Date of Award

8-2023

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Organizational Unit

College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Lamont School of Music

First Advisor

Jack Sheinbaum

Second Advisor

Mitchell Ohriner

Third Advisor

Sean Friar

Fourth Advisor

Christopher Coleman

Keywords

Sid Meier, Civilization VI, Video game, Music, Historical narrative, Historical music

Abstract

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is a 2016 strategy video game in which the player leads a historical civilization from 4000 BC to the present. The Civilization series is the subject of much scholarly writing, especially its representation of history and non- Western cultures. My work builds on Karen Cook’s research (2014) on the technological progress and American hegemonic identity signaled by Civilization IV’s soundtrack. I argue that the music in Civilization VI contributes to a Eurocentric teleological progress narrative of history inherent in the structure of the game: the idea that history is a story of inevitable and positive technological and cultural advancement. I examine the four-stage progression of each civilization’s theme music, including a case study on Egypt’s theme, as well as the representation of historical music and musicians in the game mechanics. This work is key to understanding what messages players glean from the game and enabling nuanced uses in education.

Copyright Date

8-2023

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Alec Larner

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

66 pgs

File Size

1.5 MB

Discipline

Music history



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