Research Article

MUSIC AND IDENTITY CRISIS: ADOLESCENCE, TRAUMA, AND THE DIASPORIC CONTEXT

Volume: 9 Number: 1 March 10, 2026
TR EN

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

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. Berry, J. W. (2001). A psychology of immigration. Journal of Social Issues, 57, 615–631. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00231
  6. Büyüköztürk, Ş., Kılıç, Ç. E., Akgün, Ö. E., Karadeniz, Ş. ve Demirel, F. (2008). Scientific research methods. Ankara: Pegem Akademi.
  7. 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
  8. 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

APA
Dağdeviren, M., Yuvacı, E., & Güleç, S. (2026). MUSIC AND IDENTITY CRISIS: ADOLESCENCE, TRAUMA, AND THE DIASPORIC CONTEXT. Yegah Musicology Journal, 9(1), 658-674. https://doi.org/10.51576/ymd.1868521

   download?token=eyJhdXRoX3JvbGVzIjpbXSwiZW5kcG9pbnQiOiJqb3VybmFsIiwib3JpZ2luYWxuYW1lIjoiZWJzY28ucG5nIiwicGF0aCI6ImNjMjcvMmJiOC8wNTdhLzY5ZTVlNmI2YzE1NGQzLjE3ODQ4MDQxLnBuZyIsImV4cCI6MTc3NjY3ODA4Nywibm9uY2UiOiJlMWI4NjM5YmU2OWI2ZjVjOGUzMGJjZjk5MTIzMTNiNCJ9.abV7HKRWK0ZS-LwT9Gan5KwjGMrb8Jqcz42sC72CQIE