reported to be poor and less informed on various social factors affecting them. The Spanish countries have encouraged the use of such music to spread the information to fight their social problems and research indicates that where they have been successful, the prevalence rates of the problems have been low.
In the recent past, more Spanish people have been dieing of AIDS and that is why music has come up with songs to not only make their partners aware but also educate the public on the crisis. The main mission of this organization, just like other radio stations is to compile the musical works of artistes who have died of the disease ,suffered from various social conflicts and inform the public. It also aims to preserve the cultural legacy of the crisis (Emad, 2006).
Spanish music contains messages on how such individuals can keep safe from the disease or remain health if one is infected. These songs especially those by well known Spanish music artist’s world wide such as Calamaro, Alejandro Sanz can be very attractive to the youth. Likewise, the Federal government has also developed policies which require that all organizations including the media houses and musicians help it fight the pandemic and other social problems such as gender inequality and domestic violence (Ansdell, 1997).
Some songs have specifically been composed to pass messages on the use of condoms. The condoms are considered one of the strategies that help in preventing people from having unsafe sex. The songs when played in the radio stationed will help pass information to the young Spanish people who may not have access to the information elsewhere. Media channels use their superiority and quality of transmission to educate the Spanish on the seriousness of the crisis and it also tries to provide suggestions on how the youths can stay healthy.
Many of the young Spanish people today and especially those in third world countries don’t have the accurate and correct information about AIDS. In rural areas where the information on the diseases is limited, more youth are engaging in unprotected sex.Research has suggested that the youth can easily receive information on the disease through music.
Advertisements through Music
Entertainment channels such as Sony pictures have noticed that there is information deficiency in the Spanish society. Through its music shows featuring the best Spanish music artistes, the entertainment channels aim at passing important social issues to its fans. The programs are then broadcasted in Spain and are needed to develop the penchant for advocacy in the music industry with an objective of political and social motivation. Music helps the organizations fighting against HIV/AIDS to build some sort of cohesion between the facts about the disease and the myths that people believe concerning HIV/AIDS (Johnson, 2005).
The whole process of representation in songs started in the late 1980s when various social problems such as HIV/AIDS became a pandemic globally and various nations decided to bring these issues to a situation where people must decide and publicly accept the reality about the problems. The songs and the advertisements stations had a role to play and the role at that point in time did not have sufficient knowledge to combat the spread of the disease. VEO TV for example allocates more of its resources such as time and money to educative materials and talk shows.
The Negative Outcomes of Music on the Spanish Culture
Musical Miseducation among the Spanish Youths
Very many Spanish youths are watching and listening to music through various mediums of communication such as the internet programs, radio and television a great deal. Research indicates that eighty five percent of the Spanish youths use their leisure time watching and listening to various types of music among which some of them are regarded as not being educative to the youths television or internet programs. These music programs show movies of young people engaging in various activities such gang violence, sexual immorality and even drug and alcohol abuse. (Kathleen, 2008)
Therefore the youths watching and listening to this particular type of music regard the youths who engage in such music movies to be heroes. Within a short time, they start to emulate what they have seen so that they can also be considered as heroes. This makes them to automatically get involved in gang violence, sexual immorality alcohol abuse groups in their neighborhood. Surveys carried out shows that many Spanish youths have access to internet everyday and most have their personal television sets in their bedrooms. They therefore watch what they want without their parents easily knowing. Before long, they become involved in bad activities such as:
Alcohol Abuse
There is sufficient evidence that alcohol advertising through music is likely to be a contributing factor to overall consumption and other alcohol related problems. It can influence young Spanish people particularly their beliefs about alcohol and eventually their intentions to take alcohol (Kahn, 2000). A lot of studies have been done concerning the topic and various arguments have been brought forward for and against the musical advertising of alcohol brands in the media.
Young Spanish people aging approximately 12-18 years love and spend more time watching television during prime hours and listening to music and as a result this is when most of the alcohol adverts are aired. In fact, it is believed that on average, young Spanish people watch television 2 hours each day. Most of these children not only have television sets in their bedroom but also there is no family rules concerning the use of alcohol (Kahn, 2000)
It has been noticed that there is increased dependence of broadcasters on revenue from musical alcohol advertisements which is believed to have more subtle and undesirable effect in the long run on advertising roles in fighting alcohol abuse. Most companies influence decisions on station programming times and to some extend compromise coverage of health related issues which include effects of alcohol consumption and safety concerns among the youth.
In some situations, some media companies have taken a hard-line stand on anti-drinking musical adverts by the public and the alcohol activist (Grant, 1997). This has to some extend jeopardized the implementation of policies to regulate the advertising industry especially those directly related to musical alcohol advertisements just because they value the revenue and contributions from alcohol companies. Therefore we find that this musical alcohol advertising has its own impact on the Spanish culture such as;
Increase in Underage Drinking
Due to the Spanish musical adverts, children start drinking at the age of 12 or 13 years depending on other factors such as alcohol availability. With such drinking age, the children will most likely be spoilt and become alcoholic at a very tender age of 18 years and when they are 21 years of age- the age accepted internationally for alcohol consumption- they are very mush involved in alcohol consumption. Those young people who start drinking at that age will more likely to be alc9ohol dependent in future than those who will start taking alcohol at the age of twenty one years (Kathleen, 2008).
Automobile Crash
Automobile crash has become a leading cause of death among teens and this is believed to be related to drinking and listening to music while driving among the Spanish youths. It has also increased in occurrence and nearly half of the accidents are due to the effects of alcohol. Suicide increases among the youth, homicides etc have become rampant ant that is directly connected to the musical alcohol adverts that has encouraged young Spanish people to take beer and other alcoholic products depending on the information given by the musical adverts. (Kahn, 2000)
Gun Crime
Previous research indicates that the numbers of young Spanish people between 10 and 25 years old who have been legally accused of gun crime. Some analysts believe that the vice is like a cancer that is spreading in a vicious cycle-from the street-to our street-to your street. It is therefore a social problem that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. There have been various classes of explanations on the causes, effects and magnitude of gun crime among the Spanish community today. The debate on this issue which has been carried out both in academic and popular settings focuses on the relative contributions of environmental and biological determinants i.e. nature vs. nurture on the behaviors, attitudes and social behavior of young people in the Spanish society.
One of the worsening situations today in the Spanish community is that the citizens are bombarded with musical films that describe the gun crime among the young Spanish people this indicates that the Spanish culture today is saturated with lots of lust and immorality. If you turn on the T.V today, at least 40% of the content will be either sexual or action related musical information. When children watch action oriented musical movies, they tend to believe that it is fashionable to engage in crime and get ‘feared’ by the rest of the people in the society (Kathleen, 2008).
Violence
Violence is considered a way of expression among the young people. It is mostly associated with the Spanish community and that more people are practicing it because they feel their needs are not addressed fully. The society especially the youth in the universities and other institutions are
Murder
Murder is an act of moral decay which has continued to increase in the society despite the harsh judicial systems in the world. The Spanish judicial system has been handling increased cases of murder perpetrated by young people in the Spanish community. The number of youth, celebrities such as musicians and prominent personalities taking part in murder activities are increasing in number and this is blamed directly on moral decay in the society
Deception
Deception is the practice of engaging in fraud and deceit. Deception is opinionated in nature and that it is as a result of immorality among most Spanish musicians. Since deception is part of the lifestyle for musicians especially when their survival is threatened it is therefore considered an indication of moral decay in the society (Kathleen, 2008).
Recommendations
How to Deal With the Musical Misinformation
Communication/Education
Many Spanish youths are getting involved in musical miseducation because of the lack of prior information. It is therefore very important to educate youths when they are still at an early age concerning the repercussions of getting involved in music pornography. This has to be carried out by all the stakeholders including parents, teachers and the government. First of all, parents need to take time and talk to their children concerning the disadvantages of getting information from the wrong type of music (Ansdell, 1997).
Rehabilitation
With increased cases of many youth engaging in crime, poverty, drug abuse, technology change and modernization, psychological problems are beginning to be snag in the world. Many of our young people are suffering from metal distress, depression and drug addiction and this is the real problem.
With a view to mitigating the problem, we find that Rehabilitation should be applied since it involves the teaching and training of the persons who are addicted to a particular behavior to stop and become an acceptable member of the society in this case the Spanish musicians who indulge in immoral activities. The society at large is given the responsibility of assisting the musicians who are addicts by helping them to get hope through various programs that the criminals will be educated thus helping them to heal their bodies and mind. Under rehabilitation we find that psychological counselors and Christian counselors have been trying to guide and advice the victims on how to become psychologically healthy.
Scholars and researchers have not however agreed on which kind of approach-whether the Christian one of the secular- can actually bring better results. If both are the best ways can help people with psychological issues, what then are their differences and which one is best suited for the people in social and religious terms (Ansdell, 1997).
Knowing the Child’s Friends
This is also one of the ways through which Spanish parents can use to prevent their young children from engaging in various vices in the society. It is highly known that many parents are just too busy that they don’t have the time of knowing who the friends to their children are. When parents get to know the friends to their children; they will be in a position to advise them accordingly on the right friends. It is very easy for parents to notice wayward friends to their children. If parents just take time to know their children’s friends, they can advise them accordingly and therefore help in preventing youths from getting involved in such vices.
Censorship of Internet and Television Music Programs
There is need to censor internet and television use both in schools and at home because some internet music movies really harm children in very many ways. Research shows that Spanish children who watch music movies showing movies with other youth engaging in gang violence, sexual misbehaviors and substance abuse may not be affected in the same way but in one way or another there will be negative effects. Most of these negative effects may not be seen the same day that a child watches these movies but they are rather quite progressive in nature. This is mostly associated to a person who drinks beer. This person may not become an alcoholic immediately but the effects will be very visible in the long run. That is why when censorship of internet is carried out; this will help prevent young children from getting involved in such vices.
Conclusion
The main aim of using music is to reach a majority of the Spanish youth who are mostly attracted to the music and programs in the society. Music on its part has a role to play especially if they contain the messages which encourage people to protect themselves from the disease and social problems such as poverty and domestic violence and maintaining the culture. The management of such institutions should therefore promote the Spanish culture of teaching members of the public on the dangers of indulging in various antisocial activities.
Reference
Ansdell, G (1997) Musical Elaborations-What has the New Musicology to Say to Music Therapy: – British Journal of Music Therapy, Vol. 11, no 2, pp. 35-46.
Emad R. (2006): Role of journalists: Journalists Speak at 18th Annual National, Managed Health Care Congress, UK, pp 12-45.
Gruhn, W (2000). Does brain research support the hope for musical transfer effects? Electronic Music Journal EMJ. Web.
Johnson, A. (2005): Fighting AIDS through the Media. New York Press, New York, pp 15-25.
Kathleen, O (2008) Rock & Roll: Does it influence teens’ behavior? Web.