course material

1. Do sub-cultures still exist
Do sub-cultures still exist?A subculture is a group of people who have distinct or hidden
culture that differs from the larger culture to which they belong. Subcultures are usually
perceived as being negative since they are characterized with criticism of the dominant
standards of the society. Some authors argue that subculture is a conglomeration of
likeminded persons who feel that the standards of the society have neglected them
(Hebdige, 2007). Thus the subculture allows such individuals to develop a sense of identity.
It is also argued that a subculture is subversion from the normal standards. Individuals
belonging to a subculture can be easily identified through their negative relations to work,
class, association with territory instead of property, movement out of formal homes to non-
domestic forms of belonging, their ties to excess and exaggeration and their rejection of the
ordinary life and mystification. Members of a subculture are characterized by their
commitment to a pattern which influences their daily life, their identity, their
distinctiveness and their autonomy. An example of subculture is the punk subculture which
had a distinctive style of clothing.Subcultures differ from mainstream culture because of
their unique trends. Unlike subcultures, culture is comprehensive, culture is learned, it is
manifested within boundaries of acceptable behavior, there is limited consciousness of the
culture, and it lies between static and dynamic. For instance the punk subculture is made of
young members aged above sixteen years and are known to be rebellious. The punk group
members do not wear appropriately, that is, they put on rugged or worn out jeans, black
and baggy t-shirts which have offensive writings. Their hair cuts are unusual wildly spiked
colored. They also have their body pierced. All these features are opposite of culture which
is often acceptable.There is need to understand subcultures their styles could be adopted
for commercial purposes. The subversive allure of subcultures have been exploited for long
by businesses in their search for Cool that is very important in the selling of any kind of
products. This cultural appropriation for commercial purposes often results in extinction or
evolution of a subculture leading to adoption of new styles which are alien to the
mainstream culture. This continued evolution of subcultures provides constant unique
ideas for adoption in the selling of products. An example of subcultures which has been
exploited in commercial selling of products include music such as jazz, punk, Goth, rave and
hip hop. This paper seeks to provide extensive evidence that subcultures do exist. With
regard to this we shall specifically look at existence of subcultures in the music
industry.Punk subculture is a diverse array of ideologies that form expressions through
fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film that emerged from punk rock. The subculture

2. was developed in the United Kingdom, United States of America, and Australia in the mid
1970s. The exact place of origin of punk subculture has been a controversy with the punk
movement. The subculture is said to have been influenced by philosophical, political, and
artistic movements of the time. Punk rock in itself has a variety of diverse variety of musical
origins both within and outside rock and roll genre.The subculture is majorly centered on
listening to recorded music or attending live concerts characterized with loud, aggressive
punk rock. The use of distorted guitars, noisy drumming, and metals is prevalent in the
subculture. They also have unique style of punk rock that are short, have simple basic
arrangements that use few cords, and lyrics that justify punk values and ideologies that
range from nihilism to no drugs (Hebdige, 2007). Punk rock is played in small bands rather
than solo artists. The band usually consists of a singer, overdriven electric guitars, an
electric bass player, and a drummer, and backup vocals may also be present.In fashion,
punk subculture seeks to outrage others by using highly theatrical clothing, cosmetics,
hairstyles, jewelry, tattoos, and body modification. The popularly known punk outfits have
been leather, rubber, and vinyl clothing which the mainstream culture associate with
transgressive sexual practices. Some punks put on tight jeans, plaid/tartan trousers, kilts or
skirts, t-shirts, leather jackets decorated with painted band logos, pins and buttons, and
metal studs (Huq, 2006). Their foot wears include converse sneakers, skate shoes, and
brothel creepers. Early punks wore clothes with Nazi swastika symbols for shock value.
Some punks style their hair into Mohawks and other dramatic shapes; for instance they can
style it into spikes, coloring it with vibrant unnatural hues.The punk aesthetic determines
the kind of art that punks enjoy; their art is always with iconoclastic and satirical sensibility.
In most cases punk artwork are on album covers, fliers for concerts, and punk zine. Their
visual art is usually straightforward with messages that are clear. In most cases punk art is
mostly about political issues especially social injustices and economic disparities. In some
cases, punk artwork may display selfishness, stupidity, or apathy mainly to provoke the
contempt in the audience.Punks are spread across all walks of life and economic classes. In
some cases it is regarded as a subculture that tends to adore gender equality in terms of its
ideology. Punk subculture has also been associated with substance abuse and violence by
the mainstream cultures. In small towns, punks form small local scenes that may have a few
members while in major cities the situation is different (Huq, 2006). Members of the scene
are usually evaluated in terms of authenticity of their commitment to the philosophies or
values of the scene which usually ranges from political beliefs to lifestyle practices. A typical
punk scene is one that is made of hardcore bands, fans who attend concerts and protest
against some social ills in the societyGoth subculture is a contemporary subculture
currently existing in many countries across the world. It has its roots in England and it
primarily came into play in 1980s in the gothic rock scene which is an offshoot of Post-punk
genre. It is said that the gothic subculture has survived as compared to other subcultures
that were formed in the same era and in fact it has continued to diversify. The imagery and
cultural proclivities are influenced by the gothic literature of the 19th century together with
horror films and BDSM culture (Jenks, 2005). Gothic subculture has tastes associated with
music, aesthetics, and fashion. Music in this case encompasses different styles such as gothic
rock, neoclassical, darkwave, deathrock, neo-Medieval, and ethereal. Fashion and clothing

3. style in this subculture range from deathrock, punk, and Victorian attires, or it may be a
combination.Media has profoundly enhanced the development of the Goth subculture; the
culture was well-established when the connection between Goth and horror fiction movies.
For this matter, Goths are preferred and favored to be characters in horror novels and films.
For example, the movie, ‘ The Crow’ is a perfect example where gothic music and style
were used. The graphic novel series ‘ The Sandman’ has extensively influenced Goths
where the author uses characters like dark, brooding Dream and Death his sister. The 21st
Century Goth written by Mick Mercer and released in 2002, explores the modern state of
the Goth scene across the globe has strongly influenced the evolution of the Goth subculture
(Jenks, 2005).Visual arts have also been diversely used to influence the Goth subculture,
different musicians, painters and photographers like to associate themselves with Goth. For
instance, they like their work to be based on mystic, dark and passionate motif s which is a
real Goth style. In painting and photography, the spectrum varies from erotic artwork to
passionate and lovely images of ghosts and vampires. Dark colors and sentiments are
preferred, and this is similar to Gothic fiction. In addition, Goth visual art is always
intertwined with Goth music, for example, Nathaniel Milljour visual artwork is vastly used
by music bands and nightclubs.Goth fashion is always associated with dark colors, morbid,
eroticized fashion and style of dress. In a typical way, the gothic fashion includes dyed black
hair, black fingernails, dark eyeliner, and black period styled clothing. This fashion is taken
from the Elizabethan, Victorian, or Medieval periods. However, the extent to which Goths
embrace this style varies amongst individuals and the geographical locality, but virtually all
of them wear some of these elements (Muggleton, 2000).Contrary to the fashion and stylish
nature of the Goths, their association with macabre has raised public concern with regard to
the psychological fitness of the Goths. According to the gothic norms, they are non-violent
individuals. However, academic studies have revealed that Goth is a subculture with higher
propensity towards violence and self harm especially within the subculture. For instance,
some Goths have been found to commit high profile crimes including school shootings. With
regard to this, the main stream culture to perceive Goths as unwanted people in the society
like any other subculture.Rave, rave dance, and rave party words came into play in early
1970s, in 1980s these words were used to describe acid house parties with extremely fast-
paced music and light shows. In these parties people dance to dance music played by DJs
and in some cases live performance. The genres of electronic dance music played in rave
include Electro House, House, Trance, Hardcore Techno, Funktronica, Eurodance, Drum and
bass, and Break beat. The music is also accompanied with laser light shows, projected
images and artificial fog. The rave subculture originated in the late 1950s in London and has
since been nurtured up to date. The subculture is prevalent across the globe and is found in
almost all corners of the world. in this section we shall look at the American rave subculture
(Muggleton, 2000).The American rave subculture is an underground nightclub movement
promotion that promotes techno music, synthetic drugs, and teen angst. Rave can be
defined as a phenomenon that is more spontaneous instance that brings people together for
dancing. Rave is associated with secrecy, mobility, youth, music, drugs, fashion, and
attitudes. The American Rave is said to have been influenced by the hippies of 1960s,
discovers of 1970s, and the punkers of 1980s. To be more specific the subculture is deeply

4. and directly rooted in the acid house phenomenon of UK in 1988. Acid houses are clubs
where teenagers take Lysergic Acid Diethylamide and dance to music which particularly
designed to heighten the drug effects.Rave culture is dangerous and illegal, for instance, the
prominence use of technologically advanced music, drugs, and deaths caused by fires in acid
houses the police began to crack down on the subculture. However, rather than giving up on
rave, promoters moved from the skin-tight jeans baggie outfits where rave kids partied to
techno music in Detroit. In towns like Tallahassee, Florida there is a legitimate rave venue
which operates legally. In addition, in larger cities raves imitate the Underground Café
which allows Tallahassee ravers to dance to rave music (Skott-Myhre, 2009).Members of
the mainstream culture are not even aware of the existence of the rave subculture; it is a
secretive culture and secrecy is paramount in order to avoid destruction by the authorities.
The organizers of raves are clever and brave because they pass information to their
customers without the use of the media. In fact they manage inviting thousands of kids to
secret rave parties without the use of the media and even without informing the authorities.
“ The Love parade” rave had more than 7000 individuals and twenty trucks of musical
computer equipment; the event was successful without the knowledge of police. Regardless
of threats of fines and punishment, it is reported that one rave party had more than 20,000
kids.The clothing lifestyle of rave kids tends towards primary colors, pertinent wool caps,
and untucked shirts decorated with peace signs, happy faces, and corporate logos.
Childhood T-shirts, baggy shorts, and Converse or Puma shoes are their common outfits.
The kids are also not sexually active, and in most cases they are perceived to be bisexual
because males and females because of their cladding (Veitch, 2000). For instance males put
on don black disco pants, high heel clogs, and low cut ‘ 70s shirts especially from Goodwill.
Females on the other hand wear baggy childish dresses, funky sandals or high heel gym
shoes.Hip hop subculture came into inception after the hip hop music was invented in the
1970s in African-American communities in the US. The subculture was formed as a
response to the historic oppression and racism, and a system of communication with the
African American communities. After its emergence the subculture spread around very fast.
Hip hop music was invented by DJs creating rhythmic beats by looping breaks on two
turntables; this was later accompanied with rap. New dancing and dressing styles arose
amongst the fans of this music. Since then the subcultures has undergone refinement and
development throughout its history. There have been relationships between graffiti and hip
hop due to the prevalent use of use of pervasive language in the two subcultures.The hip
hop subculture has made substantial social impact since its inception in the 1970s. Around
the world, the subculture has influenced many young people; youths are being absorbed by
the hip hop who are then influenced to start their own style of hip hop. It is also believed
that revitalization of the hip hop music will occur around the world as tradition values are
continuously mixed with the American hip hop musical styles (Huq, 2006). This will
eventually result into a global exchange process that will bring youths across the globe to
listen to the same kind of music; hip hop. The main reason for this is that, the subculture
reflects the social, economic, and political realities that affect the youths.The language used
in hip hop subculture is distinctively related to slang, and sometimes it is referred to as
Black English or Ebonics. Due to successful commercialization of hip hop in the recent past,

5. some words from this subculture have been assimilated into the mainstream cultures. Some
academics compare hip hop with satirical works of great poets of the modern era who
frankly and boldly use imagery and mood to criticize the society (Veitch, 2000).The media
has also plaid a huge role in promoting hip hop subculture through their extensive
television coverage. There are television shows devoted to hip hop; initially, BET was the
only TV channel that played hip hop, but in the recent year’ s mainstream TV channels like
VH1 and MTV have added value and significance to hip hop music by playing it. In addition,
the emergence and improvement of the internet many online sites like YouTube and
Facebook are offering video and audio hip hop music thus cultivating the culture across the
world.There have been heated debates with regard to the authenticity of the hip hop
subculture dating back to its origin. The subculture was associated with protests and
freedom of expression due to the oppression suffered by the African-Americans. The
argument is whether or not hip hop should exist in its marketable integrated version. For
instance it is argued that the authenticity of hip hop is threatened by the larger mainstream
cultures.Reggare is a Swedish word that means a person seeking sexual contact with
someone; it is a subculture that is prominently found in countries like Sweden, Norway,
Finland, Denmark, Germany and Australia. Reggare are always associated with greaser
subculture and are often described by their love for hot rod cars. This culture has existed
since mid 1950s and has not made any significant change since then. The most important
and significant part of this subculture is its association with cars especially the V8-powered
cars. In 1960s the most common reggare car was Pontiac Bonneville. The reggare cars are
always plentiful, classic, cheap, and with a huge backseat for the Reggare to accommodate
all of their friends. The primary source of influence to this subculture comes from the
American popular culture of the 1950s, especially from movies such as “ Rebel Without a
Cause” , and “ American Graffiti” (Yockey, 2010).The clothing and hairstyles of the Reggare
are that of 1950s rockabilly that comprise of blue jeans, white t-shirts, cowboy boots,
leather or denim jackets. The hair of a reggare is styled up using Brylcreem or any other
pomade. The confederate flag (influenced by The Dukes of Hazzard) and peckerwood are
popular items in the subculture. In essence the reggare are always rebellious in nature thus
embracing the message of the confederate flag.Reggare are still considered a menace to the
society but more often they are regarded as an amusing group of outsiders. They are
prominently found in Sweden and in many ways they are viewed in a negative perspective.
For instance, because of the rural roots, retro-aesthetics and their unusual pro-American
stance, the reggare are considered to be uneducated with low-brow attitude towards sex. In
modern movies they are depicted to be cult-characters. The Power Big Meet is the most
famous reggare gathering in Sweden, and it is also the biggest car show in the world. The
founders of the Reggare subculture were the working class who looked up to the American
culture. However, the reggare of today embrace partying and driving American cars
(Yockey, 2010).In Sweden, the most popular reggare hangout places have always been
hotdog bars with a chain name Sibylla which is specialized in selling reggare meals. Reggare
meal generally comprises of two hotdogs without buns, raksallad, powdered mashed potato,
and Pucko. Reggare are also associated to drinking in cars particularly during the cruise
events, which is fully legal in Sweden. The subculture is considered immortal in Sweden and

6. most Swedes are proud to associate with. Initially the ages for Reggare’ s were in twenties,
but nowadays the span is roughly 15-60 years of age. For instance, seeing father and son
riding in the same car is a common thing.Bloijraggare is a slang used by Reggare to mean
young men aged between 18 and 22 years who mostly live in the countryside and wishing
that they could afford an American car but find themselves cruising around in different car
models like Volvo which is outdated model with regard to the modern Reggare.Mod is a
subculture that has its roots in London, England in the late 1950s. The main significant
features of the mod subculture include: fashion especially tailor made suits, pop music that
comprise of African American soul, Jamaican ska, British beat music and R&B, and Italian
motor scooters. An original mod scene is linked with amphetamine-fueled all-night dancing
clubs. From 1960s, the mass media used the word mod to describe something that is vastly
known to be stylish, fashionable, and popular. The revival of mod in UK was in the late
1970s, followed by North America in early 1980s especially in the southern part of
California (Huq, 2006).The subculture is described to be ‘ fashion obsessed and hedonistic
cult of the hyper-cool’ especially for people living in uptown estates. They are obsessed
with expensive cloths particularly suits that are worn by young mods are extremely
expensive. The mods have strong elements of consumerism and shopping, very self-
conscious and critical, they like customizing the existing styles, symbols, and artifacts.Male
mods like to wear smooth urbane look that emphasize Italian tailor-made suits with narrow
lapels, mohair clothes, button-down collar shirts, thin ties, wool or cashmere jumpers,
pointed toe leather shoes, beater boots, tassel loafers, clerk desert boots, and bowling shoes.
The hairstyle resembles that of the French Nouvelle Vague cinema actors. Female mods
dress androgynously with short haircuts, men’ s trousers or shirts, flat shoes, with little
make up (Huq, 2006). Miniskirts are also associated with these individuals. Mods link
themselves with modern jazz, R&B, blues, and soul music.Scooters are ideal description of
mods as they used them for transportation and the perception that scooters are classy and
expensive. The Italian scooters are normally because of the cleanliness, curving shape and
gleaming chrome. They usually customize their scooters by painting them in two-tone and
candy-flake and over-accessorized with large luggage racks, crash bars, scores of mirrors
and fog lights.In conclusion, from the above discussion we have clearly described the
existence of different subcultures across the globe. As we have seen subcultures are usually
perceived as being negative since they are characterized with criticism of the dominant
standards of the society. Some authors argue that subculture is a conglomeration of
likeminded persons who feel that the standards of the society have neglected them. Thus
the subculture allows such individuals to develop a sense of identity and belonging (Huq,
2006). We have discussed the presence of different subcultures in the modern times. The
punk subculture is majorly centered on listening to recorded music or attending live
concerts characterized with loud, aggressive punk rock. The use of distorted guitars, noisy
drumming, and metals is prevalent in the subculture. Goth subculture is a contemporary
subculture currently existing in many countries across the world. Hip hop, rave, and reggare
as we have seen still exist among other subcultures and each have distinct trait that makes
it different from other subcultures.ReferencesHebdige, D. 2007. Subculture: the meaning of
style. London: Routledge.Huq, R. 2006. Beyond subculture: pop, youth and identity in a

7. postcolonial world. London: Routledge.Jenks, C. 2005. Subculture: the fragmentation of the
social. California: SAGE.Muggleton, D. 2000. Inside subculture: the postmodern meaning of
style. Oxford: Berg Publishers.Skott-Myhre, H. 2009.Youth and Subculture as Creative Force:
Creating New Spaces for Radical Youth Work. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.Veitch,
S. 2000. Subculture. Orlando: Palmprint USA.Yockey, S. 2010. Subculture. New York: Samuel
French.