Essays on Music, Adolescence, and Identity

Essays on Music, Adolescence, and Identity: The Adolescentia Project explores music consumption, self-discovery, media culture, and memory through autoethnographic essays on albums we loved during adolescence covering three decades (1980-2010) as the music industry and socio-cultural identity landscapes in the United States significantly changed. By examining these influential albums, we can better understand the role of popular culture in identity construction and the long-term impact of these formative musical experiences. Dr. Mary Beth Ray is an Associate Professor and Chair of Communication & Media Studies and Co-Chair of Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies at Plymouth State University who writes about internet culture, gender, and popular music. She holds a Ph.D. from Temple University’s Mass Media and Communication Program and an M.A. in Media Studies from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communication. Dr. Ray is a long-time co-chair for the Popular Culture Association’s Internet Culture Area, as well as co-chair of the Mid-Atlantic Popular/American Culture Association’s Music Area. Her first book Digital Connectivity and Music Culture – Artists & Accomplices (2017), was published by Palgrave MacMillan.