Subcultures. Concept, history, features of youth subcultures.

At all times, people have united into separate groups with common hobbies and interests. Often their views went beyond traditional social norms.

Mass culture focuses on the majority and satisfies the most popular needs. Subcultures have become an outlet for people who do not share generally accepted paradigms.

History and origin of the term “subculture”

In the 20th century the number of emerging communities united along some basis increased, and then this phenomenon received the name subculture.

The term was coined by David Riesman, an American sociologist, to refer to people who deliberately adhere to minority views. “Sub” means “under”, respectively, otherwise the word is translated as “subculture”.

Today, the concept of “subculture” is actively used in sociology, anthropology and other social sciences.

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Chaplin I.V.

“The fact that people started talking about youth subcultures in Ukraine is pleasantly surprising in itself. Especially considering that they began to talk about “strange guys” not only in the narrow circles of culturologists, sociologists or journalists, but also in power. True, so far only at the local level. And only in one place - the city of Mariupol.

The reason for such close attention to various kinds of subcultures on the part of local authorities was the appearance of leaflets with the text: “Would you like to play mortal games? If you're scared, take a flashlight with you." The date, time and place of gathering of the “games” participants were also indicated there, as well as a mobile phone number for those wishing to clarify something. It is known that the meeting is scheduled near one of the city cemeteries. This alerted the authorities - Mariupol residents had not yet forgotten how, quite recently, more than 600 monuments were destroyed in a cemetery in the city.

Mariupol officials thus became the first to publicly acknowledge the existence of youth subcultures in Ukraine and, most importantly, pointed out their harmlessness. More and more Ukrainian youth are integrating into these movements, which have a very mediocre relationship to culture. Expressing protest to the social order, morality and rules - emo, goths, punks and other informals fall out of this society. This means they do not participate in the development of the country.

In conditions of constant brain drain, the aging of the nation (and therefore low birth rates), labor shortages and other social problems, the presence of such movements and the growth of their popularity can threaten a catastrophe on a national scale.

In Russia today, emo is actually banned. For example, back in the winter of this year, the Nizhny Novgorod Ministry of Education sent out circulars to all educational institutions warning about the social danger of the emo movement. Officials described in detail for teachers the features of the emo “outfit” and their ideology, which inclines them to suicide. There is talk of an increase in the number of suicides among informals in Mariupol. True, here we are talking more about the Goths. In Ukraine, this and other movements are just beginning to expand their distribution area from the capital and million-plus cities to smaller cities.”

The above article, which was published on the website “PiK Ukraine” on September 10, 2008, 09:01, upon closer examination, can characterize the attitude of the authorities towards such a phenomenon as a subculture. The key words in this analysis can be recognized as: “strange guys”, “not harmless”, “movements that have a very mediocre relationship to culture”, “fall out of this society”, “do not participate in the development of the country”, “can threaten a catastrophe on a national scale ", "emo is actually banned today .

From the above it is clear that the attitude has a clearly negative connotation, if not hostile. The conclusion can be very encouraging, especially in times of economic crisis: “Destroy such dubious subcultures and all our troubles will stop. We will have a healthy society, a well-equipped country and, most importantly, we will prevent a catastrophe on a national scale.” That's who is to blame for all the troubles! Not the government’s corrupt policies, not 80% of the world budget allocated to armaments, not the struggle for dominance in the world, but free-thinking teenagers who were left without due attention from the authorities and society. It is because of them that politicians in Ukraine cannot find common ground, because of them banks are forced to increase interest on loans, they cause housing prices to rise, they started a war in Iraq, Georgia, etc., thanks to their efforts, millions are dying people in the world are starving and we are threatened by an environmental disaster. While the authorities are thinking about what else to do for the development of youth, they are selling Ukrainian lands, taking bribes, building villas for themselves, buying expensive cars, killing journalists and at the same time evading responsibility before the law . ” It’s scary to imagine what awaits them at God’s Judgment.

The most interesting thing in this context is that everything that happens “because of them” relates specifically to “formals”, a healthy society, common sense and the norm.

So what is a subculture and how to “fight” it?

A subculture is a community of people whose beliefs, views on life and behavior are different from the generally accepted ones or are simply hidden from the general public, which distinguishes them from the broader concept of the culture of which they are an offshoot.

Subcultures may differ in age, race, ethnicity and/or class, and gender. The traits that define a subculture may be aesthetic, religious, political, sexual, or any other nature, or a combination of these. Subcultures usually arise as an opposition to the values of the broader cultural movement to which they belong, but theorists do not always agree with this opinion. Fans of a subculture can demonstrate their unity by using a different style of clothing or behavior, as well as specific symbols.

Sometimes defining a subculture can be somewhat difficult, as clothing and music styles are adapted over time by popular culture for commercial purposes. Musical subcultures are very sensitive to external changes. It is interesting that almost all musical styles: jazz, gothic, hip-hop, rave, were once widespread everywhere. Each time it was the next step in musical fashion, which, however, did not last long.

Many subcultures constantly suffer from commercial interest, so their fans try to bypass the dominant culture at least one step. In turn, this process helps create a constant stream of styles that can be adapted for business purposes and released into the wider world.

However, not all subcultures consider appearance as their distinctive feature. Many modern movements place special emphasis on moral or political convictions that cannot be sold to the general public. In addition, there are both ultra-reactionary subcultures and those that practically do not deviate from the mainstream. If you do not take into account musical preferences, representatives of subcultures may differ from other people in their views on nature, man, art, lifestyle, way of life of the country (or countries), moral values, and so on.

It is advisable to talk about the subculture of our time starting from the fifties of the twentieth century, when Sartre’s existentialism served as an impetus for the development and transformation of musical styles. Jazz gradually gave way to rhythm and blues and rock and roll. The first beatniks appeared in America and Britain, and Soho became the most popular gathering place for young people. People flocked to the cities, and the process of urbanization began, which was reflected in both music and graffiti.

In the sixties, the beatniks grew into an entire culture, which had a powerful influence somewhere on the development of all mankind.

The disco movement also began in the sixties. The sixties were also marked by an increase in the number of computers in Western countries, hence the growing interest in them and the formation of a culture of hackers.

The seventies were the heyday of rock, especially punk rock. During these times, such a trend as glam rock appears. The craving for the mystical and supernatural gives rise to the New Age, and in 1979, rumba becomes the music of an entire subculture. In the same year, a subculture such as gothic was recognized by all media, and sad people in black robes became an element of public life. In the seventies, the first underground rock bands began to appear in Leningrad.

In the eighties, listeners were tired of punk and wanted something more sophisticated. This is how neo-romantics and electro-pop emerged. Sexual orientation has ceased to be a stigma, so representatives of some subcultures behaved somewhat shockingly. The eighties brought us rap: specific poetry, sometimes simply meaningless, and breakdancing. By the middle of this period, free parties appear where rave, techno and other electronic music are played. At the same time, the first cyberpunk literature appeared, and computer network users became more active, and words such as flame and spam came into use. Neo-romanticists of Japan create the image of Gothic Lolita.

The eighties - early nineties - a stage of revival for truly Russian subcultures. In addition to nationalists, there are people who advocate a return to the original - these are supporters of a healthy life, followers of Ivanov.

The nineties are a colorful mixture of different subcultures. The World Wide Web is being invented, and with it comes the opportunity to play online or participate in discussions on forums. The process of globalization attracts public attention, instantly becoming the reason for the formation of two opposing political camps.

The end of the twentieth century is a crazy time when everyone is going crazy in their own way. At this time, subcultures such as anime, emo, bastards, glamor, and with it anti-glamor gradually appeared. Now every belief can become a reason for founding a new movement.

To date, the following subcultures have been identified: hippies, punks, glamor, goths, emo, hip-hop, Internet subcultures, skinheads, Slavic subcultures, rockers, bikers, New Age, anime, naturism, ravers and many others. Let's take a closer look at goths and emo.

The Goth subculture is a modern trend that is characteristic of many countries. It originated in Great Britain in the early eighties of the last century against the backdrop of the popularity of gothic rock - an offshoot of one of the post-punk genres. This subculture has outlived many of its peers, and continues to grow and develop. Her figurative system and cultural preferences clearly demonstrate a connection with the ideals of Gothic literature dating back to the nineteenth century.

Characteristics of this subculture include nonviolence, passivity, and tolerance. On the other hand, their ideology was partly formed through the recognition, identification and mourning of social and personal evils that many popular cultures try to keep silent about. Unlike hippies and punks, goths do not create any political slogans, do not call for social activism and do not support forces or blocs in politics. Particular emphasis in this subculture is placed on the personal rather than the social; it gravitates towards intellectuality.

As for emo, this is a slang definition of a subculture, which originated as an abbreviation for the adjective “emotional.” Representatives of emo are well known for their style and ideology, which is quite clearly expressed in the corresponding music. Despite the fact that the very origin of emo music is shrouded in mystery, it is believed that it is one of the branches of punk, popular in the United States in the eighties of the last century. In the nineties, this direction continued to develop, and entered the new century already, having been strengthened and formed, reaching its apogee in our days.

Clothing, hair, makeup and jewelry in very dark colors or shades of black is the most popular fashion trend among emo people. Other popular types of clothing are tight-fitting and/or leather pants (straight tube jeans), the same for both men and women, tight T-shirts, which usually have the name of a musical group on them, wide belts with large rivets and buckles. Men can also wear women's cut trousers. Shoes are usually black, similar to sneakers. Emo is distinguished from goths by the combination of black and pink colors in clothing: a characteristic illustration is leg warmers with black and pink stripes. In the hairstyle, the bangs are sloping to one side, the hair is usually straight and dyed black. The eyes are lined with black and covered with massive glasses with wide frames. In appearance, the first emos resembled punks with their ostentatious sloppiness, but over time this fashion became obsolete.

Emo ideology is centered around a person's inner feelings and emotions. The basic concepts of emo: sadness, longing and love are expressed in musical performance using specific techniques such as screaming (literally from English “scream”), which brings the audience into the proper mood. In a broader sense, being emo means being sad and writing. Poetry deals with feelings such as confusion, depression, loneliness, melancholy, anger because the individual is not understood, a feeling of isolation from the entire world around him. High emotional tone, stream-of-consciousness writing, simple rhyme or blank verse, appeals to the body, especially the heart, the use of dark or oppressive adjectives in order to build tension, and motifs of the transience of time and love are characteristic features of emo poetry. The cliché “love is pain” and similar ones are also often used here. The emo musical style shares some similarities with indie rock. It also became the starting point for such trends as French emo rock and screamo.

So, each generation has its own subculture, which, one way or another, opposes generally accepted norms and in this sense is deviant. In the analysis of subcultures of the twentieth century, it is noteworthy that the focus of thinking of each new generation gradually shifts from the external world to the internal world, and if the ideology of punk defends mainly anarchy, then goths and emo are interested primarily in the question: “to be or not to be.” We can say that the philosophy of the modern subculture is progressive in nature, since it is much broader than the previous one, and its carriers are more educated, being in a completely different structure of the collective subconscious.

The twentieth century clearly showed how shifts in the views of new subcultures influenced the further course of history, for example, the same punks, who are characterized by free views and reluctance to put up with real power, appeared in the 70-80s, and in the 90s there was perestroika and the split of the Union into independent states. Today, when the dominant subcultures are goths and emo, people have little influence on politics, but increasingly treat it as an interesting movie, without wanting to do anything. Various occult movements have come to the surface, science is reconsidering its relationship with religious views on human nature. Of course, such conclusions require additional research, but in a theoretical study of this issue, such a dependence can be recognized as a hypothesis that says: “the dominant subculture is the product of the hidden demands of the present society and is an indicator that allows us to predict the dominant philosophy of the next generation.”

Based on this, the goth and emo subculture grew on the basis of the spiritual needs of our society, and by rejecting it, we will not only reject a part of ourselves today, but will also deprive the future generation of a deep and balanced philosophy.

However, let's return to the question of whether it is worth attributing such mortal sins to subcultures? Or is it the reluctance of officials to remember their youth and, using scientific methods, control these trends?

“Subcultures, in a sense, are necessary, since through them the child goes through the process of socialization. In adolescence, a person asks global questions about the meaning of life and death, and looks for a “flock” for himself. By the age of 20-22, if a subculture remains in a person’s life, it is only as a hobby, as a way of self-expression. The biggest disadvantage of informal movements is dependence on any opinions and views on life imposed by the aesthetics of the subculture, on communication with certain people and on these people themselves. But it all depends on the child himself, on what he is ready to let into his life and what he does not categorically accept,” says Irina Bondarenko, a teacher at the Department of Psychology at the Transbaikal State Humanitarian Pedagogical University. “They say that all informals lead an unhealthy, drunken lifestyle. I can argue. All informal movements have representatives who play sports and do not have bad habits such as smoking. Now a new fashionable subculture has emerged - “straight age”. There are a lot of straight edgers among emo. Representatives of this movement refuse alcohol, smoking and all types of drugs. As for suicidal feelings, for example, I don’t know a single Goth who actually committed suicide. In goth there is no such definition that if you don’t kill yourself, then you are not a real goth. There really is an aesthetics of death in Gothic, but in any subculture you can accept some things and not others.

“I believe that the real problem is not the existence of subcultures, but the relationship between parents and children,” Bondarenko says. “If psychologists and social educators go to schools, work with children and explain to them that there is meaning in life, that life can be interesting and bright, then perhaps the number of representatives of depressive subcultures will decrease. Although it is impossible to completely eradicate all manifestations of informal movements, and there is no need,” continues Irina Bondarenko.

Goths often come to our discussion club “Foma”. They are very interested in the topic of death, the afterlife of the soul. They admire the traditional black clothing of the clergy and monks. It seems to me that missionaries should pay special attention to the Goths as a social group actively interested in Orthodoxy,” Deacon Oleg Fominykh, head of the youth department of the Vyatka diocese, told an Interfax-Religion correspondent.

According to Father Oleg, when communicating with a representative of any youth subculture, it is important to find common ground, interests that can become a bridge for a conversation about Orthodoxy. At the same time, it is important that young people do not isolate themselves within one subcultural framework or another, but participate in common useful activities and social service.

So, there are also opposite opinions to those given at the beginning of the article regarding the goth and emo subcultures. In my opinion, the opinion of the author of the article is, to say the least, inhumane and has no scientific basis. However, criticism in both directions alone will not change anything, and therefore I would suggest the following way out of this situation:

It is necessary to stop all confrontation, namely, to adopt a position not of struggle, but of compromise. And the first step in this direction should be taken by the authorities and society, since the formal structure has more resources and leverage than representatives of these minorities. The position of struggle presupposes, first of all, claims to be right in one’s views on life, and compromise – one is ready to coexist with any beliefs. “I do not share your convictions, but I will give my life so that you can express them” (Voltaire).
The basic principles of the formal structure should not be the eradication of “informals,” but control over them, which should be aimed at changing the social orientation of the latter. What is meant here is that no one has the right to impose their fashion, culture, culinary preferences, etc. on someone, namely, it is necessary not to separate this subculture from society, but to integrate it into it.
In order to influence any group, you must take the following steps:

adapt to the group;
merge with her;
allow yourself to be led by the group;
lead the group.

The positions of point 3 must be implemented sincerely, since incongruity can lead to a breakdown in contact and uncontrollable consequences.

Based on the above points, it is necessary:

Ready and emo to study the position and worldview. Find and express the positive aspects of their philosophy, and only after that move on to criticism, which will be perceived not as criticism, but as advice from a friend.
Give them a place to spend time together. If they like a cemetery, then you can create a virtual one, or rather, invite them to create it themselves, assigning them a place for this. They have the right to do so. They are part of society. After all, there is a park of culture and recreation! Why isn't the park ready?
Create a website with a gothic theme, content that attracts emo, which is moderated by a professional psychologist, and which can also influence social orientation by creating competent articles on forums.

The forbidden fruit is always sweet. Wrestling has always attracted young people, so this is not a way out of the current situation. The main motto should be the position of friendship. The carriers of subcultures for the most part are teenagers who are in a crisis period of personality formation, and those who have already passed this stage need to help others cope with this safely, so as not to leave a trace of hostility in the developing person.

If we trace the totality of modern goths and emos, we will find that people who truly profess the beliefs and philosophy of this tradition are no more than 10% of the entire mass, which means that the remaining 90% live according to the principle of “similarity.” This is especially true during adolescence. That is why hostility is inappropriate here.

If my child falls while learning to walk, will I reject him for it or will I help him get up?

What is proposed above is not a panacea, but only an option for establishing relationships with the young and promising generation and an attempt to find common ground, even where it seems that there are none.

Features of the subculture

A subculture can be distinguished by its characteristic features:

a small number of followers (unlike traditional culture, each subculture unites a limited number of people with a similar vision of the world);
passion for one idea or one type of activity, on the basis of which the community was created;
a uniform style of clothing, behavior, slang, symbolism (not mandatory, but a very common condition);
as part of subcultures, as a rule, people are uncommunicative and withdrawn among ordinary people;
a subculture does not contradict the existing culture, unlike counterculture, but exists in parallel with it.

A certain subculture may lack some features, and instead of them there will be something else.

Main types of youth subcultures

Subculture name	Origin time	Peculiarities
Hippie	1960	Young people opposed philistine life, professed the ideas of “non-resistance to evil through violence,” and adhered to pacifist views. A characteristic feature was a penchant for creativity.
Rastafarians	1960	Rastafarians are characterized by a love of marijuana and reggae. They do not accept tobacco and alcohol, do not eat meat and will introduce a healthy lifestyle. They are engaged in art, and their symbol is “dreadlocks” and a red-yellow-green cap - “Latifika”.
Punks	1970	Punks do not recognize any authority and are anarchists. This explains their symbol, the letter “A.” On the street, punks immediately stand out from the crowd thanks to their distinctive mohawk hairstyle (a strip of long hair that stands vertically upward on a completely shaved head).
Goths	1970	The Goths use Egyptian, Celtic and Christian symbolism, as well as occult symbols - pentagrams, death symbols or eight-pointed stars. They always wear special makeup. With the help of cosmetics, they give the face a deathly pale, almost white tint. Eyes are outlined with black eyeliner, lips and nails are also painted black.
Emo	1980	This style is characterized by crying and moaning, squealing and whispering that breaks into a scream.
Majors	1980	Young people belonging to this subculture live for their own pleasure and have no shortage of money. They have the best clothes and shoes, which were almost impossible to get in Soviet times, as well as free access to their parents’ car.
Yuppie	1980	This is a youth subculture whose members have highly paid jobs and lead an active business lifestyle. They have an appropriate clothing style, they know a lot about fashion, and they take care of their bodies.
Hackers	1990	They are characterized by individuality and a lack of corporate spirit, since freedom is the most important thing in life. They disable other people's websites and servers, crack passwords and obtain secret information.

Hippie

They belong to one of the oldest youth subcultures. It was formed in the mid-60s of the 20th century in San Francisco.

Young people spent their time in discussions and polemics, played music and indulged in free love. Alcohol and drugs at parties were considered commonplace.

Hippies have no attachment to home; they constantly travel without any means of subsistence. They worship freedom, love flowers and walking barefoot. The ideas of this movement are still alive.

Rastafarians

This subculture is somewhat similar to hippies. Rastafari is a special religion of the universal god Jah. Participants in this movement are convinced pacifists who categorically condemn racism.

Speaking about the features of the Rastafarian movement in Russia, we can say that such associations mainly include young fans of reggae music.

Punks

This subculture began its development in the mid-1970s of the 20th century in England—it was during this period that the country experienced a severe economic crisis. Young people lived under the motto: “No future!” and behaved in strict accordance with the low standard of living. They are absolutely sure that it is absolutely impossible to change their life for the better, and therefore they have given up on life, career and education.

The clothing style of such young people corresponds to their way of thinking and behavior - preference is given to stale T-shirts and jeans with holes and scuffs. The picture is complemented by a love of drinking, fighting and drugs due to the lack of other hobbies.

In 1979, the punk movement penetrated into the USSR. One of its first adherents were famous rock musicians of St. Petersburg Andrei Panov and Viktor Tsoi.

Goths

The date of birth of Gothic is considered to be the end of the 70s of the 20th century. The basis of this subculture was post-punk. The first goths adopted a lot from the punks, making black the main color of their clothes (there could be minor splashes of white or red). Silver jewelry complemented the clothes.

The very first formations included young people who were fans of gothic musical groups. Subsequently, the Goths developed their own lifestyle, they acquired their own mentality and hierarchy.

The Goth subculture still exists today. The image of movement participants is very complex and is formed from specific clothes, shoes, accessories, hairstyles and makeup.

Emo

The emo movement, which is part of the youth subcultures, is also associated with music. The style of music corresponds to the name of the movement, which means "emotional". The melody is based on strong emotions that are acutely felt in the vocalist's voice.

The music of this movement has several types:

emo rock and screamo;
cyber-emo and French-emo;
punk-emo and hardcore San Diego, etc.

Fans of such music form a separate subculture and are called emo kids. A characteristic external feature of such youth is bright clothing, hairstyle and makeup.

Majors

During the period of “developed socialism” a new direction appears among young people. “Golden” boys and girls are not interested in everyday problems and the difficulties of life, since all troubles are quickly and quietly resolved by their parents. This subculture originated in the late seventies and is close to yuppies or kogars.

They flaunt fashionable equipment and foreign technology. Majors move through life easily, love and know how to relax (often at the official dacha given to their parents). They are among the few who can travel abroad with relatives to live in capitalist countries.

The level of the major is related to the position of his parents. Personal achievements at school or university are also important. He communicates only with his equals, but simply does not notice the rest, or treats them patronizingly or contemptuously.

Yuppie

Such young people do not demonstrate their success, do not flaunt their wealth and do not waste money. They are restrained and self-confident; strict, perfectly tailored suits speak for themselves.

The life of a yuppie is known only to a narrow circle of insiders and is often described in magazines published at their own expense.

Hackers

This is a youth subculture that includes programmers and computer users, who are characterized by an offensive line of behavior on the Internet.

Varieties of subcultures

Subcultures can be classified based on their association.

Musical. A musical direction is used as a unifying factor: a genre of music or dance, a passion for a particular performer or musical group.
Gaming. People who are passionate about one game, characters from games. The community can consist of both players and their fans.
Sports. Such subcultures are formed around a specific sports discipline; this can also include not only athletes, but also fans.
Philosophical-behavioural. In these groups there are people with certain beliefs and the same attitude towards the world.
Stylish. Despite the fact that many subcultures use a certain style of appearance, in this case appearance is the main factor in the formation of a community.
Hobby. Such subcultures are formed naturally, since people who prefer fishing, embroidery or motorcycles regularly collide and begin to communicate, since they can only discuss things that are important to them among themselves.
Internet subcultures. Communities formed in the global information network. As a rule, their sign of unification is not relevant offline, so such people also most often communicate using electronic devices. Internet groups have the most diverse composition in terms of age and gender.
Professional. Unites people of the same profession.

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There are many more types of subcultures, the bulk are listed, but many cannot be combined into a large group.

Problems of subcultures

Attitude to a certain movement - subculture - is an attempt to find oneself, a step towards growing up and understanding the world. Some teenagers subsequently easily return to their usual way of life in society, while others, on the contrary, experience difficulties in communicating with the outside world.

Drugs are a serious problem and are often easily distributed among young people. Particularly impressionable people, under the influence of the atmosphere of a certain subculture, can commit suicide. Such young people should be under the supervision of more reasonable and “down-to-earth” comrades or adults.

Youth subcultures have always existed and will always exist. Some of them quickly dissolve in time, others pass through the years to the present day. It is important that fragile young minds have the support and understanding of their elders, who are ready to help in difficult times and direct their energy in a creative direction.

Examples of popular subcultures

Anime fans are the self-name of a subculture of anime fans. Japanese animation has gained popularity on all continents, and many communities have been formed in its honor, both on the Internet and in real life. Anime fans organize meetings and festivals where they sell things with anime symbols, and cosplay their favorite characters (dress up as them). This usually includes schoolchildren and teenagers, but many adults also enjoy getting into anime culture.
Roleplayers are fans of live-action role-playing games dedicated to universes from fantasy books, films, and historical eras. These people are passionate about creating historical (or other) reconstructions, recreating events, sewing authentic costumes, and acting out scenes in compliance with game protocol.
Workout – “street gymnastics”. Workout athletes engage in amateur sports on the streets. As a rule, these are not professional athletes, but sometimes their successes amaze even professionals.
Gamers are passionate fans of computer games, or one game at a time. Among gamers, competitions are periodically held in certain games, some of which led to the creation of e-sports, with many spectators.
Goths – have an interest in Gothic culture. In this subculture, attention to the aesthetics of death occupies a special place, but unlike Satanists, there is no call for violence. Goths prefer black clothing, gloomy slogans, and demonstrate a passion for mysticism and horror.
Emo - gained popularity almost at the same time as the Goths (late 20th century), as a result of which they began to be opposed to them. They are named after the musical movement of the same name. Philosophy is freedom of expression of emotions. Emo is often associated with sadness, tears and suicidal thoughts, but this is not fair. Freedom to express joyful emotions is also in emo culture. A distinctive feature of her appearance is the combination of black and pink colors in clothes, hairstyle, and accessories.
Bikers are motorcycle lovers. Motorcycles are an important part of a biker's life and a source of inspiration. Bikers attach great importance to the condition of their motorcycle, are interested in news in this area, and communicate in their environment. We often see a biker in movies, in the form of a strong man with a beard, wearing black leather clothes and a bandana. This is close to reality, of course, this image may differ from reality.
Rockers are similar in style to bikers; often these people belonged to two subcultures at the same time. This includes fans of heavy music and rock.

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Subcultures. Concept, history, features of youth subcultures. article on the topic

municipal budgetary institution of additional education

Anzhero-Sudzhensky urban district

"Station for young tourists"

Article

SUBCULTURES.

CONCEPT, HISTORY OF APPEARANCE, FEATURES OF YOUTH SUB-CULTURES.

Author: Migonkina Zilya Raisovna,

additional education teacher

Anzhero-Sudzhensk

2018 school year year

Introduction

In modern school and student reality, teachers often have to deal with what they consider unusual students. He expresses himself incomprehensibly, looks strange in appearance: shaved bald, hair dyed in all colors of the rainbow, strange manners, makeup, tattoos, clothes... What is this? How to respond to such pupils and students? Should we “shy away” from them in horror, or should we just take a closer look, listen and understand how students live, what’s going on in their souls? Perhaps this is just an attempt to stand out from the general environment. Each teacher decides these questions for himself. But it is possible to help him understand the peculiarities of such a phenomenon as a subculture.

This article examines a special part of public culture – subcultures. Concept, history and reasons for the emergence of a subculture. As well as the classification of subcultures. But, the subculture called “alternatives” is described in most detail.

What is a subculture? Subculture is a set of values and practices accumulated by a group of people, united by specific interests that determine their worldview, accumulated by a certain worldview. Subculture is a sovereign integral formation, part of public culture. From the point of view of cultural studies, a subculture is such associations of people that do not contradict the values of traditional culture, but complement it.

A subculture may differ from the dominant culture in language, behavior, clothing, etc. The basis of a subculture may be a style of music, a way of life, or certain political views. Some subcultures are extreme in nature and demonstrate protest against society or certain social phenomena. Some subcultures are closed in nature and strive to isolate their representatives from society. Sometimes subcultures develop and become elements of a single culture of society. Developed subcultures have their own periodicals, clubs, and public organizations.

A youth subculture is understood as the culture of a certain young generation that has a common lifestyle, behavior, group norms, values and stereotypes.

History of the subculture

Non-normative (deviating from accepted social norms, antisocial) behavior of young people first became the object of attention of scientists in the USA in the 30-50s. XX century. Sociologists, psychologists, and lawyers have studied the emergence and functioning of youth gangs in big cities, primarily Chicago. They looked at the non-normative, that is, non-standard from the point of view of social norms, behavior of young people. Research has shown that members of such gangster associations live in accordance with their own rules and norms, which are a deviation from the basic socio-cultural norm. It was to them, these associations, that the concept of “subculture” was first applied. In this concept, a subculture is a community where atypical - “asocial” behavior is considered as conformity, that is, the norm. A subculture began to be called a subsystem of society that is not recognized by society as a whole, primarily by state authorities.

As we see, initially the approach to subcultures was purely sociological. Then interest in this phenomenon moves to a broader sphere of humanitarian interests - the sphere of cultural studies.

After the Second World War, the term “youth subculture” came into use among sociologists and began to be used not only in relation to criminal groups, but also to all cultural phenomena associated with youth. It was noted that growing prosperity leads to an increase in the purchasing power of young people, and this in turn gives rise to the emergence of a new, independent market for goods and services aimed at young buyers. It has been called a "teen culture breakthrough." However, during this period, deviations from the basic norms and values of society among young people were insignificant and many researchers, on this basis, denied the existence of the concept of “youth culture”, arguing their position by the fact that powerful means of influence and control over the lifestyle of the young are concentrated in the hands of the older generation generations.

But those who viewed adolescence as the beginning of a new intracultural process turned out to be right. The production of widely available “cultural goods” (pop music, fashion, etc.) has led to the fact that teenagers have become an international style movement, producing and consuming not only a variety of fashion and music. The youth subculture gradually differentiated, various movements arose in it, which were no longer associated only and not so much with fashion and music, but with socio-political views - this process swept the culture in the 60-70s. Then they started talking about the “conflict of generations”, and as a result, interest in research studying this problem sharply increased.

The concept of youth subculture

The concept of youth subcultures was initially applied by sociologists in Western Europe and the United States only to the criminal environment. Gradually, the content of the concept expanded and began to be used in relation to the norms and values that determine the behavior of a certain social group of young people - thus, the concept of “subculture” was associated with the concept of “cultural paradigm”, that is, that set of ideas and rules that provides a kind of matrix of behavior in different situations. However, while studying this matrix, scientists came across facts that forced them to question some ideas that had previously seemed obvious. For example, the English scholar Grant McCracken, in his widely acclaimed book Flood: A Culture Born of Turmoil, describes his conversations with various groups of teenagers (goths, punks and skaters). The researcher discovered that differences in clothing, fashion, etc., that is, external differences, indicate internal differences, namely, differences in values and their gradations. Some observers, he noted, believe that the actions of adolescents are guided only by the desire to achieve recognition from their peers, and everything else (clothing, language, musical tastes, behavior, etc.) is just “monkeying”, necessary to belong to a group. This point of view comes from the idea of youth culture as a natural sequence.

Another point of view comes from the fact that subculture represents a confrontation, which consists in the fact that the reason for diversity in the teenage world is an expression of inter-age and class hostility. This position is developed, for example, by the book of American researchers “The Language of Youth Subcultures: Social Identification in Action” (New York, 1995). Teenagers enter a hostile world. This point of view was defended, in particular, by the authors of one of the first significant books devoted to youth subcultures - the Englishmen Stuart Gell and Tony Jefferson in the book “Confrontation through rituals: youth subcultures in post-war Britain”, published in London in 1976.

Reasons for the emergence of the subculture

Why do subcultures arise?

The most common answer is this: to resolve contradictions in the mainstream culture if it fails to provide the new generation with a valid ideology. A subculture takes shape in its own style of behavior, in language, clothing, and in rituals that are capable of creative development.

The theory of subcultures as a scientific discipline tries to determine the relationship between the “main” culture and “deviations”. She works in the conceptual field of cultural studies, based on specific sociological studies and other humanities disciplines. Marxist theory denies subcultures, considering youth subcultures as an ideology designed to mask the antagonistic contradictions of capitalist society and replace them with confrontation between generations.

The views of supporters of the theory of social conflict are close to Marxist.

Social action theorists emphasize the behavior of the individual in his contacts with others. In this understanding, subcultures are considered as a system that regulates the implementation of the interests and needs of young people in society.

Each of us has happened to walk down the street, ride the subway, or just watch TV and see people who are somehow different from others. These are the informals - representatives of modern subcultures.

The very word “informal”, “informal” means unusualness, brightness and originality. An informal person is an attempt to show his individuality, to say to the gray masses: “I am a person,” to challenge the world with its endless everyday life and lining everyone up in one row. Scientifically speaking, a subculture is a system of values, attitudes, behaviors and lifestyles that is inherent in a smaller social community, spatially and socially isolated to a greater or lesser extent. Subcultural attributes, rituals, and values, as a rule, differ from those in the dominant culture, although they are associated with them. The English sociologist M. Brake noted that subcultures as “systems of meanings, modes of expression or lifestyles” were developed by social groups that were in a subordinate position, “in response to dominant systems of meaning: subcultures reflect the attempts of such groups to resolve structural contradictions that have arisen in the broader social context." Another thing is culture - a mass phenomenon - a system of values inherent in most of society and a way of life dictated by society.

Subcultures are a big, bright world that reveals to us different shades of life. This can be seen from the classification of subcultures.

Classification of subcultures

Types of subcultures:

Musical - subcultures based on fans of various genres of music: alternative, goths, indie, metalheads, punks, rastafarians, rockers, ravers, hip-hop (rappers), folkers, emo, rivetheads, etc.;
Image - subcultures, distinguished by style of clothing and behavior: Visual kei, cyber goths, nudists, dudes, Teddy boys, military, freaks, etc.;
Political and ideological - subcultures distinguished by social beliefs: anarcho-punks, antifa, skinheads (all varieties), beatniks, informals, hippies, yuppies, new age, stride age, etc.;
By hobby - subcultures formed thanks to hobbies: bikers, writers, tracers, hackers;
For other hobbies - subcultures based on cinema, games, animation, literature: otaku, gamers, role-playing movement, Tolkienists, therianthropes, furries;
Hooligan - the identification of these subcultures is often contested, and not everyone who is classified as one of them considers themselves to be one of them. For example: rud-boys, gopniks, lubers, ultras, etc.

Alternatives

Let's dwell on such a subculture as alternatives.

Alternatives are a youth subculture that emerged in the early 1980s, subsequently brought to Russia in the 1990s.

Alternative is a word derived from the name of independent, non-mainstream record labels on which musicians releasing their records offering “alternative” music that does not have clear boundaries of genre. It was formed by mixing metalheads, punks and rappers. The success of alternative music and its gradual transformation into the mainstream was ensured by groups such as Nirvana, Korn and Limp Bizkit.

The alternative community has no structure and has not formed any clear principles, since it was initially based not on an idea, but on music. However, popular themes for song lyrics are non-conformism, calls for political literacy of the population and anti-fascism. But with the same success, the lyrics can talk about wild parties, love, sex, violence, drugs, etc. Alters (short for “alternatives”) very often share punk anarchist views. However, an example of an alternative group that has clear political beliefs and a strong ideological basis is Stone Sour.K. Today, practically nothing remains of the original meaning of the name of this subculture except supposedly non-conformist slogans. Over time, the alternative becomes more and more popular among young people, and as a result, it turns into what it initially offered as an “alternative”, into another mainstream genre of music, without any special philosophical background.

Music is divided into many subgenres, but these three have gained the most popularity: 1) Alternative metal. Founders: Corrosion of Conformity, White Zombie. Comes from heavy metal and thrash metal; 2) Rapcore. Founders: Urban Dance Squad, Rage Against The Machine, Biohazard, Limp Bizkit. Comes from rap; 3) Grunge. Founders: Nirvana. Coming from a punk.

The appearance of representatives of this subculture greatly depends on their age and communication environment. The most common combination today is black hair covering the ears, black clothes, sneakers (mostly skater ones), facial piercings, tunnels, dreadlocks. But not all alternativeists approve of such a “uniform”, and simply prefer loose sportswear from popular brands.

Among the alternatives, tattoos, sports, often extreme sports, and the use of alcohol and (or) various drugs are popularized. This does not mean that all alternativeists, without exception, have bad habits. This feature, like their appearance, depends more on personal qualities than on belonging to this subculture.

Conclusion

Subcultures are a special part of public culture. Subcultures have their own classification according to various criteria: appearance, inner worldview, political views, musical preferences and other cultural preferences (cinema, literature, painting, fashion, etc.).

Some subcultures are extreme in nature and demonstrate protest against society or certain social phenomena. Some subcultures are closed in nature and strive to isolate their representatives from society. Sometimes subcultures develop and become elements of a single culture of society. Developed subcultures have their own periodicals, clubs, and public organizations.

Dear teachers, remember: the appearance and the presence or absence of bad habits (alcohol, drugs, etc.) among representatives of various subcultures depends more on the personal qualities of the person than on his belonging to any subculture!

List of used literature and sources

1. Aksyutina O. A. Punk culture as a phenomenon of youth counterculture // Modern transformations of Russian culture. M.: Nauka, 2005, p. 564—603

2. Gromov A.V., Kuzin O.S. “Informals. Who is who?" - M., 1990

3. Zapesotsky A.S., Fain A.P. “This is an incomprehensible youth...: problems of informal youth associations” - M: Profizdat, 1990.

4. Olshansky D.V. “Informals: group portrait in the interior” - M: Pedagogy, 1990.

5. Omelchenko E. Youth cultures and subcultures / Institute of Sociology RAS, Ulyan. state univ. N.-I. . - M.: Institute of Sociology RAS, 2000. - 262 p.

6. https://xreferat.com/84/1279-4-molodezhnye-subkul-tury.html

7. https://www.grandars.ru/college/sociologiya/subkultura.html

8. https://nside.ru/wiki/spisok-subkultur

9.https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%82%D1%83 %D1%80%D0%B0

Positive and negative aspects of subcultures

Despite the wary attitude towards them, subcultures, in general, are useful for the development of society.

Many people have hobbies that are incomprehensible to most. Subcultures are an opportunity to communicate in an environment close to them. Often this is the only way a person can relax and be in his element. In this sense, the subculture is a unique and expanded continuation of the tradition of a club of interests.

Subcultures play an important role in the socialization of people who do not fall into accepted standards or who have serious unpopular hobbies.

This becomes dangerous at the moment when the subculture begins to preach antisocial, immoral values. In isolated groups, the influence on each member increases and it is much easier to instill a destructive idea in a person.

Based on the above, it is clear that it is impossible to judge all subcultures equally. Each pursues its own goals and has its own views, so they can only be assessed individually.

Youth subcultures in Russia: a historian’s view

Life, especially in the West, is gradually moving towards the point where various minorities, taken together, become a strong and ever-growing majority.
But Russia is no exception here. Perhaps this will be the final embodiment of democracy. In this regard, I recall an advertising slogan from the Moscow metro with reference to Aristotle: “The city is a unity of dissimilar people.” However, questions immediately arise: where is the measure of this dissimilarity? or is it immeasurable? And perhaps the most important question: is such dissimilarity an end in itself? Is it possible here to recall the “flowering complexity” of Konstantin Leontiev and rejoice? How blooming is it? Smell is not yet a sign of a blooming state. Subculture is not a club of interests or a circle of young pioneers. The fundamental difference is that the values of a subculture are basic for its adherent, more important than all those shared by the rest of the world around him. A subculture can form naturally - on ethnic, geographical or traditional religious grounds. However, this does not always happen: a subculture can arise artificially - due to certain age, carnal, intellectual or “spiritual” interests. These, in fact, have nothing to do with subcultures of the first type: their nature is different, and they arise by the free will and choice of the person himself. This is how sects, gay communities, “parties,” and youth subcultures arise. And a person does not come here for an hour: it is necessary to connect his life with the subculture, live by its interests, and become saturated with its spirit. You will have to look at the outside world and yourself through her eyes.

The subculture does not strive to actively expand its ranks, despite often proclaimed formal slogans to the contrary. She is always characterized by the idea of her own exclusivity, sometimes elitism.

Youth subcultures are a young phenomenon for Russia. In traditional society they did not exist, since there were no “youth” in our understanding. A child - a boy or a girl - immediately grew into an adult with all his responsibilities and behavioral characteristics. This was usually associated with marriage, the term of which in Rus', as in other traditional societies, began with puberty. A woman a little over 30 years old was often already a grandmother and looked after her grandchildren, and her husband (or father-in-law) was in charge of a large family consisting of several generations of relatives. The young man spent 15 years preparing for military service - this is how his childhood ended. Such a society, with its value conservatism, was extremely mobile - each of its members played an important social role. Moreover, there was no need for some deliberately invented “state ideology” or “national idea”: a sense of responsibility was instilled from the cradle, and it almost always guaranteed against unpatriotic or selfish behavior. “Take care of your honor from a young age,” said an old Russian proverb.

The nobles, freed from compulsory service in 1762 and quickly imbued with a sense of their own exclusivity, nevertheless did not form a subculture. The class system generally excludes subcultures: it is built on the subordination of all groups of the population. In Russia, this was also coupled with pronounced state paternalism. In addition, subculture is a predominantly urban phenomenon, while Russia as a whole remained an agrarian society. The rural owners were quite divided among themselves. The city's noble society was too strongly tied to state interests. Noble public opinion was based on ideas on an all-Russian scale: the fate of the country, according to their own ideas, was in their hands and was directly decided by the “first nobleman” - the autocrat. At the beginning of the 19th century, the young nobility adopted English dandyism, but it can hardly be called a subculture: there were only a few young dandies in the capitals. P.Ya. Chaadaev, who became the embodiment of this phenomenon, was an exceptional and self-sufficient person. The hero of Pushkin's novel, Eugene Onegin, was only “dressed like a London dandy.” There is only an imitation of the Western model.

The collapse of traditional social ties always gives rise to informal associations. They often have an age-related feature. In Russia, the first “youth subculture” could perhaps be called the student community. Its final design occurred in the second half of the 19th century. It was not narrow-class, the authorities were not able to regulate its life legislatively, the values of the students were informal. It was necessary to be different from everything around – “gray and dull”, and the acquired scientific knowledge suggested: the way out lay in a new social reality, in the kingdom of total justice. Radical ideological features were combined with external differences. Even in the ununiformed era, a real student was noticeable by his external signs - a emphasized and deliberately causing disdain for appearance. The student uniform introduced in the 1880s did not change anything here: the top buttons were not fastened, the cap was always worn askew, and an unkempt cowlick came out from under it. True adherents of the student subculture turned into “eternal students”; their age ceased to matter.

The common people did not like the “skubents” and treated them with suspicion. The students' “going to the people” ended in complete failure. Soon after this, in 1878, the no less famous and very significant “Okhotnoryad story” took place: students of Moscow University were beaten by meat market traders for revolutionary propaganda. A rumor spread that the young “bare” decided to call on the people to restore serfdom - and the butchers’ nerves could not stand it. It never occurred to them that agitation against the monarchy, which liberated the peasants, could have some other basis, and that “white collar workers” could oppose the wealthy sections of society. A subculture always runs the risk of being misunderstood from the outside. The student subculture collapsed at the beginning of the twentieth century as its values spread widely throughout society. Against this background, the student lost his brightness and uniqueness. And the dream of social justice began to actively come true, but few of the dreamers did not drown in the bloody streams that accompanied this embodiment.

The basis of any subculture is always utopia - the idea of the possibilities of a certain group of people to unite and jointly change the world around them. This could be a world revolution and a global commune, a technocratic future and the victory of the national team in the world championship. The only question is the scale of consciousness, and, as you know, it can be expanded in various ways. For subcultures this task is extremely important. Students of the 19th century read the latest books, prepared notes and discussed them at meetings with the aim of immediately introducing the ideas they had read into everyday life. Propaganda or bomb - a matter of taste and available skills. A century later, it became customary to compose acutely social poems or philosophical parables and set them to music, taking one or another creativity-stimulating drugs in between this noble activity. Sometimes they were too strong. What is the result? Charm always ends in disappointment. It’s good if, having reached a dead end, a person has the opportunity to get out of it. What if there is no more time?

As the horizons of thought become smaller, the goals of subcultures also become smaller. Gradually, relaxation becomes the main guideline. But it is dangerous for consciousness to exist in a state of “eternal relaxation” - this leads to its subjugation and destruction. If you don’t make an effort, there will always be someone else to do this, and he will make the choice for you. Maybe this is not a bad thing? Over time, when a person ceases to be aware of it, he will ask exactly this question. This means that he has already lost himself, everyone who needs his help has the opportunity to receive it, the country has lost its citizen. And you can spend years or, if you’re especially lucky, decades in self-gratification—refined and not so refined, “kind and naive” or aggressive and misanthropic, highly ideological or “pop.” The world will not turn over because of this - the person himself will turn over. The personality will gradually wear out and burn out. The illusory unity with like-minded people will be destroyed. Those around you will lose interest, loneliness will come. The worst thing is that it will become universal. Who to appeal to? “My soul, my soul, arise, what have you written off?..”

Adolescence, which extends into old age, cannot evoke any other feeling than regret for the missed opportunities of the person himself and his loved ones. It is difficult to judge now what the future awaits Russia. Forecasts in this matter are a completely thankless task. One thing is clear: with the dictates of subcultures there will be no such future at all.