Music and Literature as Tools for Intergenerational Cultural Transmission

Abstract

The transmission of culture across generations is a fundamental process through which societies preserve their values, beliefs, identities, and collective memories. Among the many mechanisms that enable this process, music and literature occupy a particularly significant position due to their emotional resonance, narrative power, and durability across time. This article examines music and literature as key tools of intergenerational cultural transmission, drawing on theories of cultural and communicative memory, orality and literacy, and cultural inheritance. Grounded in the works of Jan Assmann, Aleida Assmann, Walter J. Ong, Albert B. Lord, and contemporary interdisciplinary research on cultural transmission, the study explores how music and literature function as repositories of cultural memory and as active practices through which cultural knowledge is passed from one generation to the next. Through theoretical analysis and comparative discussion, the article demonstrates that music and literature not only preserve cultural content but also shape identity formation, social cohesion, and continuity in rapidly changing societies. The findings highlight the continued relevance of artistic forms as powerful tools for sustaining cultural heritage in both traditional and modern contexts.