Week 2 What are the strengths and weaknesses to Peterson’s production of culture approach to the birth of rock and roll?

Richard Peterson’s theory on the production of culture (1976) in essence states that rock and roll (or “popular music”) is an item for consumption, therefore describing it as nothing more than a product and that the industries producing these products are in turn defining culture – basically culture is a social construct. Like any theory it has strengths and weaknesses. For example he concentrates heavily on just the theoretical side, taking into account; law, technology, organisation and industry structure as well as the market.
A major problem with it is that he seems to see Rock and Roll solely as a tangible product and nothing deeper. He doesn’t see any connotations or emotions the music sends out.
Also at the time there were many genres of music so why Rock and Roll? Rock and Roll was new and innovative, was accepted by the majority and it had an energy that other genres lacked.