Music and Nationalism

1.What kind of research has the author done? What are her primary and secondary sources and how would you evaluate this research?

The author uses letters, compilations, films, books, internet, and CDs.

2. How might we consider punks and punk music fans a counter-public in the GDR?

Rock music was not and could not be in accordance with the goals of a socialist society. The authors designate opular culture as the realm in which people "strive to define their identities, boundaries, self-respect, their 'space' against the established order

3. Assuming that a group of musicians wants to reach a public/be widely heard, what were the choices facing punk bands in the GDR? What complicted their status (as opposed to polka bands, for example)?

The FDJ controlled the clubs, the groups had to join up with the only recording label, Amiga, and the groups had to comply with the government.

4. How does this article show music to be related to nationalism? How do you see music as related to nationalism? can you give examples?

The East German punk emptied out such socially acceptable values as the ethic of hard work, the importance of socialist education, the praise of the collective. However, GDR punk was criminalized for stating social facts, such as the existence of the Wall, the Stasi or Neo-fascim.