MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

This paper describes a teaching approach that utilizes the protest songs of Bruce Springsteen to create a case study for an undergraduate course in Social Work. The course encourages both theoretical literacy and activism on the part of students to better engage as reform advocates and community organizers. To a growing degree throughout his career, Springsteen has used music as a vehicle of protest in support of social causes — anti-nuke, anti-war, capitalist exploitation, police brutality, racial injustice — providing creative examples of the importance of ideals, symbols, and advocates in social movements and community organizing. Treated as a case study, Springsteen’s development as protest singer provides students the opportunity to view social consciousness as the emerging imperative to confront the gap between American ideals and reality. Springsteen’s protest songs question American normative values pertaining to work, social status, government, citizenship, and material success. His songs challenge students by presenting ideas that transcend or contradict customary American and Western political/economic goals and social norms. In line with basic Social Work values, Springsteen’s protest songs cause students to question their own passivity vis-a-vis prejudice, inequality, and oppression. Students are confronted by Springsteen the protest singer to challenge their own perspective of the intersecting roles of artists, activists, and engaged citizens. Thus, Springsteen’s protest music helps students to formulate a personal sense of higher purpose within their developing professional and personal identities. The approach outlined in this paper is relevant for courses in Psychology, Sociology, Media Studies, Social Science, Literature, and Philosophy.