Nostalgia Research Paper

Nostalgia Nostalgia has been seen as an emotion sparked by music. Constructs that contribute to nostalgic experiences can be divided into both context- level and person- level. Context level constructs signify aspects of a person’s relationship and attributes of a persons experience while listening to a particular song. This may include how well-known the piece is or to what level the song is linked with personal reminiscence. On the other hand, person- level constructs suggest the individualistic dissimilarities between listeners, which can include their personality traits (Barrett et al. 2010). Most times, nostalgia is labeled as bittersweet because of the mixture of unhappiness and joyfulness. When people speak reflectively of their past, they become more optimistic and motivated about their future. During the class discussion of civil war reenactors, the concept of nostalgia was examined. In the Journal of American Culture, it is explained that nostalgia grew popular throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s (Hall 1994). Nostalgia is expressions of a sense of powerlessness during rapid changes in the constructions in which we make sense of ones life both individually and collectively. It is interesting to notice that individuals with a negative mood through the time of study were more nostalgic than participants with either a …show more content…
It also produces more positivity by increasing generosity towards others and more tolerant of others. Therefore, nostalgia makes us a little bit more human. Music is a rapid way to induce nostalgia. Specifically, young adults use nostalgia to help cope with transitions. Whether it is moving away from home to start a new chapter of life in post secondary or starting a new job, they fall back on memories creating an optimistic sense of the world. Nostalgia also makes people feel loved and valued making the world a happier and more meaningful