subcultures of the 20th cntry

8/6/2019 Subcultures of the 20th Cntry

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Subcultures of the 20th century

student

Slavica Vukajlovi

professor

Duan Ivanovi

Graduation work


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Subcultures of the 20th century


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What is a subculture?

Subculture = a social group with particularbehaviors or beliefs

Centered around: music, sports, literature,religion OR political, social or geographical factors

Membership signaled through a distinctive andsymbolic use of style e.g. fashion, behavior,mannerisms


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DefinitionDefinition

subcultures emerge when the larger

culture fails to meet peoples needs- for

example, to provide resources or

meanings so that some people find fault

with the culture and form their own

identity-granting communities ofmeanings


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Why do people join subcultures?

Group problem solving mechanism

Seek conformity/ dependence on fellows

Dissatisfaction with the dominant culture, looking for

further meaning Status

Subculture represents a new status system by sanctioning

behavior tabooed or frowned upon by the larger society;the acquisition of status within the new group isaccompanied by a loss of status outside the group(Cohen, 1955 p.57)


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Identification

Members of a subculture often signal their

membership by making distinctive and

symbolic tangible choices in clothing andfashion.

Intangible elements, such as common

interests, slang, music genres and gathering

places can also be an important factor

Pressures towards conformity


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Some of the most popular:

Punk

Rave

Gamer Emo

Queer

Hippie

Skin Head Metalhead

Hip-hop


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Subculture Vs Counterculture

Subculture" A separate culture existing within the mainstream culture.

A group of people with distinguishing characteristics, but whoconsider themselves part of the general culture.

They arent always opposed to dominant culture and may workbest within the mainstream

It is specialised, having idiosyncratic views on aesthetics, politics orthe way life should be lived.

Counterculture"

An active working against the mainstream culture.

A group of people who explicitly reject the values of the culturearound them.

They often differing from mainstream society in terms ofaesthetics, politics, social beliefs and structures.

It has to be large enough to act as a genuine foil to the dominantculture


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Rave

The word 'Rave' was a term used for big, oftenunlicensed dance events, usually undergroundparties in abandoned warehouses, fields and clubs

The underground rave scene began in Chicago in theearly 80s and thus the new electronic music genre

Acid house was born!

By 1987 acid house had reached the UK

Along with breakthrough of a new sound came with it

a new party drug. MDMA or better known as ecstasyis an amphetamine, psycho-active drug. legalised events, parties and club nights

have made it possible for rave to continue


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Metalhead

Fans of heavy metal music subculture which

encompasses more than just appreciation of

the style of music.

Affirmation of their membership in the

subculture or scene by attending metal

concerts, buying albums, growing their hair

Corna devils hors, metal fist Moshpits


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Gamers

Externally regarded as antisocial

Internally- a community- gaming is more

of a sport in which you use your brain,learn tactics, team work and problemsolving

Would not exist without newmedia/communications technology-internet = a valuable connection


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Emo / Scene

Largely regarded as bleak and morbid.

Number of sub-subcultures

hXc

Straight Edge (sXe)

Screamo Massive focus on Music.

Music knowledge = respect


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Hip Hop

Cultural movement

Developed in New York City - 1970s.

Primarily Black and Latino Americans.

The five pillars of hip-hop culture are:

MCing, DJing, breaking, graffiti writing, andknowledge.

Breaking" - gained momentum as a style ofperformance and dancing- became part of thelexicon of hip hop culture.


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Media, Technology and Culture

Media - important in transferring information

Subcultures used traditional media to propagate ideas

When the internet entered the mainstream - forums and fan sites quicklybecame home to subcultures of all descriptions

It's a valuable connection for people to get in touch with like-mindedpeople and develop or strengthen social connections online, rather thanface to face.

Subcultures that originated offline have migrated to the virtual world.

The growth of file-sharing (EG video/audio) websites and increased accessto high-speed web connections laid the foundations for online cultures, andother social networks now all play host to thriving communities too.

Many websites spring up to feed the interest in the different cultures, some

attempting to document or define it, others providing members of thesesubcultures with ways to express their affiliation.

Discussions centre around the clothes to wear, the mannerisms to adoptand what as a part of the specific subculture you should love or hate.

Provides a forum free of traditional censorship


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Music - Signifier or Unifier?

According to Simon Frith (1996), music is

an essential component of many

contemporary youth cultures.

not how a particular piece of music

reflects the people,

but how it produces them


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Subculture Stereotype

A stereotype by definition is a positive or negative set ofbeliefs held by an individual about the characteristics of agroup of people. It varies in its accuracy, the extent to

which the stereotyped group members possess thesetraits, and the extent to which the set of beliefs is sharedby others.

Stereotypes have a degree of truth and an element ofsocial recognition

Media plays a significant role in the stereotyping ofsubcultures as it can be a powerful tool in creating

or reinforcing stereotypes

Culture also plays a role in the development ofstereotypes


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Hierarchies

Hierarchies tend to form in most aspects of society.With regards to subcultures, although hierarchies arecertainly present, they are present in some

subcultures more than others.

E.g Hierarchies of gamers differ from hierarchies ofRave subculture

In terms of social class, it is known that generallysubcultures are made up of people from workingclass society. These are people that are looking forsomething that is missing in their lives


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References

Cohen, K Albert. 1955, A General Theory of Subcultures, The Subcultures Reader,2nd

ed, Abingdon, Oxon, pp50-59.

Holme, P & Gronlund, A. 2005, Modeling the Dynamics of Youth Subcultures,JournalofArtificial Societies and Social Simulation, Vol 8, Iss 3

Langman, L & Halnon, K.2005, Globalization and the Grotesque, pp269-279 in CriticalGlobalization Studies, edited by Richard Applebalm and WilliamRobinson.London.Routledge.

Hedige D Subculture, The Meaning of Style Universty of Chicago Press 1979

M Brake - The sociology of youth culture and youth subcultures: Sex and drugsand rock'n'roll 1980

J. Firth Subcultures, Journal of Contemporary Ethnography Volume 12 1999

Fantazia Rave Archive, Acid House Music: The Timeline,www.fantazia.org.uk/scene/themusic.htm

subcultures of the 20th cntry

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