Sound and Vision: Using Progressive Rock to Teach Social Theory

Author(s): Jarl A. Ahlkvist

Source: Teaching Sociology , Oct., 2001, Vol. 29, No. 4 (Oct., 2001), pp. 471-482
Published by: American Sociological Association

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1318948

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 SOUND AND VISION:
USING PROGRESSIVE ROCK TO TEACH SOCIAL THEORY*

JARL A. AHLKVIST
University of Colorado--Colorado Springs

ALTHOUGH RELATIVELY LITTLE has been

andwrit-
taught. In addition to developing tech-
ten about how to teach social theory, a few
niques to improve learning in social theory
authors have commented on the value and courses as Donaghy (2000), Fails (1988),
challenges of teaching classical theory.and
As Lowney (1998) have done, the difficul-
Orum (1980) and Segady (1990) remind ties
us, that instructors and students face in such
teaching undergraduate students classical classes
so- can also be eased by teaching theory
more effectively in introductory courses.
cial theory is important in passing on sociol-
ogy. The comments of Parker (1997) and One promising approach is Hale's (1995)
students in his theory course suggest thatuse of active learning techniques in her
there is even a place for the classical theo-
introduction to sociology course to connect
rists in a postmodern, multicultural sociol-
abstract theory to students' experiences. An-
other is the use of popular music in the
ogy curriculum. Despite the value of teach-
sociology classroom.
ing social theory to undergraduate students,
instructors face the serious problem of con-The literature on using music to teach
sociology suggests that the medium is well
veying material that students are ill prepared
to learn, on a topic that makes them anxious
.suited for use in a range of courses, and that
and fearful. According to Lowney (1998), it is an effective way of stimulating student
interest
students enter theory courses with, at best, a and enhancing active learning.
vague notion of the different theoreticalAmong sociology instructors, the most com-
mon
perspectives, which were likely covered in a uses of music involve playing selected
cursory manner in their introductory
songs in class and discussing how the lyrics
courses. The result, as Segady (1990) ob- illustrate sociological concepts, ideas, and
theories (Elterman 1983). Such a technique
serves, is that "student understanding of the
classics may well have come from reading has been successfully applied in courses on
introductory texts that often devote more deviance (Martinez 1995), race, class, and
space to photographs of the 'masters' thangender
to (Martinez 1994), theory (Burns and
any systematic explanation of their ideas Martinez 1993), and introduction to sociol-
(which are often summarily dismissedogy as (Walczak and Reuter 1994). In fact, the
'pioneering')" (p. 214). Having a limited
materials collected in Reuter and Walczak's
(1993) collection indicate that music can be
understanding of theory and why it is impor-
used in almost any sociology course. Most
tant for learning sociology, students develop
"theory anxiety" (Lowney 1998), another
recently, Ahlkvist (1999) has offered an
hurdle for students and instructors to over- alternative to the illustrative uses of music in
come if theory is to be effectively learnedsociology classes by making popular music
the object of students' cultural analysis.
"*The author would like to thank the anony- Ahlkvist (1999) demonstrates how students
mous reviewers for their help in revising this
in introductory sociology courses can learn
paper. Please address all correspondence to the
about theories, concepts, and ideas by using
author at the Department of Sociology, Univer-
sity of Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-
them in their analysis of heavy metal music
7150; e-mail: jarlandmarti@juno.com and subculture. By all accounts, illustrative
Editor's note: The reviewers were, in alpha-and analytical uses of music in sociology
betical order, Lilli Downes, Walter R. Jacobs,classes are liked by students, and effective
and Anthony M. Orum. tools for making sociology relevant to them.

Teaching Sociology, Vol. 29, 2001 (October:471-482) 471

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 472 TEACHING SOCIOLOGY

More generally, the

technique's value
effectiveness. of
In conclusion I m
learning is well established
discuss theor
some limitations and alternative ap-
empirically in plications
the offieldsthe technique. of psych
education (Mayer 1997). Teach
niques that PROGRESSIVE
engage ROCK
multiple sen
AND CLASSICAL SOCIAL
supported by theories ofTHEORYlearning
phasize the importance of drawin
nizing frameworks orStyle
The Progressive Rock "schema
meaningful to the
Progressive rock learner (e.
is well suited for teaching
1976; Paivio 1986; Torney-Purta
social theory because its themes correspond
research on multimedia learn
to those taken up by major classical theo
Moreno and Mayer 1999;
rists. The defining Park
feature of progressiv
nafin 1993; Penney 1989).
rock, as with classical Ac
social theory, is it
Moreno and Mayer (2000),
"conceptual density" lear
(Martin 1998). In pro
hanced when instructors present gressive rock "there is a qualitatively height
"complementary stimuli that are relevantenedto sense, in comparison with most othe
the content of the lesson" (p. 124), allowing
forms of rock, that ideas play an importan
students to use both auditory and visualrole in the music, and the quality of th
processing channels. music depends in a significant way, on th
quality of the ideas involved." (Martin
The technique described in this article
1998:119, emphasis in original). The classi
employs popular music to address the chal-
lenges of teaching theory to introductory
progressive rock works pose many of th
sociology students without glossing over its
same questions that the classical social theo-
pivotal place in the course and the disci-
rists did, and attempt to articulate "big
pline. My approach to teaching theory ideas"
to with a level of abstraction suitable for
accounting for the complexity of social phe-
introductory students differs from most uses
of music in the sociology classroom in that
nomena. Accordingly, the images of society
albums from a single music genre, rather and human relations found in progressive
than individual songs or lyrics, are usedrock to music correspond usefully to the way
that social theorists conceptualize the world.
highlight the distinctions between theoretical
perspectives. I use progressive rock musicTheto parallels I identify between progressive
help students grasp theories holistically, rock and social theory are based primarily
on three book-length analyses of the genre
rather than to illustrate isolated concepts and
ideas. By demonstrating how the ideas(Macan of 1997; Martin 1998; Stump 1997)
Marx, Durkheim, and Weber are expressed that have guided my discovery of sociologi-
cal insights in progressive rock music.
in the music of the classical progressive rock
bands Pink Floyd, Yes, and Emerson, Lake While I have drawn extensively on others'
and Palmer (ELP) respectively, students are analyses and commentary on progressive
able to grasp the distinctive focus of eachrock
of music, the parallels I draw between
individual bands and theorists are based on
these classical theories.' In describing this
teaching technique, I begin by offering my a own selective interpretation of this music
rationale for using progressive rock music. and is based on my desire to provide stu-
Secondly, I explain how I use this musicdents in with musical, lyrical, and visual cues
the classroom, and present evidence of that the complement their introduction to social

'Pink Floyd, Yes, and ELP recorded their sic was recorded in the earlier formative period.
seminal albums during progressive rock's classi- I limit my use of progressive rock music to
cal period of artistic innovation and commercial works recorded by major bands of the classical
success in the 1970s. Numerous "neo-prog" period in order to draw a clear parallel to my
artists joined these bands in the 1980s and 1990s,introduction of major theorists of sociology's
but the genre's defining and most enduring mu-classical period.

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 FACILITATING ACTIVE LEARNING 473

theory. As with other sociologists

structed who
to be carefully listened have
to and expe-
rienced holistically,of
written about the integration rather than as back-
media cul-
ground ormy
ture into their teaching, dance music. As Macan (1997)
objective is to
help students to think
argues, thesociologically,
meaning of progressive rock, not
learn about progressive rock
expressed in music
the music, per se.
lyrics, performance
Following sociology aesthetics, and album cover artwork,
instructors whodrew have
used popular culture primarily on the ideology of the
to demonstrate student
coher-
ence within and distinctions between socio-
counterculture. The resulting thematic con-
logical paradigms (e.g., Tipton and Tiemann
tinuum runs from "radical negation," a cri-
tique of the modern status quo, to "radical
1993), I use music to help students appreci-
ate how concepts fit together within theo-affirmation," the imagining of an alternative
ries, and to demonstrate how each theorist
to current social arrangements (Martin
highlights different aspects of modernity 1998:120).
in
order to offer a distinctive explanation of
social phenomena. For example, students Using Classic Progressive Rock to Teach
gain a clearer understanding of Weber's Classical Social Theory
pessimistic assessment of modernity whenIn this section I describe how I introduce
sociological theory in my introductory class,
they learn how his ideas about the Protestant
the logistics of bringing progressive rock
ethic, rationalization, power, and bureaucra-
cies are interwoven, and can see a similar into the classroom, and how I use this music
integration of concepts revealed--in ELP's to introduce students to the theories of
music. Marx, Durkheim, and Weber. Like many
Progressive rock, also known as art rock, introductory sociology instructors and text-
symphonic rock, classical rock, or simply books, I begin discussing social theory after
prog, jelled as a distinctive popular music broaching the idea of the "sociological imag-
style in the early 1970s and was embodied in ination" (Mills 1959). I frame my introduc-
the albums of British bands such as ELP, tion of classical theorists as a way of demon-
Genesis, Gentle Giant, King Crimson, Pink strating that sociologists view the world
Floyd, and Yes. The defining musical at- through multiple "lenses" that help them
tributes of progressive rock were its liberal attend to different aspects of social life and
borrowings from the classical music canon human behavior. Beginning with mini-
and art-music tradition. According to Cov-lectures, I offer an overview of the ways in
which Marx, Durkheim, and Weber each
ach (1997): "Among the most ardent fans of
progressive rock at the time, there was the
viewed modern society, emphasizing the
correspondence between these men's ideas,
perception that these musicians were at-
biographies, and historical circumstances.
tempting to shape a new kind of classical
At this point, I focus primarily on Marx's
music-a body of music that would not
attention to class conflict and alienation,
disappear after a few weeks or months on
Durkheim's concern with social integration
the pop charts, but would be listened to (and
and regulation, and Weber's analysis of
perhaps even studied), like the music of rationalization. I then screen the first half of
Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms, for years
Fritz Lang's silent film Metropolis and ask
to come" (p. 4). Progressive rock in its
students to discuss in small groups what
1970s heyday was characterized by intri-
these three theorists might say about the
cately structured and lengthy compositions
society portrayed in the film. Student com-
(often in the form of multi-movement suites
ments on the film provide me with feedback
and concept albums), technical virtuosity,
regarding what material from my mini-
elaborate album cover artwork (often illus- lectures was salient to them and what con-
trating musical and lyrical themes), and cepts and ideas need further elaboration
intellectually sophisticated and cryptic when the class reconvenes for open discus-
lyrics. The music was self-consciously con- sion.

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 474 TEACHING SOCIOLOGY

Once the students have been introduced to visual representation of Marx' theory.
three of the major figures in classical social Macan (1997) describes Animals as a "bleak
theory, I present them with music, lyrics, depiction of an Orwellian society that con-
and album covers from three progressive sists only of 'sheep' (mindless followers),
rock artists whose classic recordings parallel 'pigs' (self-righteous and tyrannical moral-
each of these theorists' sociological visions. ists), and 'dogs' (power hungry and violence
I begin with a brief overview of progressive prone manipulators)" (p. 60). While the
rock, emphasizing the genre's conceptual sheep eventually use violence to overthrow
density and how this is reflected in progres- the dogs, the success of this "revolution"
sive rock's classic albums, major works in remains ambiguous.
the progressive rock canon. I underscore the I begin the presentation of Animals by
point that like the classical theorists, these displaying the album cover, which depicts
progressive rock artists' visions of society an imposing factory with enormous
were shaped by the intersection of biography smokestacks, and the gatefold with its
and history, and that Marx, Durkheim, and dreary black and white photographs of
Weber's theoretical concerns have remained barbed wire, rubble, and abandoned build-
relevant long after their deaths, even among
ings. I then play the final few minutes of the
rock musicians. I then play excerpts from song "Dogs" and brief excerpts from "Pigs
Pink Floyd's Animals (1977), Yes's Close to(Three Different Ones)" and "Sheep" to
the Edge (1972), and ELP's Brain Saladshow how Pink Floyd musically represents
Surgery (1973) albums, and display album the three types of people or animals that
cover artwork and selected lyrics. The pre-inhabit modern industrial society. From
sentation of each progressive rock classic there I use the album's musical, lyrical, and
lasts approximately 15 minutes. After eachvisual imagery to talk about alienation, class
music presentation I lead a discussion geared
conflict, and ideology as elements of Marx's
at drawing parallels between Pink Floyd and explanation for the exploitation, violence,
Marx, Yes and Durkheim, and ELP and selfishness, and madness that he and Pink
Weber. While it is unlikely that most pro-
Floyd see as endemic to modern capitalist
gressive rock band's social "theories" were
societies. Students are quick to pick up on
inspired directly by the likes of Marx,
the way Pink Floyd visually depicts an
alienating industrial landscape, and I add
Durkheim, or Weber, it is possible to distin-
lyrics from each animal's theme song to
guish how different progressive rock artists
show how each "class" experiences this
have incorporated these theorists' perspec-
alienating environment: the dogs are
tives on society into their music, lyrics, and
album artwork. "broken by trained personnel," the pigs'
Pink Floyd and Karl Marx. Guided bylives are a "charade," and the sheep are
Roger Waters, a self proclaimed socialist, "meek and obedient." Class conflict, how-
Pink Floyd's classic 1970s albums, begin- ever, is evident as the sheep rise up,
ning with Dark Side of the Moon (1973), "bleating and babbling," to overthrow their
offer a soundtrack for Marx's critique ofoppressors, the dogs. Interestingly, no men-
industrial capitalism. Macan (1997) de- tion is made of the pigs' fate after this
scribes Dark Side of the Moon as an explo- rebellion, and I suggest to students that this
ration "of just those abstractions of modern is because the sheep have failed to target the
industrial society that depersonalize, dehu- real enemy, the bourgeois pigs. In the song
manize, and ultimately drive people to mad- "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" Pink Floyd
ness" (p. 78). Although Dark Side of the clearly describe an economic ("Well healed
Moon is an incredibly rich album for socio- big wheel..Pig stain on your fat chin") and
logical analysis, I use the band's 1977 Ani- moral ("All tight lips and cold feet...you've
mals album in my introductory course be- got to stem the evil tide") elite. In the song
cause it offers a clearer musical, lyrical, and "Sheep," the pigs' use of ideology to retain

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 FACILITATING ACTIVE LEARNING 475

power over the sheeponis

these albums reflects illustrated
cleverly the theme of their
1972
by a creepy recitation ofalbum Close to the Edge,
a warped the balance
revision
of the 23rd Psalm ("The Lord
between nature is myYes's
and humanity. shep-
music
herd...") which is used to convince the is similarly balanced so that disparate musi-
sheep to give up their lives in the slaughter- cal and vocal elements are integrated to
house (factory). Finally, I point out that create an intricate unity in which the whole
despite their pessimism about modern capi- is truly more than the sum of its parts. I
talism, both Pink Floyd and Karl Marx see a focus my presentation on the 19-minute
ray of hope in the human potential for "Close to the Edge" from the album of the
consciousness and action. Animals is framed same name, a song that Mosbo (1994) de-
by "Pigs on the Wing," a brief acoustic songscribes as "a ritual about ritual" (p. 129).
that contrasts powerfully with the frantic "Close to the Edge" is loosely based on
electric guitar fueled climaxes of "Dogs" Hermann Hesse's novel Siddhartha (1971),
and "Sheep." In "Pigs on the Wing" weand deals with a spiritual quest and the
glimpse the narrator's transformation fromtension between the sacred and the profane.
cynical victim of false consciousness to classAccording to Covach (1997), the song musi-
conscious skeptic. cally and lyrically contrasts the material
Yes and Emile Durkheim. In contrast to world with that of the spiritual, the verses
Pink Floyd's unrelentingly critical perspec-"capturing a kind of chaotic and perhaps
tive, the classic music of Yes offers a vision
primitive material realm" and the bridges "a
of the possibilities of modern society. Artist
more refined and even more life-affirming
Roger Dean's surrealistic paintings of fan-
spiritual realm" (p. 18). The song provides
tastic mythical landscapes on Yes's album an excellent way of introducing Durkheim's
covers "represent the idealized society-- interest in ritual and religion, and subse-
close to the earth, based on mutual depen-quently his unique view of the weight of
dence and a strong sense of community, society on the individual and the problems
linked with the past" (Macan, 1997:73). (egoism, anomie) that result when people
Yes's classic works draw attention to the are inadequately integrated and regulated.
delicate balance between the individual and Because Yes's lyrics are notoriously cryptic,
"something in us that is other than our- I focus primarily on the sound of the music
selves" (Durkheim [1912]1995:214), and and the album cover artwork, and encourage
depict aspects of the moral order that students to compare these with our previous
Durkheim believed was necessary for mod- discussion of Pink Floyd's Animals album.
em societies' survival. As Macan (1997) The musical and visual tone of these two
states, Yes's lyrics draw on "mythology, artists' works are jarringly different; yet, as
fantasy, literature, science fiction, and sa- was the case with Marx and Durkheim,
cred texts of the past to suggest a model for these artists were making observations about
an ideal society toward which we might the same social environment. Because they
strive, most characteristically a society in can now see and hear two distinctive, yet
which technological virtuosity and ancient equally valid perspectives on society, this is
wisdom are harmoniously reconciled" (p. often the point at which students begin to
73). In other words, Yes's music is the realize that the use of multiple theoretical
embodiment of "radical affirmation" in pro- perspectives is necessary to better capture
gressive rock, and usefully reflects the many facets of modernity.
Durkheim's optimistic assessment of moder-ELP and Max Weber. Perhaps the most
nity's potential. obvious incorporation of classical theory by
I use the album artwork from Fragilea progressive rock band is ELP's channeling
(1971), Yessongs (1973), and Tales from
of Max Weber on their Brain Salad Surgery
Topographic Oceans (1973) to begin my (1973) album. This concept album's center-
presentation on Yes because Dean's artwork
piece, the epic Karn Evil 9 suite uses Webe-

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 476 TEACHING SOCIOLOGY

rian imageryBe to
careful as tell
you pass. the stor
Move along,
chanted society move along!
increasingly
technology. Performing
The on a stool we've a sight
album cover to make f
you drool
H.R. Giger's "dreamlike, mo
Seven virgins and a mule
elisions of the organic and m
Keep it cool, Keep it cool.
(Stump 1997:169), while
We would like it to be the m
known the exhibits that
discordant andwere coldly
shown mechanic
in contrast with the
Are exclusively our own sound of
As Macan (1997) All our own. observes, th
agery represents "the oppres
Finally, I contrast ELP's opus
bureaucracy which...is with the
crushing
works of Pink
of contemporary Floyd and Yes in order
western to
cultu
lyrics "protest
make clear thethat Webercold,
and ELP provide inhu
yet
racy which Western
another lens through whichsociety
to see modernity s
the process ofthat helpsbecoming"
us to notice aspects of society that (p
carnival-likeMarx and Pink Floyd, as well
musical as Yes and
backdr
Durkheim overlooked. Here
9's first impression I emphasize
portrays
tive, totalitarian
Weber's pessimism society in w
regarding the possibility
phenomena, of a revolutionary antidote to rationalization,
spirituality, and h
alike have been crushed"
a theme we return to later in the course (Ma
By the piece'swhenthird
discussing George Ritzer's (1996) up-
impressi
dating
clear that this of Weber through
society is the contr
concept of
McDonaldization.designed to
puters, originally
ity, which are Contrasting
overthrown visions of society in progres-
by "
humanity" in sive
therock. Scruggs and Mastropieri (1990)
climatic fina
note that "concrete,
nately, it appears to meaningful
be (or afamil-
mea
tory because iar), elaborated
the totalinformation will be more
loss of h
ality easily learned
condemns us than,to
for example,
repeatnonmean- t
take, to ingful (or unfamiliar),
create abstract, and unelabo-
a rationalize
monster rated information"
from which (p. 8). Accordingly,
there my
use of progressive rock to teach social the-
(Macan 1997:75).
ory is based on
From the cover the assumption that
image of studentsa w
can use this by
literally "caged" music as a an
concrete organ
organizing
device, to theframework to which they can easily link vo
computerized
abstract social theories. Table 1 contrasts
"I'm perfect, are you?" this alb
ing with linksselected
to lyrics from Pink Floyd, Yes,
Weber's theoand
last five ELP's classic
minutes of albums in order to
the underscore
album to
how each offers
how ELP depicts the a distinct conceptual tem-
irrational
plate upon
of reliance on technologywhich students can "map" Marx,
thro
Durkheim, and Weber's theories. The lyrics
between computer and human.
from Pink Floyd's song "Sheep" portray the
size the lyrics of Kam Evil 9's
unconscious masses who only realize what
sion, which portrays a .soulle
sessed with entertainment, their true fate is once it is too late, as theyand
are about to be butchered. Yes's lyrics are
the devastating environment
costs of rationalization: predictably cryptic, but when heard in the
context of the music's alternating melodic
and discordant passages they reinforce the
Welcome back my friends to the show that
never ends band's contrasting of the profane and the
We're so glad you could attend sacred. Finally, ELP tells a story of the
Come inside, come inside! confrontation between humans and machines
There behind the glass is a real blade of grass by juxtaposing a human voice (lowercase

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FACILITATING ACTIVE LEARNING 477

Table 1. Selected Lyrics from Three Progressive Ro

Artist and Album

Pink Floyd: Animals Yes: Close to the Edge ELP: Brain Salad Surgery
Harmlessly passing your time in A seasoned witch could call you Man alone, born of stone
the grassland away from the depths of your disgrace Will stamp the dust of time
Only dimly aware of a certain And rearrange your liver to the His hand strike the flame of his
unease in the air solid mental grace soul
You better watch out And achieve it all with music Ties a rope to
There may be dogs about that came quickly from afar the univer
I've looked over Jordan and I Then taste the fruit of man Until the w
have seen recorded losing all against the cold
Things are not what they seem hour
Walls no man thought would fall
What do you get for pretending Getting over all the times I had to The altars of the j
the danger's not real worry Dust in the wind
Meek and obedient you follow Leaving all the changes far from
the leader far behind I am all there is
Down well trodden corridors into We relieve
the valley of steel find out the master's name LIMITED! I LET YOU LIVE!
What a surprise! But I gave you life
A look of terminal shock in your Down at the edge, ro
eyes corner DO?
Now things are really what
seem river I'M PERFECT! ARE YOU?
No, this is no bad dream Seasons w
I get up, I get down
Now that it's all over and do
now you find, now that you
whole

lyrics) with lyrics

learning "sung"
this material more
byinteresting
a com and
enjoyable:
voice (upper case lyrics).

EVALUATION OF THE TECHNIQUE Before relating music and the [theoretical]

perspectives it was difficult to understand, but
now it is all clear.
Effectiveness of Using Progressive Rock to
Teach Social Theory
When you began [the presentation of progres-
As most commentators on using music in
sive rock] I thought that this would not help
sociology classes have noted, students ap-
me, however, after your presentation was over,
preciate an instructors' integration of musicthe concepts really soaked in.
into their classes because it makes material
more accessible and learning more enjoy-It gave me a clearer understanding of their [the
able, while facilitating discussion and stu-theorists'] views. I was kind of mixed up
dent participation. Students likewise respondbefore I listened to it [the music].
positively to the use of progressive rock
It gave me a much greater understanding, plus
music in my introductory sociology course,
it was much more appealing to me than a
as suggested by the following remarks fromlecture on the theories would be.
anonymous student evaluations. Most stu-
dents comment on how my use of progres-
More importantly, students often indicate
sive rock clarifies their understanding of the
that they found the technique helpful because
classical theorists' work and how it makes

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 478 TEACHING SOCIOLOGY

the music provided

of progressive rockan easily
music helps introductory co
and tangible link to
students learn social the unfam
theory, I compared the
stract theories: test performance of students who were
taught social theory using progressive rock
It was a big help because
music and students who wereit kind
taught social
hands-on idea. theory
Instead of
alone. Specifically, someone
I taught my intro-
me what was in the music, I actu
ductory course with and without the use of
chance to
for myself. hear it
the technique described above and compared
how well students taking each version of the
The rock music helped me to p
theories into class were able to answer the
practice same multiple
and to se
worked first choice
hand. questions relating to theory on the
final exam. The results of this comparison
Each [artist] are shown
was in Table 2. Other than the omis-
different from
you could identify which
sion of the progressive musi
rock music technique
which theorist, showing
from class A, both versionstheir view
of the introduc-
tory course were identical; I used the same
Every time
the name Marx it I see
syllabus, class exercises, readings, assign-
of the pig that has power over th
mals. ments, lectures, videos, and exams in both
cases. Students taking each version of the
course were also quite similar
It helped me. Especially in terms of th
seeing
age, major, andpictures
I liked getting those year in college. The distri-
into m
butions of final course grades in both classes
I really thought it
were also was
similar. In class Ahelpful
I covered the to
thing "tangible" and identifiable
same classical social theorists as in class B, r
classical social theories. It also ma
spending an equal amount of time introduc-
theories] more interesting.
ing Marx, Durkheim, and Weber in each
version of the course. The time devoted to
Theory and research that confir
progressive rock in class B was replaced by
tiveness of multi-sensory learni
expanded mini-lectures and longer discus-
media teaching
sions of thetechniques
theories in class A. In terms of su
anecdotal evidence. Another indicator of the
explanation and discussion of theories, the
effectiveness of the technique, given the
only difference between the two classes was
theoretical amnesia that afflicts most stu-
that in class B we talked about theory in
dents, is how well students retain their
conjunction with progressive rock, while in
understanding of social theory. class A discussion was limited to theories
In an effort to determine whether my use
and theorists alone. Although the two classes

Table 2. Correct Answers on Selected Final Exam Questions by Course Type

Question Topic Class A Class B

(N=40) (N=28)

George Ritzer 23 (58%) 23 (82%)

Conflict Paradigm 15 (38%) 14 (50%)
Functional Paradigm 26 (65%) 20 (71%)
Max Weber 27 (68%) 22 (79%)
Karl Marx 19 (48%) 15 (54%)
Emile Durkheim 30 (75%) 25 (89%)
Robert Merton* 30 (75%) 19 (68%)
George Mead* 28 (70%) 19 (68%)
*These items are included for comparative purposes on

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FACILITATING ACTIVE LEARNING 479

Limitationsin
were slightly different and Applications
size, both con-
tained a comparable number
Despite of "talkers"
the apparent effectiveness of using
(Karp and Yoels 1976), and
progressive course
rock as evalua-
a tool for teaching social
theory, two limitations
tions indicate no difference are worth noting.
in students' per-
ceptions of the quality First, of
some class
students maydiscussion.
have trouble mak-
The final exam taken ing connections
by students between thein concepts
both and
versions of the class ideas that make up the
contained eightsocial theories
theory and
questions; however, only their reflection
six on the music of progressive
questions dealt
with theoretical ideas that were introduced rock artists, and may be initially confused by
using progressive rock music in Class B. Asthe instructor's introduction of this music
shown in Table 2, students who were intro-into the class. While the reason for consider-
duced to classical theory via progressiveing progressive rock in the context of an
rock music were better able to answer these introductory course's coverage of social the-
six theory questions on the final exam. ory becomes clear to most students after the
Overall, scores on these six questions were
presentation on Marx and Pink Floyd, some
significantly higher in Class B than Class A,struggle with the absence of a literal corre-
X2 (5) = 12.28, p = .03. In addition to spondence between the musical works and
the theories. For example, students might
being better able to answer questions about
the classical social theorists and the wonder about the parallels between Marx's
notion of two great classes and Pink Floyd's
paradigms they inspired, students introduced
to theory using progressive rock music depiction of a society populated by "classes"
also
of animals.
had less trouble with a question aboutA second limitation of the tech-
nique is that it is less participatory than other
George Ritzer's theory of McDonaldization
approaches to using music in the sociology
than students in Class A. The final exam
classroom. Because progressive rock mu-
also included a question about Robert Mer-
ton's anomie theory and a questionsic's on conceptual density makes it inherently
difficult
George Mead's theory of the self, neither of to decipher and open to multiple
interpretations, the instructor must guide
which was linked to my progressive rock
presentations on classical theory in Classstudents'
B. interpretations of the music to
Unlike with the other six theory questionssome
ondegree. While small groups and ample
the exam, students in Class B answered discussion are key features of my course's
these two questions less well than those incoverage of classical social theory, the pre-
Class A. These findings provide further sentation of progressive rock tends to be less
support for the technique's effectiveness by interactive; a feature that does, however,
suggesting that, as with my coverage of make the technique suitable for use in
Ritzer, the use of progressive rock music to larger, lecture-based classes.
introduce classical theory only enhances I address the first limitation by pointing
learning of more contemporary theories out to students at the outset that progressive
when the music is explicitly integrated into rock is polysemic and that my interpretations
the discussion. For example, a review of the are based on my use of the music as a
Durkheimian themes in Yes's music is nec- heuristic device to help introduce them to
essary when pointing out Merton's theoreti- social theory. I take this one step further and
cal debt to Durkheim. Although answers to point out that there is much in these rich
also
musical texts that I have no clue about, such
multiple choice questions can only tell us so
much about what learning has occurred as inthe flying pig on the cover of Animals or
Yes's mysterious lyrics. I then challenge the
the class, these findings do suggest that the
progressive rock technique eases students' class to come up with interpretations of such
elements that would be consistent with the
introduction to social theory and helps them
theorist we are discussing, an exercise that
retain a basic understanding of this difficult
material. students enjoy and that often leads to inter-

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 480 TEACHING SOCIOLOGY

esting ways new

of that
them to appreciate seeing class
those more invested
progressive rock music.
in the status quo, For e
like most of their parents,
dents recentlymightsuggested
prefer Durkheim's more detached thatand t
moderate on
over the factory viewpoint, an orientation
the that is
Animals
clearly reflected in Yes's
sents how capitalists music. Not sur-
avoid conf
human costs of their
prisingly, business
older and less affluent students
exploit the proletariat find an affinity with Weber'swithout
theory because
hands dirty. it speaks more clearly to their work experi-
Although progressive rock is likely to be ences, as does ELP's exaggerated portrayal
more familiar to students than social theory, of dehumanizing technocracy. I end this
most initially dismiss this music from the brief discussion by noting that even within
1970s as largely irrelevant for understanding professional sociology, history and biogra-
our current social environment. Demonstrat- phy are crucial factors in determining how
ing that classical progressive rock does in theories are received. The prominence of
fact reveal much about today's society pro- Durkheim's work during American sociol-
vides an excellent opportunity to convinceogy's post-war functionalist heyday was not
students that classical social theories (which accidental, and neither was the subsequent
are even more "ancient" than progressive turn toward Marx's theory in the tumultuous
rock) not only continue to be relevant, but 1960s, or the more recent rise in neo-
challenge us to use the sociological imagina- Weberian thinking as we face the escalating
tion to see the familiar world around us in a costs of rationalization.
useful new light. In addition, the technique While I have received no negative feed-
lends itself to discussion of how theories areback on the format of my presentations in
socially constructed. I introduce theory con- progressive rock (students much prefer lis-
struction in my introductory course by tening to music and watching graphics than
showing students how biography and history listening to a conventional lecture), it is
(Mills 1959) intersect in the case of social possible that greater student involvement in
theorists and progressive rock artists. Forinterpreting the music would enhance the
example, I point out that Roger Waters, the effectiveness of the technique. A way of
mastermind behind Pink Floyd's Animals, is further increasing student involvement in the
a self-described socialist who, like Marx, use of progressive rock in the classroom
grounds his analysis of modernity in egali- would be to allot time for student-initiated
tarian philosophical assumptions. Addition- integrations of theory and music, perhaps
ally, I note that Marx and Pink Floyd reach even in the form of short essays, prior to the
similar conclusions about capitalist societyformal discussion of how classical theories
because both developed their ideas in the are reflected in these three progressive rock
context of corresponding historical develop- artists' works. Such an approach, while
ments: the industrial and postindustrial revo-more time consuming, might be a good way
lutions, respectively. to minimize students' search for direct cor-
Showing students that theorists and rock respondence between popular music and so-
musicians alike are influenced by their socialcial theory and maximize their active in-
context inevitably leads to questions regard- volvement in making sense ofthetheoretical
ing which theory is "correct." Having re-classics.
minded students that each theorist and pro- Expanding the approach that I have em-
gressive rock band offers useful insights but ployed in my introductory course may make
also overlooks important issues, I suggest it a useful addition to other courses that
that we talk about which analysis they prefer introduce or build on students' knowledge of
and why. Many younger students are drawn classical and contemporary social theory.
to the "in-your-face" radical critique offered While Marx, Durkheim, and Weber are
by Pink Floyd and Marx, but I encouragelikely the most common theorists covered in

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FACILITATING ACTIVE LEARNING 481

introductory courses, temporary sociology. My

instructors mayexperience using
legiti-
mately also wish to progressive
introducerock music students
in the introductoryto
course suggests that
other influential classical this technique is an
sociological
thinkers such as W.E.B. DuBois and Char- effective tool for teaching classical social
lotte Perkins Gilman. However, as discussedtheory. Instructors can easily integrate the
technique described in this article into their
above, linking such theorists' perspectives to
the Marx/Pink Floyd, Durkheim/Yes, and introductory courses because an intimate
Weber/ELP presentations may be essential knowledge of progressive rock is not re-
in expanding the technique. Most obviously,quired and the time involved in preparing
the technique can be used in classical theorythe music presentations is minimal. Even
courses, although instructors may wish to sociologists who have never heard of pro-
expand the range of theories introducedgressive rock will readily see the links to
using progressive rock. For example, Georgclassic sociological theory that I have identi-
Simmel's unique commentaries on modem fied once they listen to the music and exam-
society could be linked to early albums by ine the album artwork and lyrics. Hopefully,

Genesis, which contain sociological sketches the development of techniques for introduc-
ing theory early in the sociology curriculum
akin to Simmel's analysis of social types like
will facilitate an improvement in the quality
"the stranger" and modem environments
of learning possible in advanced theory
like the metropolis. A more ambitious exten-
classes, as well as enhance introductory
sion of the technique might include the use
students' understanding of the discipline.
of popular music that emerged in the after-
math of progressive rock. Although Martin REFERENCES
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