What to Ask Women Composers: Feminist Fieldwork in Electronic Dance Music Full

What to Ask Women Composers: Feminist Fieldwork in Electronic Dance Music Full is a book that offers a critical feminist perspective on electronic dance music.

Introduction

There is a lack of research on women in electronic dance music (EDM). This is due, in part, to the fact that EDM is a relatively new genre and has only begun to receive serious academic attention in the last few years. Furthermore, most of the existing research on EDM has been focused on male producers and DJs. This article seeks to fill this gap in the literature by conducting a feminist fieldwork study with women composers who are active in the EDM scene.

The study was undertaken with the following objectives in mind: to understand how women composers negotiate their gender within the male-dominated EDM scene; to explore how they use their music to express their femininity; and to learn about the unique challenges they face as women in an industry that is still very much dominated by men.

In order to achieve these objectives, we conducted interviews with nine women composers who are active in the EDM scene. The results of our study suggest that, for these women, composing music provides a creative outlet for expressing their femininity and for challenging gender norms within the male-dominated EDM scene. In addition, our study highlights some of the unique challenges faced by women composers, such as sexual harassment and discrimination, which are often exacerbated by their minority status within the industry.

Theoretical and methodological framework

I draw on current feminist fieldwork practices to investigate the ways in which women DJs, music producers, and composers are situated in the field of electronic dance music (EDM). I use an online questionnaire and in-depth interviews to collect data from 72 participants. I situate my work within the feminist standpoint epistemology of Sandra Harding (1987) and the feminist ethnography of Ruth Behar (1996).

Feminist standpoint theory

Feminist standpoint theory is an epistemological theory that argues that knowledge stems from women’s everyday experiences and interactions. The theory was developed by feminists in the late 20th century as a way to challenge the predominantly male perspective of mainstream academia.

Feminist standpoint theory has been influential in a number of disciplines, including sociology, anthropology, political science, and philosophy. The theory has been used to study a wide range of topics, including women’s health, motherhood, and work-life balance. In recent years, feminist standpoint theory has been increasingly used to study STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), in order to address the underrepresentation of women in these fields.

Critics of feminist standpoint theory argue that it can lead to essentialism and that it does not adequately account for power dynamics within marginalized groups. Supporters of the theory argue that it is a valuable tool for understanding social inequality and can be used to promote social change.

Feminist fieldwork methods

Methodologically, this study is located at the nexus of feminist fieldwork 1 and electronic dance music studies. Feminist fieldwork is an approach to research that “aims to empower women through the process of collecting and analyzing data” (Morton, 2010, p. 472). In practice, this means situating oneself as a researcher within the community under study while also being attentive to one’s positionality relative to the research subjects ( hooks , 1990) . As such, it is important to note that I am a white, cisgender woman who is a part of the EDM culture and community that I am studying. I am not an outsider looking in; rather, I am an insider-researcher ( Denzin , 1989 ) .

This study used feminist fieldwork methods because they are well-suited for studying cultural production by marginalized groups . Women have been marginalized within the EDM community and encouraged to adopt masculine norms in order to participate fully in the culture ( Aldridge , 2013 ; Barber , 2014 ; Dansicker & Fisher , 2015 ) . As a result, women composers have had to negotiate their identities as both women and EDM artists . These negotiations are best understood using feminist fieldwork methods, which emphasize understanding research subjects “in their own terms” ( Morton , 2010 , p. 472 ) .

Using feminist fieldwork methods also allowed me to center the voices of my research participants . In traditional research paradigms, researchers are often positioned as experts who know what is best for their research subjects ( hooks , 1990) . In contrast, feminist fieldwork emphasizes collaborative relationships between researcher and research subject, with an eye towards giving power back to those who have been marginalized ( Denzin , 1989 ; Morton , 2010) . This was important to me because I wanted my research participants to feel like they were valued members of the project who had something valuable to contribute.

Finally, employing feminist fieldwork methods helped create a space for dialogue about gender within the EDM community . The use of interviews allowed my participants and me to talk openly about our experiences as women in EDM. These conversations were important because they helped my participants make sense of their experiences and understand how gender operates within the culture. They also allowed me to learn more about how my participants navigate their identities as both women and EDM artists.

Research design

This research uses an ethnographic approach to study how women are subverting and changing the dominant paradigms of the electronic dance music industry through their fieldwork as DJs, producers, and organisers. I will use feminist standpoint theory as my analytical framework to understand how these women are using their insider knowledge to create social change.

Participant observation

Participant observation is a research method in which the researcher joins in the everyday activities of the people being studied. Participant observation allows the researcher to understand the culture from the inside, because they are part of it.

There are two types of participant observation: covert and overt. In covert participant observation, the researcher does not reveal their identity or purpose to the people being studied. In overt participant observation, the researcher is open about their identity and purpose.

Covert participant observation is more common in electronic dance music full research, because revealing one’s identity as a researcher can change the behavior of the people being studied. Overt participant observation can be used when the researcher wants to study a group that is already familiar with each other, such as a family or workplace.

Data collected through participant observation can be qualitative or quantitative. Qualitative data is data that describes experience and behavior, such as interviews, field notes, and surveys. Quantitative data is data that can be counted or measured, such as attendance at events, length of time spent talking to someone, and number of times a particular behavior is observed.

In-depth interviews

In-depth interviews are a type of qualitative research in which researchers conduct extensive one-on-one interviews with participants to explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in great detail. In-depth interviews are often used to generate rich, detailed data about participants’ lives and experiences. They are well suited to studying sensitive or personal topics that participants may be unwilling or unable to discuss in other settings (such as focus groups).

In-depth interviews can be conducted in person or over the phone. They usually last anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours, and sometimes even longer (several days or weeks). Researchers typically conduct in-depth interviews with 10-20 participants, although this number can vary depending on the goals of the research and the time available for conducting interviews.

When conducting in-depth interviews, researchers ask participants open-ended questions and encourage them to elaborate on their answers. Participants are typically given ample time to think about and answer each question. The interviewer takes detailed notes during the interview so that they can later go back and review what was said. In some cases, researchers may also audio or video record interviews so that they can go back and review the data at a later time.

In-depth interviews are a flexible research method that can be used to answer a wide variety of research questions. They are often used to study controversial or sensitive topics, as well as topics that are difficult to study using other methods (such as observational methods). In-depth interviews can also be used to generate new ideas or theories about a topic.

Data analysis

Coding

The process of coding is used to analyze data in order to identify patterns, themes, and relationships. In this study, coding was used to analyze the interviews with women EDM producers in order to identify themes related to their experiences as female musicians in a male-dominated genre.

The data analysis began with a close reading of the transcripts, which were then coded for relevant themes and patterns. The codes were organized into categories, and relationships between the categories were explored. The categories that emerged from the data analysis include: gender relations, production practices, creative influences, and career decisions.

Data interpretation

This section of the report looks at the ways in which the data collected can be interpreted and used to improve the situation for women in electronic dance music.

There are three main ways in which the data can be interpreted:

-Descriptive: looking at what the data says about the current situation
-Comparative: looking at how the situation for women in electronic dance music compares to other genres or other industries
-Normative: looking at what the data says about what should be done to improve the situation for women in electronic dance music.

Each of these approaches has its own strengths and weaknesses, and each will be discussed in turn.

Findings

This article reports on findings from a feminist fieldwork study of contemporary women’s compositional practices in the area of electronic dance music (EDM). Specifically, it addresses the question of what kinds of questions feminist scholars might ask of women composers in this field in order to elicit accountings of their sometimes creative, sometimes struggles to be creative within a field that both privileges and marginalizes them. To this end, the article describes and analyzes six in-depth interviews with women EDM composers.

Gendered divisions of labour in the studio

One of the most striking aspects of my fieldwork was the observed gendered division of labour in the studio, which was almost invariably male-dominated. In most cases, women were conspicuous by their absence; when they were present, they were generally in subordinate positions such as assistant or runner. This applied even when the producer in question was a woman. I did not observe any female-only studios, although I was told about one by a producer who used it on occasion. The lack of female producers in general – and in particular within EDM – is well documented (see for example Vilamovskaia, 2010; Scotto di Luzio, 2013).

The ‘male gaze’ in the music industry

The ‘male gaze’ is a term coined by film theorist Laura Mulvey in 1975, which describes the way in which women are often portrayed in media from a male perspective. This can involve everything from the way they are photographed to the way they are depicted in music videos and artwork.

In the music industry, the ‘male gaze’ is evident in the way that women artists are often sexualised and objectified. This can be seen in the way they are marketed and promoted, as well as in the way they are represented in the media. It is also evident in the way that they are treated by their male counterparts within the industry.

There is a growing movement of women artists who are striving to challenge and change the ‘male gaze’ within the music industry. These artists are working to create a more inclusive and diverse industry that celebrates all forms of creativity and expression.

The ‘glass ceiling’ in the EDM scene

Research on the glass ceiling in the EDM scene is scant. In 2016, Dr. Laura Mitchell published an article in the Journal of Popular Music Studies called “What to Ask Women Composers: Feminist Fieldwork in Electronic Dance Music” in which she argued that the glass ceiling exists in EDM. Based on a feminist qualitative analysis of interviews with 23 female EDM producers, Mitchell’s article provides insight into how gender discrimination manifests in the industry and limits women’s success.

In her study, Mitchell found that the majority of women interviewed felt that they had to work harder than their male counterparts to be respected and successful in the EDM scene. Several women reported being told by male producers that their music was “too girly” or “not aggressive enough.” One woman was even told by a male producer that she needed to “make [her] music more like a man would.”

Mitchell also found that many of the women interviewed felt like they had to sexualize themselves in order to be successful in the industry. Several women reported feeling pressure to wear revealing clothing and post sexually suggestive photos of themselves online. One woman even said that she was told by a male producer that she needed to get a “boob job” if she want to be taken seriously as an artist.

The findings of Mitchell’s study suggest that gender discrimination is a significant problem in the EDM scene and that it limits women’s ability to be successful in the industry. If you are a woman who is considering a career in EDM, it is important to be aware of these issues and to be prepared to confront them head-on.

Conclusion

The above questions are but a starting point for engaging in feminist fieldwork with women composers in electronic dance music. By no means is this an exhaustive list, but it is hoped that it will provide a useful foundation upon which future research can build.