Love and Wonder in Country Music

Country music from its very inception stems from a diverse array of American cultural traditions. Individuals like Etta Baker, Deford Bailey, Freddy Fender and Los Lobos, Redbone, Linda Martell have contributed to its artform. Nevertheless, many academic discussions on country music assume that the content of country music fortifies a set of values central to a specific white working-class cultural identity (E.g., Meissner et al 2022; Shusterman 1999; Gann 2008; Hollowell et al 2019; Hayes 2010; R. A. Peterson 2005). The fact that there is continued discussion about what is considered authentic, implies a less uniform practical identity than the white working-class identity criticism would allow however. For instance, Evan Malone (2022) and John Dyck (2021) have argued that country music is a kind of discourse wherein artists and audiences work to construct their own practical identities. But this in and of itself does not negate the claim that country music is a discourse wherein audiences and artists work to construct a white working-class practical identity, a necessary project for truly understanding the nature of country music. Therefore, I instead argue that while country music is a kind of discourse, it is one focused on the good life. Following Martha Nussbaum, Eleonore Stump and other neo-Aristotelians, I ground conceptions of the good-life in moral autonomy and our reliance on interpersonal relationships rather than racial or ethnic identity. I argue that the relational values posited in country music are better more broadly defined as central to the flourishing of persons living in a community. In this part, I introduce the discussion. I then offer a definition of country music separate from its form. Finally I define what it means for country to be authentic.