Now in its sixth decade, country music studies is a thriving field of inquiry involving scholars working in the fields of American history, folklore, sociology, anthropology, musicology, ethnomusicology, cultural studies, and geography, among many others. Covering issues of historiography and practice as well as the ways in which the genre interacts with media and social concerns such as class, gender, and sexuality, The Oxford Handbook of Country Music interrogates prevailing narratives, explores significant lacunae in the current literature, and provides guidance for future research. More than simply treating issues that have emerged within this subfield, The Oxford Handbook of Country Music works to connect to broader discourses within the various fields that inform country music studies in an effort to strengthen the area's interdisciplinarity. Drawing upon the expertise of leading and emerging scholars, this Handbook presents an introduction into the historiographical narratives and methodological issues that have emerged in country music studies' first half-century.

CONTENTSCONTRIBUTORSINTRODUCTION: Situating Country Music StudiesTravis D. StimelingChapter 1: "Come Hither to Go Yonder": The Folklorist's Zigzag Path to Country Music StudiesErika BradyChapter 2: The "Southernness" of Country MusicPatrick HuberChapter 3: The Country Music Association, The Country Music Foundation, and Country Music's HistoryDiane PecknoldChapter 4: Country Music as Cultural PracticeClifford R. MurphyChapter 5: Geography and Country Music: Constructing "Geo-Cultural" IdentitiesJada WatsonChapter 6: On the Notion of "Old-Time" in Country MusicGreg ReishChapter 7: Country Music and Recording PracticeTravis D. StimelingChapter 8: The Singing Voice in Country MusicStephanie Vander WelChapter 9: This Machine Plays Country Music: Invention, Innovation, and the Pedal Steel GuitarTim Sterner MillerChapter 10: Country Music and the Recording IndustryCharles L. HughesChapter 11: Country Radio: The Dialectic of Format and GenreEric WeisbardChapter 12: Country Music and TelevisionTracey E.W. LairdChapter 13: Country Music and FilmBarry MazorChapter 14: The Sociology of Country MusicRichard LloydChapter 15: Class in Country MusicLeigh H. EdwardsChapter 16: Race in Country Music ScholarshipOlivia Carter MatherChapter 17: Gendered Stages: Country Music, Authenticity, and the Performance of GenderKristine M. McCuskerChapter 18: Sexuality in Country MusicPamela FoxChapter 19: On the Sacred in Country MusicStephen ShearonChapter 20: Goin' Hillbilly Nuts: Fashion Culture and Visual Style in Country MusicCaroline GnagyChapter 21: Whither the Two-Step: Country Dance Re-Writes Its Musical LineageJocelyn R. NealChapter 22: "These Are My People": The Politics of Country MusicJason MellardChapter 23: Country Music and Fan CultureJonathan WynnChapter 24: What's International About International Country Music?: Country Music and National Identity around the WorldNathan D. GibsonINDEX