Claire Thomas

Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Dancigers, Mark

Area of Concentration

Music

Abstract

Nostalgia has a long and complicated history since its first conceptualization. Originally a medical term in the 1600s, it has undergone a significant transformation to become a unique and malleable emotional experience. Through its long development, nostalgia grew a strong association to music as it became a more casual emotional encounter. Psychological research inquires on both the existence of nostalgia in daily life as well as its relationship to music. Such research uncovered many hidden purposes of nostalgia as a coping mechanism, revealing music to have the possibility to be a catalyst for emotional change through its relationship to nostalgia. The universality of nostalgia leads to its capability to maintain its presence both in isolation and in large social settings. In this thesis, I explore through a literature review the many forms of nostalgia and consider the role and effects of nostalgic music in day-to-day life.

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