The following is NOT one of Alan Merriam's 10 Functions of Music:

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks which option is NOT one of Alan Merriam's 10 Functions of Music, and provides a single answer option to evaluate.
Option provided: 'Contribution to the wealth of the higher social classes.'
To analyze, first consider what Merriam’s framework is about: his 10 functions describe the roles music plays in human life and society, including uses such as ritual and ceremony, entertainment and amusement, aesthetic enjoyment, expression of emotion, communication and social interaction, education and socialization, religion and spiritual life, personal identity and group identity, heritage and tradition, and possibly status signaling or symbolism tied to culture. These focus on social, cultural, emotional, educational, and symbolic functions rather than economic outcomes.
Now examine the given option in light of that scope: 'Contribution to the wealth of the higher social classes' centers on economic impact or wealth distribution. Though music can influence social status or be tied to class dynamics in broad terms, Merriam’s explicit enumerated functions are not framed in terms of generating wealth for a class. In other words, the item concerns economic consequences rather than a core functional role of music as defined by Merriam.
From this perspective, the statement aligns poorly with Merriam’s taxonomy, because it does not describe a primary function of music in social and cultural life as Merriam delineates them. It instead asserts an economic outcome related to wealth, which falls outside the typical functional categories he enumerates.
If we were to consider the other plausible options (not shown here), we would assess whether each aligns with Merriam’s stated functions such as ritual use, entertainment, emotional expression, communication, education, identity formation, aesthetics, and socialization. Statements claiming these kinds of roles would be considered valid functions, while statements about wealth, production, or economic class effects would generally not.
In summary, the core reason this option is not a Merriam function is that Merriam’s list targets the purposes and roles of music within culture and human behavior, not the economic or wealth-related outcomes associated with music or its practitioners. The focus is on meaning, practice, and social function rather than financial impact or class wealth accumulation.

MUS114_WI25_A00 Attendance Quiz Week 1

The following is NOT one of Alan Merriam's 10 Functions of Music:

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Example 12a This type of music is used for:

In a consumer society, many adults channel creativity into buying things

Economic stress and unpredictable times have resulted in a booming industry for self-help products

People born without creativity never can develop it

A product has a selling price of $20, a contribution margin ratio of 40% and fixed cost of $120,000. To make a profit of $30,000. The number of units that must be sold is: Type the number without $ and a comma. Eg: 20000

Which of the following statement regarding cost is correct:

Under the assumptions used in cost-volume-profit analysis, as the activity increases:

The CVP and break-even analysis are supported by a range of important assumptions. Which of the following is not an assumption of the CVP:

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler