Article: Defining sub cultures
This article is about youth culture expert Paul Hodkinson’s, and how he tries to make a definition of subculture.
Read the text in groups/pairs or alone and then answer the questions Questions1. What are the four elements?
2. How can you explain the four elements with you own words? 3. How are the four elements present in the Goth subculture? 4. What is your first opinion about the picture of the goth woman? Can you relate? Why/why not? 5. If any, which subculture(s) do you belong to? And why? Give reasons for your answers. 6. Do you think you can belong to more than one subculture at a time? Explain why/why not? 7. Do you think some subcultures have a better influence on their followers than others? Give reasons for your answers. Bonus: Also find a youtube movie that you think show some of the culture you relate to. No sound in the classroom please! |
Subculture refers to a group of people with the same interests, behaviours and beliefs that differentiate them from the dominating culture around them. You can say that a subculture is a culture within a culture. Today, there are many different subcultures, and it seems that most individuals are somehow involved in a subculture.
According to Paul Hodkinson, an expert in youth culture and subculture studies, a subculture consists of four elements: 1. Identity The members of the subculture have a sense of affiliation by e.g. wearing the same symbols or style of clothing, listening to the same kind of music, etc. 2. Commitment Members must show involvement in the subculture; this commitment influences the pattern of everyday life, e.g. how you spend your free time, how you interact with other people, where you go shopping, etc. 3. Distinctiveness Members share a set of tastes and values that is unique and different from mainstream culture. 4. Autonomy The members are independent and self-governing and do not rely on mainstream culture to produce what is needed for the group to function and flourish. The four elements of subculture are also present in the research which Hodkinson has carried out in order to understand and determine Goth as a subculture. Goth emerged from the punk movement of the 1970s and has its own fashion, music scene and beliefs. In his study, Paul Hodkinson concluded that one of the strengths of Goth is their strong sense of group affiliation. Goths are often recognized by their black hair, pale skin, black make-up and black clothing. You might think that all Goths wear the same style of clothing to strengthen their common identity, but in reality there are many fashion styles within this subculture. Goth fashion ranges from the Victorian style with corsets, big dresses, hats and veils to the deathrock fashion of tight clothes, T-shirts with Goth band names, messy or spiky hair, and lots of studs. There is even a Goth fashion style called corporate Goth! In addition, femininity seems to be another key aspect of the Goth style and there is a certain degree of androgyny among many male Goths. Make-up is not reserved for Goth females and heavy or dramatic make-up is often applied by Goth males to complete the look. The strong sense of community and identity has not only had huge importance for the distinctiveness of the Goth subculture, but also for the Goth music scene that includes artists like the Cure, Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus, and Marilyn Manson. To Hodkinson’s surprise, the Goth subculture has had greater longevity compared to many other subcultures, and he attributes this to the strong commitment of its members. The internet has served as a platform for communication and discussion groups, just as it has become the preferred place to shop for Goth attire. Most importantly, however, Hodkinson points out that many Goths are part of friendship groups where it is socially accepted to both do well educationally and have a professional career. Amongst Goth members, you therefore find high school students, plumbers, teachers and even doctors. Goths consider themselves free thinkers who – unlike mainstream society which is restricted by religious dogmas and political interests – do not accept the moral rules of society. Goths claim that there is no prejudice amongst them, and this may be the reason why there are so many homosexuals and bisexuals in the Goth subculture. Tolerance is perhaps the most important aspect of “Gothdom”, and this could very well be the reason why this subculture is still going strong today more than forty years after its birth. |