Pop rock music, commonly referred to as rock and roll, has developed into a major social phenomenon in most western coun tries over the past three decades (Stambler, 1989). Rock and roll is a major (and controversial) social force in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom (Grossman, 1988). Critics of the art form contend that music of such shallow and superficial content develops the widest followings in societies with broadbased deteriorating educational perfor mance experiences, such as the United States and the United Kingdom. In each of these societies, millions of persons in the 15 to 40 year old age group are willing to accept as profound philosophical truths what others describe as the mut terings of semiliterate twits who possessed neither the ambi tion nor intellect required to successfully complete secondary school. Examples of this type of unquestioning adoration are prevalent, and are glorified by Belz (1979), Dunson (1965), Gillett (1970), and Grossman (1988).
Whether one views the sociological impact of rock and roll in positive or negative terms, the phenomenon is easily observed, and, superficially at least, easily measured. To extend the sociological assessment of rock and roll to secon dary effects, such as drug abuse, values deterioration,
1 2declining academic standards, increased violence against women, and so forth, on the negative side, or, improved racial under standing, a stronger desire for world peace, a greater environ mental awareness, and so forth, on the positive side, however, quickly mires one in a moral morass from which it is difficult to escape, much less make meaningful linkages and measurements.
Many adherents of rock and roll music, however, are not content to simply enjoy their music, or to claim, however unprovable or unsupportable, significant sociological benefits for the art form, they also desire to promote it as not only a positive, but as a significan...