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1 To my grandmother, Beyhan Alpertan 2 TOWARDS A SOCIETY OF CONTROL? TRANSFORMATIONS IN FUNCTIONAL MUSIC AND BIOPOLITICAL MODULATION OF EVERYDAY EXPERIENCES The Graduate School of Economics and Social Sciences of İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University by BARIŞ ALPERTAN In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN POLITICAL SCIENCE THE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION İHSAN DOĞRAMACI BİLKENT UNIVERSITY ANKARA October 202 3 1 ABSTRACT TOWARDS A SOCIETY OF CONTROL? TRANSFORMATIONS IN FUNCTIONAL MUSIC AND BIOPOLITICAL MODULATION OF EVERYDAY EXPERIENCES Alpertan, Barış Ph. D., Department of Political Science and Public Administration Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nedim Karakayalı October 2020 The present study constitutes an attempt to flesh out and render visible some of the peculiarly concealed yet effective ways in which power and control are exercised in contemporary societies through a historical investigation of functional music. To that end, it identifies four specific historical stages – namely, pre-industrial, industrial, post-industrial, and digital – wherein different forms of functional music, each embodying a unique set of attributes and programming techniques, act as key agents and mediators in the organization of the social, political and economic structures of their respective periods. Taking this regulatory affordance of functional music as its theoretical framework, the study then proceeds to demonstrate the particular characteristics, uses, and functions of each type of functional music. One of the most significant contributions this research makes to the existing body of literature is to contextualize the recently popularized modes of online musical experience and user interactions with digital music streaming services as a continuation and part of the evolutionary trajectory of functional music as opposed to considering them as a separate social and cultural phenomenon like most studies in the field has thus far done. An analysis of these new techniques of digital production and consumption of functional music from a broader historical perspective suggests that the recent surge in uses of online media, in accordance with Deleuze’s (1992) previous observations, is indicative of a 2 transition from disciplinary societies towards “societies of control”, which entails that power and control move beyond the confines of enclosed spaces and begin to be exercised in less discernible yet more diffuse and mobile manners. However, such expansion in the scope and domain of technologies of control also brings with it, often in unforeseen ways, novel and experimental forms of resistance by users, who frequently utilize digital functional music as part of an on-going self-care project, whereby they innovatively use playlists to modulate their physical and mental well-being as well as sonically enriching and aestheticizing their everyday contexts and otherwise mundane routine activities. Keywords: Biopolitics, Functional Music, Muzak, New Media, Social Control 3 ÖZET KONTROL TOPLUMUNA DOĞRU MU GİDİYORUZ? İŞLEVSEL MÜZİKTEKİ DEĞİŞİMLER VE GÜNDELİK DENEYİMLERİN BİOPOLİTİK MODÜLASYONU Alpertan, Barış Doktora, Siyaset Bilimi Bölümü Tez Danışmanı: Doç. Dr. Nedim Karakayalı Ekim 2020 Mevcut çalışma günümüz toplumlarında, iktidar ve kontrolün gizli fakat etkili bir biçimde ifa edilme yollarına, işlevsel müziğin tarihsel incelemesi yardımıyla açıklık getirme denemesidir. Bu amaç doğrultusunda, çalışma, endüstri-öncesi, endüstriyel, post-endüstriyel ve dijital diye adlandırılabilecek, dört tarihsel evre saptar – ki bu tarihsel evrelerde, her biri kendine has nitelikler ve programlama teknikleri içeren işlevsel müzik biçimleri, parçası oldukları toplumların sosyal, politik ve ekonomik örgütlenmelerinde, önemli aktörler ve aracılar olarak rol üstlenmektedir. İşlevsel müziğin düzenleyici olanaklarını teorik çerçevesi olarak belirleyen bu çalışma, daha sonra her bir işlevsel müzik türünün nitelikleri, kullanımları ve işlevlerini ayrıntılı bir biçimde ortaya koyma yönünde ilerler. Bu çalışmanın mevcut literatüre yapmış olduğu en büyük katkı, alanda yapılmış pek çok çalışmanın aksine, son zamanlarda popülerlik kazanmış dijital müzik ile etkileşim ve dinleme platformlarını da fonksiyonel müziğin evrimleşmesinin bir parçası ve devamlılığı olarak tanımlıyor olmasıdır. İşlevsel müzğin dijital olarak üretim ve tüketiminde etken olan bu yeni tekniklerin geniş bir tarihsel perspektif doğrultusunda ele alımı bize göstermektedir ki, modern toplumlarda, tıpkı Deleuze’ün (1992) de önceden gözlemlediği gibi, iktidar ve kontrol ilişkileri kapalı alanların sınırlarını aşmakta ve daha zor farkedilebilen ama daha yayınık ve seyyar bir nitelik kazanmakta, dolayısıyla da “disiplin toplumlarından” “kontrol toplumlarına” doğru bir geçişe işaret etmektedirler. Fakat, kontrol teknolojilerinin egemenlik alanının genişlemesi aynı zamanda, 4 dijital müzik servislerini günlük hayatlarında sıklıkla kullanan üyeler nezdinde, fiziksel ve zihinsel refahlarını düzenlemek ya da gündelik ve sıradan etkinliklerini müzik yolu ile zenginleştirmek gibi çok yaratıcı ve iktidar odakları tarafından önceden sezinlenemeyen yeni pratiklerin de ortaya çıkmasına sebep olmaktadır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Biyopolitika, İşlevsel Müzik, Muzak, Toplumsal Kontrol, Yeni Medya 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Writing a dissertation is always a challenging task, but it can be less arduous when someone is lucky enough to get special help and assistance. For that, I am forever grateful to my advisor Nedim Karakayalı, who always had the time and patience to review hundreds of documents I must have sent him throughout my research. It has been more than a pleasure and privilege to be his student and it would not be an exaggeration to suggest that this study would not be possible if it were not for his insightful comments and encouraging remarks. I would also like to extend my deepest gratitude for Daniel Just and Çağatay Topal for being with me in every step of this dissertation and their stimulating discussions and feedbacks during our committee meetings. Even though I only had the chance and privilege to meet them for just a few hours during my dissertation defense, I thank Alev Kuruoğlu and Dennis Bryson for their most valuable and insightful comments that would certainly help and guide me in my future scholarly endeavors. I would also certainly be remiss if I did not thank Can Mutlu, who greatly contributed to this dissertation by coining the notion of “post-Muzak”. Of course it is not only academic advice one gets that makes it possible to write a dissertation, but also personal help and support. In that sense, I am forever grateful to my parents Hidayet and Feridun Alpertan, who not only whole- heartedly supported my academic endeavors but also had the patience and consideration to listen to my incessant complaints and frustrations while writing this thesis and the wisdom to always show and lead me to the right direction whenever I felt lost. It was their example and encouragement that propelled me to work harder and, for that, I will forever be indebted to them. I would also like to thank my aunt, Füsun Alpertan, and my uncle, Fatih Alpertan, for the love and support they have given me throughout the years. Finally, I would like to thank all the special people I have met during my time at Bilkent and who, in one way or another, touched upon my life and this study. I 6 would especially like to thank Eda Bektaş, a brilliant scholar and an incredible person, who has given me my best years during our time at Bilkent; to Gül Ekren Ataç, whom I first met as our department secretary but over the years had the chance to call her one of my best friends and whose positive energy and outlook always lifted my spirits; to Mustafa Ataç, who is one of the most supportive and caring people I have ever met and, without doubt, the most gracious host; to Okan Doğan, Tuğçe Karadağ and Doğa Kılıç, for their friendship and countless nights of laughter; to Anıl Kahvecioğlu, for our endless pseudo-intellectual debates and his camaradarie and, finally, to Gökhan Şensönmez and Burcu Türkoğlu, for being great officemates (and letting me control the lighting). 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................. 1 Aims and Objectives of the Study .......................................................................................... 3 Theoretical Framework of the Study .................................................................................. 4 Layout of the Thesis and Some Methodological Remarks ........................................... 7 CHAPTER 1. PRE-INDUSTRIAL FUNCTIONAL MUSIC .......................................... 15 1.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 15 1.2. Conceptualizing Functional Music in Pre-Industrial Age: Work Songs vs. Labor Songs ............................................................................................................................... 16 1.3. The Characteristics of Pre-Industrial Functional Music................................ 19 1.3.1. Universality: The Symbiotic Relationship Between Music and Work ......... 21 1.3.2. Everydayness: Pre-Industrial Functional Music as a Form of Ritual and “Sympathetic Magic” ........................................................................................................................

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