Enculturation, music and emotions

Abstract

Music is an inevitably emotional act. For that reason, it is no wonder that since the dawn of the twentieth century there was a preoccupation in finding out scientifically the relationship between music and emotions. In the search for that relationship, authors have found several musical and sociocultural variables that affect music perception. Focusing on sociocultural factors, in addition to age, sex or musical expertise, enculturation plays a relevant role. In this paper, we analyse the methodology used so far to study this matter as well as the sociocultural factors that influence music perception, and we develop a conceptual basis to understand and explain the emotions in enculturation, which will pave the way for the conclusions. In this research, we conclude that musical emotions have certain universality, though with some nuances, as shown in the corresponding section.