MUSIC AND IDENTITY CRISIS: ADOLESCENCE, TRAUMA, AND THE DIASPORIC CONTEXT
Abstract
ABSTRACT From its origins to the present day, music has always influenced people and contributed psychologically to their emotional states. Accompanying individuals from birth to death and even beyond, music has remained by people’s side in almost every emotional state, at individual, social, and cultural levels. Music, as one of the key components in the reconstruction of the self and the reinforcement of sociological ties, is deeply intertwined with social-cognitive and psychological processes through its selected modes of engagement-listening, performing, singing, and composing. This study examines the relationship between music and identity crises, focusing on periods in which such crises are most commonly encountered, including adolescence, post-traumatic experiences, and diasporic mobility. Music emerges as a means of expression for individuals experiencing an identity crisis, serving as a tool through which they convey their situation to their environment and seek acceptance. This study, which employs qualitative research methods, reveals how musical genres, lyrics, and cultural context influence identity crises.
Keywords
References
- Ahonen, H. (2016). Adult trauma work in music therapy. The Oxford handbook of music therapy, 1990, 268. Bennett, A. (2000). Popular music and youth culture: Music, identity and place. https://www.jstor.org/stable/853595
- Benet-Martínez, V., & Haritatos, J. (2005). Bicultural identity integration (BII): Components and psychological antecedents. Journal of Personality, 73, 1015–1050. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2005.00337.x
- Bensimon, M. (2022). Integration of trauma in music therapy: A qualitative study. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 14(3), 367. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001032
- Bensimon, M., Amir, D., & Wolf, Y. (2008). Drumming through trauma: Music therapy with post-traumatic soldiers. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 35 (1), 34-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2007.09.00
- Berry, J. W. (2001). A psychology of immigration. Journal of Social Issues, 57, 615–631. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00231
- Büyüköztürk, Ş., Kılıç, Ç. E., Akgün, Ö. E., Karadeniz, Ş. ve Demirel, F. (2008). Scientific research methods. Ankara: Pegem Akademi.
- Branje, S., De Moor, E. L., Spitzer, J., & Becht, A. I. (2021). Dynamics of identity development in adolescence: A decade in review. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 31(4), 908-927. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12678
- Breger, L. (1974). From instinct to identity: The development of personality.
Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Musicology and Ethnomusicology
Journal Section
Research Article
Publication Date
March 10, 2026
Submission Date
January 23, 2026
Acceptance Date
March 4, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Volume: 9 Number: 1