ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the social function of music, emphasising music as a universally accessible social phenomenon. I propose five categories and one overarching caveat represented by the anacronym C-WARIS (Communication, Wellbeing, Art, Ritual, Identity and Social networks). The primary social function of music is communication. Music is utilised in maintaining and enhancing wellbeing and as a pleasurable art form. It functions universally within religious, spiritual and ceremonial activities. Music also functions as a resource in establishing and maintaining identities and social networks. Reciprocal determinism (Bandura, 1986) and social identity theory (Turner & Reynolds 2010) are used to offer overarching theoretical contexts for these mechanisms.
