Fashionable subcultures. Examples of modern youth subcultures

Youth subculture is a culture of a certain younger generation having a common lifestyle, behavior, group norms, values ​​and stereotypes. Youth subcultures can be defined as a system of meanings, means of expression, and lifestyles. Created by groups of youth, subcultures reflect attempts to resolve contradictions associated with a broader social context. Subcultures are not some kind of foreign formation; on the contrary, they are deeply accelerated in the general socio-cultural context.

The core of any youth subculture is street style. Slang is one of the main distinguishing features of the subculture. Knowledge of a specific language is a pass to the group.

Entering adolescence, an individual moves away from his family and looks for a new company that allows him to undergo socialization. Official youth organizations group teenagers of the same age, but often claim only “social life” without affecting personal life. That is why young people prefer not the official structure, but the youth subculture, where they have the opportunity to realize themselves at the level of social communications in their social environment.

Conflict of youth subcultures

The subculture, to which mostly young people belong, is a certain choice about what clothes to wear, what music to listen to, what values ​​to believe in, and, above all, what group to belong to. In a big city, young people can choose from many such groups. They arise even within national communities.

The huge variety of youth associations entails certain conflicts, which are mainly personal in nature and result in confrontation between young people who consider themselves to be different subcultural associations.

Any youth subculture has certain rules, sometimes “unwritten” traditions, values, even views on the same situations or incidents of several subcultures can differ radically, and each subculture considers its opinion the most correct, accurate and relevant. The main difference between conflicts in youth subcultures and conflicts occurring among adults is that the older generation is able to be more tolerant and correct in their attitude towards outside opinions, or at least only respond verbally to the identification of any obvious contradictions or differences in views (controversy and seek compromise). Young people react more temperamentally to such manifestations of “otherness” of someone directly from their social group and try with all their might to change this, but, encountering opposition and the reluctance of the opposite side to submit, they try, again thanks to youthful egocentrism, to solve such a problem with physical force . It is from such situations that youth conflicts, intergroup showdowns, determination of right, wrong, guilty and victims arise.

Conflict within a culture always has a subordinate place, since it destroys the traditional mechanisms of its self-preservation and sustainable development. There is also a possible conflict here between the cultural and civilizational foundations of society, represented by different social groups. In particular, between different subcultures.

Our society consists of various social groups, differing both in the number of individuals included in it and in the nature of the group orientation.

Football fans

Communities football fans- one of the most common forms of subcultural youth activity, which has a long origin. The specificity of this subcultural form is that identification is situational, which requires a minimum of effort from participants and does not deeply affect the way of life. The game itself on the football field inspires them, but more significant are the moments of general emotional release, the opportunity to “break away”, to express their feelings to the fullest (yell, rowdy).

The compensatory purpose of rioting at the stadium and vandalism after the match is obvious. But the subcultural meaning of football fan communities, of course, does not end there. Young fans get the opportunity, among their peers, to model their behavior as a group and, at the same time, not experiencing pressure from the main social control authorities (parents, school, etc.).

Football fans are a complex community to organize. Among Dynamo Brest fans, a group that stands out is the informal organization “Blue-White Devils”, numbering about 300 people.

Within the framework of the fan movement, different attitudes and lifestyles are combined. "Devils" are guided by the philosophy of "clean living." Physically well developed, its members avoid fights, but protect the “little ones” - the youngest part of the fans, the newcomers.

In a certain sense, communities of football fans make up for the shortcomings of social experience of intergroup interaction, including the experience of large-scale confrontation. IN lately Such communities, under different commands, are increasingly concluding agreements on “non-aggression” and joint actions against other communities:

Friends: fans of BATE (Borisov), Dynamo Minsk;

enemies: fans of Dnepr (Mogilev), Gomel, Shakhtar (Soligorsk), Slavia (Mozyr), Belshina (Bobruisk), Vedrich (Rechitsa), Vitebsk Lokomotiv;

neutrality: Torpedo Minsk fans.

Fans can receive personalized cards to purchase tickets to their team's matches at a discount .

Bikers versus motorcyclists

In Russia, it is mainly wealthy people who can imitate Western bikers. Having special motorcycles (in Russia - unaffordable even for the “middle class”) and other iconic signs of bikerism, Russian bikers are most often just consumers of a certain cultural assortment. By expert assessments, most of them are not able to fix even simple breakdowns in a motorcycle; for any reason they turn to a service station.

The lifestyle associated with a motorcycle is different. Young people who adhere to it do not have any ideological platform; identification occurs within small communities that do not have a sign system or even a self-name. They adhere to a special lifestyle: these motorcyclists create their own motorcycle: they buy an old motorcycle very cheaply (usually in the village), which they supplement with parts from motorcycles, cars, and various types of industrial waste thrown into a landfill. Such an updated motorcycle with an original design, which is not capable of developing too much speed, costs about 10 times less than a motorcycle in a store. When the work is finished, small groups ( friendly companies) ride quite calmly (without breaking the rules) on motorcycles on the roads. They do not set any special travel goals - “they just go.”

This undefined movement is being formed among young people from families with little income. The opportunity to freely ride on equipment made with your own hands creates the basis for self-affirmation and a creative attitude to life. It should also be taken into account that in Russia, with its roads, the motorcycle has long become one of the main (along with the bicycle) means of transportation in small towns and villages, much more important and often more prestigious than a car. In this regard, the practice of the said movement of motorcyclists is very old, not at all biker, still weakly fixing its symbolic space, but, undoubtedly, associated with a special subjective construction of social reality.

Ravers

“Rave” (from the English rave - to rave, nonsense, incoherent speech, also: to rage, roar, howl, rage, speak with enthusiasm) is interpreted in T. Thorne’s Dictionary of Modern Slang as “a wild party, dancing or situation of desperate behavior » The source of life guidelines for ravers was the musical style, or more precisely, the examples of the life style of the most popular musicians who act in the charismatic role of idols - carriers (creators) of the corresponding sociocultural models. Breaking away from its source, rave acquired international features, which are also characteristic of our followers among young people. Ravers basically borrow the behavior model of nightclub regulars. According to this model, the raver's lifestyle is nocturnal. The idea of ​​man’s departure from nature is realized in the appearance of ravers and their style of behavior. Industrial rhythms, characteristic of the musical style of ravers, are a kind of alternative to rock music.

Hip-hop culture

Hip-hop is a “street culture” that has become widespread since the mid-1970s in the United States and then in many countries around the world as one of the subcultural forms of youth mastering social subjectivity through the creation, mastery, dissemination, and development of four main directions: breakdancing, rap, graffiti and DJing. The elements of hip-hop culture are also considered streetball(street football), rolling(certain roller skating technique), etc.

When supporting events in the field of hip-hop culture, it is taken into account that, by origin, hip-hop is associated with the selfless interest of urban youth in self-expression and mastery of the world around them in unique subcultural forms. Since the peculiarities of hip-hop culture are associated with actions in open areas, in parks, on sports grounds, it has become a kind of alternative to youth gangs of a criminal nature.

Break dancing (English: Breakdance - “broken dance”) is a type of “dance in a circle” associated with hip-hop culture. The words “breaking”, “rocking” (the original name of breakdancing), and “b-boying” are also used to designate it. It emerged in the late 1950s in New York as a youth "street culture" phenomenon in immigrant neighborhoods. The spread of the new dance style was directly related to the activity of youth groups and the division of the territory of large cities into zones controlled by teams of breakers. The competition of groups gave rise to the complication of breaking as a dance and its growing importance as a value among young people. In this part, breakdancing became a compensatory means of teenagers’ aggressiveness (“ dance battles": one of the leaders of hip-hop, Afrika Bambaataa, suggested that street youth groups “deal not with guns, but with dances: whoever danced worse lost”).

Rap (or recitative). The meaning of the text in rap is crucial, since it was originally formed as a protest subculture, so rap took slogan forms. In fact, rap can be called melodic recitation. The main thing in rap is the rhythm of words and text. With skillful selection of sounds in rap, the effect of melody in simple pronunciation (reading) of texts is achieved. Despite the apparent simplicity of the approach, it is very difficult to become a master, since reading texts should not be monotonous, but memorable, so the correct selection of rhymes, intonations, and the principle of alliteration are of great importance.

Graffiti (Italian graffito - “scratched”) - a type of artistic art, wall symbolic painting, giving text information a certain figurative form. In this sense, the term graffiti is a phenomenon of hip-hop culture. This is a unique direction of art design, which has become widespread among young people and has become a fact of counterculture, which has grown into a sustainable social and artistic practice.

Initially, the passion for graffiti was formed not only in opposition to social norms and public decency, but also as a competition with “one’s own,” where it was important to draw one’s “tag” in a more visible, most unexpected place. Developing from street culture, graffiti changed in the manner of execution and the technique used. If initially the main tool for writers was homemade markers, and shades were added with paints for shoes and stamps, then later aerosols for painting cars appeared, and “tags” became colored everywhere. Peculiarity artistic image depended on the steadiness of the hand, since the image could not be corrected, and on the selection of sprayers, often stolen from stores.

DJing(the term comes from the English “disk jockey”) - type creative activity, the main components of which are:

- Mixing(Mixing). This is the name for the process of smoothly mixing, combining, mixing, connecting, blending or transitioning one musical composition to another using a DJ console (mixer) and music players. This, in fact, is what the DJ does, trying to provide the highest quality of work in order to keep the audience on the dance floor for as long as possible.

- Scratching(Scratching, from the English word “scratch” - scratch; associated with scratching a record with a turntable needle.) This is the name of the process of creating individual rhythmic sound patterns using a special performance technique using music players and a mixer.

The highest, final and only goal of a DJ is to encourage people to dance. A good DJ is not at all the one who has good gramophone records, and not the one who knows how to put them together into a long gut, but the one who is able to control the mood of the dancers, turn on the audience, bring them to a state of ecstasy.

Diggers

Diggers are researchers of underground communications. The dangers of staying in underground passages, the closed nature of digger communities, the mystery of the dungeon world, devoid of everyday life - these properties of diggerism determine the internal motives for the interest of a certain part of young people in such forms of activity. Diggers, as a rule, have no desire to advertise their activities. Only some groups allow representatives of the media. In many cases, diggers cooperate with the executive branch and local governments when they discover life-threatening phenomena in underground communications (subsidence of building foundations, leaks in the water supply system, various environmental violations, etc.). In this aspect, diggers manifest themselves as part of environmentally oriented youth movements.

Tolkienists

The connection between the Tolkienists and a foreign source is obvious - the images of John Ronald Rowell Tolkien’s books “The Hobbit”, “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Silmarilion”, the plots of which were used as the basis role playing games, which gave rise to a peculiar social movement. Tolkienists are mostly young people, 13-17 years old, but there are also mastodons among them.

There are many things that distinguish a true Tolkienist from all other fantasy lovers:

· These people are very well aware of their difference from their other fellow citizens, so that for compatriots who are not part of the system (and this is all normative society) it is sometimes not easy to understand and integrate into it;

· Caring attitude to the game, to fantasy literature, up to a philological interest in the study of Elvish languages, a great interest in history, mainly early Middle Ages, martial arts, fencing, etc.

· A vital worldview combined with a very humorous assessment of his own activities (a person is capable of heatedly, passionately and in all seriousness arguing about the genealogies of hobbits, but a minute later the same hobbits will become the object of his ridicule - in general, a Tolkienist who always takes himself seriously is bad) ;

· A significant part is characterized by symbols of an amazing willingness to believe with a minimum of reasons for belief (belief in magic, etc.). For example, there are those who consider themselves atheists, but do not doubt the existence of elves.

Tolkienists themselves identify in the structure of their crowd several types of people who came here, in accordance with the reasons that led to Tolkienism.

1. Firstly, these are people who, for whatever reason, were unable to establish themselves in big world, or they succeeded, but they don’t like what they did. They hold on new world, like polar explorers for a radio station, since loss means the final collapse of life. Over time, such people constitute the elite of Tolkienism; they close themselves in their narrow circle, and here religion actually grows, but it is directed inward - therefore, the influx of new flock is extremely undesirable, because the system is hermetic, fresh blood can destroy it.

2. Another part of Tolkienists are those who simply like to play. Role-playing allows a person to find himself in the shoes of another, while remaining himself at the same time - and this is a most interesting emotional experience. Unlike theater, play provides virtually unlimited opportunity for action. For the most part, such individuals lead a normal “civilized” life, and consider games as a hobby, a means of relaxation from the harshness of everyday life.

3. The third category is those who need to feel their otherness. Indeed, the Tolkienist with his fancy costumes, swords under his arm, medieval style behavior really attracts attention. As a rule, such individuals are carried away by a lot of other things at the same time and, in general, do not stay long in Tolkien society.

Conclusion

Participation in a subculture is a “game of adult life", where young people construct some semblance of life situations and learn how to behave in them. The only thing worth considering is that subcultures are often influenced by commercial companies that dictate fashion and consumer behavior patterns to them. On at the moment For sociologists, marketers and social psychologists there is an urgent problem - the replacement of the social model among young people with consumer behavior.

Youth subcultures create their own culture, which helps young people adapt to life, takes on some of the functions of socialization of individuals that family, school, formal youth organizations and the state cannot cope with.

In conclusion, I would like to note the positive consequences youth subcultures:

The overall aggressiveness of fights between street gangs decreased, the negative energy of confrontation was realized in a different form;

Young people who were passionate about hip-hop were distracted from drugs and alcohol, since breaking requires athletic training;

The situation in the criminal, disadvantaged neighborhoods of large cities in America and Europe and other regions of the world has noticeably improved;

In its non-profit forms, the subculture does not require large financial investments from young people;

It makes it possible to organize active leisure for a certain part of young people, focused on the values ​​of a particular subcultural construct.

Hippie, a youth subculture that emerged in the United States in the 1960s. The movement flourished in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Initially, hippies protested against the puritanical morality of some Protestant churches, and also promoted the desire to return to natural purity through love and pacifism. grunge, stylistic direction in rock music (a variant of “new wave grunge metal”) and youth subculture, which became one of the most noticeable phenomena of alternative rock in the late 1980s - mid-1990s. The birthplace of grunge was the city of Seattle (USA, Washington state), the most prominent representatives of which are four Seattle bands: Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Nirvana and Soundgarden. These groups are known as the "Seattle Four". Grunge refers to heavy music along with heavy metal and hard rock. Emo, the emo subculture can be classified as the latter new style, although it looks very similar to goth and glam rock. Inspired stripes with long names, such as "The Day My Dog Went to Town," sickly young men everywhere decided to wear their hair slicked to the side, neckerchiefs, black eyeliner, and leg-hugging jeans.
Punk, a youth subculture that emerged in the mid-70s in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia, the characteristic features of which are a critical attitude towards society and politics. The name of the famous American artist Andy Warhol and the Velvet Underground group he produced is closely associated with punk rock. Their lead singer Lou Reed is considered the founding father of alternative rock, a movement that is closely related to punk rock.
Chik, The style is revived every few years, with the latest one still in full swing, Johnny Depp and Justin Timberlake– bright representatives, plaid trousers, sneakers and a T-shirt tucked into trousers. Rockers, Rockers emerged in the mid-60s and reached their peak in the late 60s and early 70s, both in England and on the continent. Rockers come primarily from families of unskilled workers, without education, and often from single-parent and “problematic” families. Rocker clothes - leather jacket, worn jeans, chunky big shoes, long hair combed back, sometimes tattoos. The jacket is usually decorated with badges and inscriptions. The main element of the rocker subculture is the motorcycle, which is also decorated with inscriptions, symbols and images. The motorcycle is a symbol of freedom, power and intimidation, the main source of obtaining strong sensations. At the same time, rockers highly value technical knowledge and driving skills. Gansta, Gangsta Rap began its development in the late 80s. This trend originates in hardcore rap. The gangsta rap style featured a hard, noisy sound. Lyrically, it was as sharp as rappers' crude tales of urban unrest. Sometimes the texts were accurate representations of reality, and sometimes they were simply comics filled with exaggeration. This direction became the most commercially successful in the history of hip-hop from the late 80s to the early 90s. During its development, gangsta rap became the source of considerable controversy, as some conservative organizations tried to ban the distribution of albums by these musicians. New Romantic (Glam Rock), musical movement that emerged in Britain in the early 1980s and (as part of new wave) had a noticeable impact on the development English pop rock scenes. “New Romanticism” arose as an alternative to the asceticism of punk culture and not only did not carry social protest, but also (according to the Virgin Encyclopedia of 80’s Music) “celebrated glamor.” Oil can, an outgrowth of British Teddy Boy culture - can be described as: Skinny jeans, tight T-shirts and slicked back hair. Jukeboxes, cocktail bar and travel in cars.
Dandy Flapper Dandy Flapper prevailed among the girls. Red lipstick, hair stuck to the head with hairspray and glitter, dresses were the order of the day for girls, for men only a tweed suit with a bowler hat.

The study of youth subcultures is an important area of ​​youth sociology. Since the 60s of the twentieth century, leading sociologists have addressed this issue. different countries peace. In domestic sociology, the analysis of youth subcultural phenomena until the end of the 80s was carried out within a very narrow framework. To a certain extent, this was explained by the fact that these phenomena, due to established scientific paradigms, were perceived as a social pathology. In the process of formation and development of youth subcultures, the following types were formed:

• - politicized subcultures - actively participate in political life and have a clear ideological affiliation;
• - ecological and ethical subcultures - are engaged in the construction of philosophical concepts and fight for the environment;
• - non-traditional religious subcultures - mainly a passion for Eastern religions (Buddhism, Hinduism);
• - radical youth subcultures - characterized by organization, the presence of older leaders, and increased aggressiveness;
• - lifestyle subcultures - groups of young people forming their own way of life;
• - subcultures based on interests - young people united by a common interest - musical, sports, etc.;
• - the subculture of “golden youth” - typical for capital cities - is focused on leisure activities (one of the most closed subcultures). Belsky V.Yu., Belyaev A.A. "Sociology", M., "INFRA - M", 2005. - 399 p.

Analysis of various types of youth subcultures shows that this phenomenon is dynamic and developing, manifesting itself through many forms. They differ in their origin and internal organization; at different historical times, some are of greater relevance than others.

Subcultures of the 30s-60s

One of the most vibrant and well-known subcultural communities are youth movements associated with certain genres of music. The image of musical subcultures is formed largely by imitation of the stage image of performers popular in a particular subculture. The formation and development of subcultures occurred quite a long time ago. The most striking period in the formation of subcultures was the beginning of the 1930s - 1940s.

Swing youth. In 1939, an informal movement called the Swingjugends appeared in Germany. The most developed was mainly in Hamburg, Frankfurt and Berlin. “Swinging youth” - as a rule, these were children from bourgeois families - high school students, students, young musicians. They were fond of American jazz and swing dancing. The appearance of the “swinging youth” was the antipode to the official image of the “correct” German youth. "Swing-Boys" dressed "American style". They wore long double-breasted jackets with checkered or "tennis" stripes, with huge shoulders, wide trousers with large cuffs, and boots with thick soles. Ties and scarves, like clothing in general, were supposed to be as bright as a “jungle fire.” Young fashionistas had to make do in order to be stylish in conditions of military shortages - jackets were altered from their fathers', old rubber soles were glued to boots. The swing youth walked with a deliberately slouchy gait, the obligatory cigarette hanging from the corner of their mouth, and they held dance parties where they played American and English music. In the end, the authorities banned swing dancing.

Bikers. Bikers and the biker subculture, like many other things, came from America. This is one of the oldest subcultures, formed back in the 1940-1950s. Appearance bikers are quite recognizable: leather, jeans, metal accessories - this is not a complete list of components of a biker style. Musical preferences include rock in all its forms, although some also listen to pop music. Nowadays it is carried out huge amount music festivals, where the vast majority of spectators and listeners are bikers. Such festivals are fun entertainment program, plenty of beer and rock and roll. There are also various rock clubs where bikers like to gather. Such clubs can always be identified by the motorcycles parked at the entrance. There, in the parking lot, they not only await their owner, but also attract the attention of others with their impressive appearance. Every biker pays great attention not only to the technical equipment of his steel horse, but also to its visual appeal. In addition to freedom, bikers value their biker brotherhood and are always ready to help each other.

Teddy fights. The Teddy Boy subculture originated in 1953 in London and quickly spread throughout the UK. Teddy boys dressed in tapered trousers or piped trousers, long jackets, fitted coats, double-collared frock coats, and bow ties. So they tried to be like dandies and “golden youth”. The Teddies were mostly from working class backgrounds. Teddy boys are the first youth culture in England that differentiates itself by having its own dress code and certain hobbies, and as a result adjusts the market to suit itself. It was with the advent of Teddy that the first youth clothing stores and youth television programs appeared. For Teddy Boys, appearance and clothing are important - this is what makes them stand out from the crowd. They were distinguished by rather hooligan behavior, which shocked the elders conservative generation, and newspapers usually “inflated” the hype around them even more, exaggerated and added fuel to the fire.

Fashion. Mods are a British youth subculture that formed in the late 1950s. among the London petty bourgeoisie and reached its peak in the mid-1960s. Mods replaced teddy boys, and later the skinhead subculture was formed from among the most radical mods. Fashion people chose motor scooters as their means of transport. Mods typically met in clubs and seaside resorts. The fashions were not united, they did not have some kind of connecting idea where the ideas of brotherhood and unity were promoted. They were just young people who got together at night and had fun until the morning. And yet, they left a mark on history with their bright appearance and unique tuning of their scooters. Initially, the preference for clothing was tailored suits, later - just suits from Italian and British brands. The language is extremely limited. They use drugs - pills and dark beer. In the second half of the 60s. The mod movement waned and has since been revived only sporadically.

Skinheads. The first mentions of skinheads in the press and music were found in England in the late 60s of the 20th century. Skinheads of the 60s had common features style with the mod subculture. The subculture was completely apolitical from the very beginning. Neither left nor right politics prevailed. These were tough guys who equally hated young bourgeois majors and relaxed hippie drug addicts. The ideology of “White Power” has emerged - White Power, which must maintain racial balance not only in Europe, but throughout the world. Real skinheads do not call for the destruction of other races, they simply say that everyone has their own home, their own homeland, the land of their ancestors. The skins cut their collars, narrowed their trousers, took off their badges, and put heavy construction boots on their feet. This is how the canon of skinhead clothing was established. Everything about this clothing is strictly functional, adapted for a street fight. Nothing superfluous: no glasses, badges, no bags, shoulder straps, nothing that prevents you from dodging the enemy’s hands. Instead of black laces, white laces appeared in the boots, as a symbol of the fact that the skins are fighting for the White Race.

Hipsters. Hipsters are a youth subculture in the USSR, which became widespread in large Soviet cities from the late 1940s to the early 1960s, having a predominantly American way of life as a standard. Hipsters were distinguished by their deliberate apoliticality, a certain cynicism in their judgments, and a negative attitude towards certain norms of Soviet morality. Western cinema played a major role in the development of the dude subculture. In the first years of the existence of this phenomenon, the appearance of the dudes was rather caricatured: wide bright pants, a baggy jacket, a wide-brimmed hat, socks bright colors, the notorious "fire in the jungle" tie. Later, the dress code of Soviet dudes underwent significant changes: the famous pipe trousers appeared, a fluffed “cock” on the head, an elegant jacket with wide shoulders, a narrow herring tie, an umbrella-cane. As for footwear, pointed-toe boots with high rubber soles were popular among Soviet fashionistas. For a girl who positioned herself As a representative of the “stylish” culture, it was enough to wear bright makeup and wear a “crown of the world” hairstyle. Tight skirts that tightly hugged girls’ hips were considered especially chic. In their musical preferences, dudes gravitated more towards jazz and rock and roll. Boogie was their favorite dance. woogie, rock and roll, and later twist and shake. The dude was distinguished not only by his special clothes, music, dancing and behavior, but also by his specific slang, partially borrowed from jazzmen. V.T. Sociology of Youth. p.54

In addition to the previously discussed subcultures, in the 30-60s of the last century, such cultures as Edelweiss Pirates, Rockabilly, Ore-boys and Hipsters appeared.

Subcultures of the 70-80s of the XX century

Hip-hop. The hip-hop subculture began in 1974 in the African-American and Latino neighborhoods of the Bronx. Clothing style in the hip-hop subculture. Freedom of action presupposes loose clothing. Therefore, the hip-hop style is characterized by men's T-shirts, tank tops, sweatshirts, hoodies and hoodies. The colors of clothing were initially dark and gray, but over time this convention was overcome in favor of more positive shades. On their feet, hip-hop fans prefer to wear wide trumpet jeans, often with a low waist. They are usually worn in such a way that part of the underwear becomes visible. We can call this a form of disregard for the norms of culture and ethics accepted in society. Hip-hop style shoes are 100% sporty. In addition to attributes of a purely sporting nature, such as bandanas, wristbands, baseball caps, which are worn by almost all representatives of the movement, the hip-hop style also includes jewelry, typical for those whose financial capabilities are significantly above average. Ponomarchuk V.A., Tolstykh A.V. Secondary education: two critical points of modern school.// Socis 12/94 p.54

Ravers. Ravers are usually classified as musicians. At the heart of this subculture there is: an easy, carefree attitude to life, the desire to live for today, to be dressed in the latest fashion. The ravers subculture emerged in the 80s. in the USA and UK. It has been spreading in Russia since the early 90s. An integral part of the raver lifestyle is night discos with powerful sound and laser beams. Ravers' clothing is characterized by bright colors and the use of artificial materials. The development of the rave subculture went in parallel with the spread of drugs, in particular amphetamines. Taking stimulants and hallucinogens for the purpose of “expanding consciousness” has, unfortunately, become an almost integral part of the raver subculture. At the same time, many youth culture figures, including DJs - key figures in the rave subculture - have expressed and continue to express an extremely negative attitude towards drug use.

Punks. A youth subculture that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia, characterized by a critical attitude towards society and politics. The philosophy of punk is mainly about the fight against dullness, aggression and monotony. Punks have a colorful image. Many punks dye their hair bright, unnatural colors, comb it and fix it with hairspray, brilliantine, gel or beer so that it stands up straight. In the 1980s, punks began to fashionable hairstyle"Iroquois". They wear ripped jeans tucked into heavy boots and sneakers. “Dead style” predominates in clothing. Punks put skulls and signs on clothes and accessories. Punks also wear various attributes of rocker subcultures: collars, wristbands, bracelets, mostly leather, with spikes, rivets and chains. Many punks get tattoos.

Goths. Goths are representatives of a youth subculture that emerged in the late 70s of the 20th century in the wake of post-punk. The Gothic subculture is quite diverse and heterogeneous. The main elements of the Gothic image are the predominance of black in clothing, the use of metal jewelry with the symbols of the Gothic subculture, and characteristic makeup. Typical attributes used by the Goths are the ankh, the ancient Egyptian symbol of immortality, skulls, crosses, upright and inverted pentagrams, bats. Makeup is used by both men and women. It is not an everyday attribute, and is usually applied before visiting concerts and gothic clubs. Makeup usually consists of two elements: white powder for the face and dark eyeliner around the eyes. Hairstyles in gothic fashion are quite varied. In the post-punk era, the main type of hairstyle was medium length disheveled hair. But in modern subculture many wear long hair, or even mohawks. It is typical for Goths to dye their hair black or, less commonly, red. Some Goths prefer clothes styled after the fashion of the 18th-19th centuries. with the corresponding attributes: lace, long gloves and long dresses for women, tailcoats and top hats for men. The normal state for Goths is "angst" - a fairly comprehensive term that describes the usual Gothic state. The humor of the Goths is quite specific - it is purely black humor.

Hippie. One of the first musical youth subcultures of our time were hippies. Hippie is a philosophy and subculture that originally emerged in the 1960s in the USA. The movement flourished in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Initially, hippies protested against the Puritan morality of some Protestant churches, and also promoted the desire to return to natural purity through love and pacifism.

Hippies believe:

• - that a person should be free;
• - that freedom can be achieved only by changing the internal structure of the soul;
• - that beauty and freedom are identical to each other and that the realization of both is a purely spiritual problem;
• - that everyone who thinks differently is mistaken. Shchepanskaya T.B. System: texts and traditions of subculture. M., 2004

The hippie culture has its own symbols, signs of belonging and attributes. Representatives of the hippie movement, in accordance with their worldview, are characterized by the introduction of ethnic elements into their costumes: beads, woven beads or threads, bracelets, “baubles” and so on.

In the 70-80s, other subcultures appeared such as Metalheads, Freaks and Glamor.

Subcultures 1990-2000

Cyber ​​Goths. Approximately, the origins of the Cyber ​​Goth subculture originate in 1990. It is worth noting that an exact classification and definition of this informal trend does not yet exist; of course, there are certain features that distinguish this trend from others, but according to the deep misconception of many, they have nothing in common with the usual Gotha subculture. The origins themselves were taken precisely from the Gothic movement, but in a short time they were completely reoriented. Like most subcultures, Cyber ​​Goths were formed due to musical styles. The main directions of Cyber ​​Ready's musical preferences were the sounds of the guitar and standard rock songs. The main hairstyles used are: dreadlocks - hair dyed in different colors, Iroquois are not uncommon among representatives of this movement, but they have nothing in common with the punk subculture. The color range ranges from green to black, but bright ones are predominantly used. Clothing is mainly made of leather or synthetic material. The design included elements of microchips, showing Cyber ​​Ready's passion for computers. This is distinctive feature Cyber ​​Ready from ready. Shchepanskaya T.B. System: texts and traditions of subculture. M., 2004.

Grangers. One of the oldest subcultures is grunge; they arose under the influence of the grunge musical movement, from where they actually emerged as a separate culture around 1990-1991. Its founders, the Nirvana group, who were able to promote not only their style to the masses, but also gave birth to a whole generation of their followers. By their appearance, Grangers can be easily distinguished from representatives of other subcultures; they are distinguished by a checkered shirt, sneakers and long hair - these three elements completely form the image and image. Moreover, preference is given to worn-out clothes. Often, such things to create an image, style and image are bought at second-hand stores. In their existence, they are completely harmless to others. Among musical styles, priority is naturally given to Grunge. The grunger subculture is also distinguished by its conservatism, its reluctance to change its ways of life, norms, philosophy or value system. The fashion for grunge ended around 2000-2005, but even now only those people who are not indifferent to this trend adhere to this subculture. It is worth noting that it was from the Granger direction that an element of clothing was later adopted - a T-shirt or sweatshirt with black and red colors. As for age, there are no restrictions. Among the grungers you can meet both 15-year-olds and fully formed and established people.

Alternatives. The Alternative subculture was formed in the first half of the 90s. It included representatives of rappers, metalheads and punks. Of all youth music styles, they stand out for their friendliness towards representatives of any subcultures. Unlike all musical movements, Alternative combined several styles at once, which made it possible to create a completely separate subculture. The HardCore style was taken as a basis. As for the musicians, and not the followers, they tried to make a breakthrough in music, rejecting existing standards. The main contribution made to world music, is a fusion of rap and rock. Closer to the turn of 2000, the new style entered the mainstream and began to spread en masse throughout the world. The appearance of the Alternatives immediately catches the eye. They are easy to distinguish from representatives of other subcultures. They wear loose clothing and piercings. The peak of Alternative's popularity came in 2005. This subculture did not have a special ideology; everything rested on a musical experiment, which radically changed the development of world music.

During this period, such a subculture as Tolkienists appeared.

Any civilized society presupposes the existence, implementation and organization of joint activities by people. The methods of its organization can be both formal and informal; they do not replace each other and proceed according to significantly different laws.

For example, in formal groups, relationships are seemingly impersonal: people act according to prescribed laws or rules. In informal relationships, between people or a group of people, communication takes place through public opinion or a system of interpersonal relationships.

In other words, “formals” are members of society who adhere to the norms and laws of this society, and “informals” do not comply with these norms, “go beyond” social stereotypes and patterns.

Teenagers are informal

At the heart of any informal movement lies the idea of ​​a free community of like-minded people, preserving emotional warmth and at the same time providing each member with a certain individual freedom.

Informals are those who break out of the formalized structures of our lives. They do not fit into the usual rules of behavior. Destroys all patterns and stereotypes not only in appearance, but also in relationships. They strive to live in accordance with their own, and not other people’s interests imposed from outside.

In the 1980s, with the first gusts of freedom, the so-called “System”, a youth association of mainly punk rockers and hippies, gained strength. It existed as a protest or rebellion against the communist system.

The informal youth subculture and its “System” movement collapsed along with the collapse of the USSR, but the new way of life of people, the desire for better life and gradual disillusionment formed a large number of other informal youth and teenage groups.

Features of the youth subculture

In the modern world, whether we notice it or not, a fairly stable youth subculture has already formed. It has its own internal and external features. Firstly, this is a common interest and one ideological program for all participants in an informal youth organization. Secondly, the informals have a desire to assert themselves, along with competition in a group of similar people.

At the same time, each informal youth group has a poorly defined internal structure and internal connections.

Modern youth subcultures

Another important feature and peculiarity of all youth movements is their external distinctive features. Each group has its own name, its own informal status and the so-called dress code. Those. a form of clothing or attribute that indicates that a teenager or young man belongs to one or another informal model of youth subculture.

Let's look at the classification of modern youth subcultures

So, to begin with, all informal associations are divided into groups, and those, in turn, into micro groups. When dividing, they are guided purely by likes and dislikes.

There are also exclusively informal teenage movements, informal youth and mixed groups. There are antisocial informals and positive ones.

General classification of informal youth organizations and types of youth subcultures

Sports-oriented informals

These are the so-called sports fans. Their movement is characterized by clear discipline and organization. Young people and teenagers who are well versed in a particular sport know its history. Promote a healthy lifestyle. Appearance they are recognizable - sports scarves, caps, T-shirts, etc.

Politically oriented youth subcultures

The most socially oriented youth subculture and informal group. They are different social activity, participation in all kinds of rallies and have a clear political position. These include: pacifists, Nazis (skinheads), punks, etc.

• a youth subculture of pacifists that opposes war and endorses the struggle for peace.
• the youth subculture “skinheads” (from the English Skin - skin, Head - head) is a spontaneously emerging marginal organization, which is characterized by nationalist views and a willingness to defend them. Skins are easy to distinguish from others: shaven heads, black and green jackets, nationalistic T-shirts, jeans with suspenders.
• The punk youth subculture is basically an extremist informal teenage movement whose behavior is characterized by shocking behavior and an unbridled desire to attract the attention of others.

Philosophical youth subcultures

Prominent among them is such a youth subculture as hippies. Sloppy clothes, blue jeans, embroidered shirts, T-shirts with inscriptions and symbols, amulets, bracelets, chains are the distinctive external signs of hippies. Informal youth are in an eternal search for the meaning of life, learning about themselves and the world around them.

Musically oriented movement of informals

The youth subculture of rappers, rockers, breakers, parkour (street acrobatics), etc. Informals of this youth subculture are united by a strong interest in music or dancing. And this interest most often transforms into a lifestyle.

Other modern youth subcultures

• Goths (they popularize the cult of death in every possible way, they look very similar to vampires);
• emo (short for the word “emotions”). Their youth subculture is based on the idea that the life of a teenager is a very harsh test, and therefore the emo-informal is sad and sad. This is evidenced by the black color in the teenager’s clothes, combined with pink, which is a symbol of love and friendship.
• The youth subculture of anarchists is distinguished by their demonstrative straightforwardness in their views and aggressive behavior. Black color in clothes, and a mandatory metal accessory.

Psychology of informality

Informal teenagers have their own psychological characteristics, first of all, the desire and tendency to imitate. This is understandable, because teenagers “do not yet know how” to be themselves, they are in search of the meaning of “I” and their purpose in life. Another characteristic of any informal youth subculture is the desire to stand out, the desire for autonomy and independence.

The realization of this aspiration is quite possible in a group of people like himself. But in fact, the teenager disappears into the crowd of his own kind. “The vast majority of informal groups of youth subculture are based not on conscious unity, which rarely happens among teenagers, but on the same loneliness of its members.”

One of the conditions for the existence of teenage informal groups is the presence or creation of opponents, ill-wishers, etc. Most often, enemy number one becomes the world of adults. An informal teenager expresses disagreement, dissatisfaction with the system and spreads this protest to all informals in the group.

The world is colorful, diverse and unpredictable. In every era, there were those who were opposed, who went perpendicular to the majority and challenged. In the last century, communities of such individuals were called subcultures.

Youth subcultures were initially hermetic communities that opposed themselves to the majority and were reluctant to assimilate into mass culture and were equally reluctant to accept people from the outside.
However, nothing stands still. Once marginalized groups that the Soviets official language informal youth associations were called, and gradually ceased to be something alien. Such processes are easiest to track at the level of accessories and elements of external style. Mohawks, bangs, wristbands and tunnels, which once caused consternation, sidelong glances, scandals and fights, now in one form or another happily exist on the streets, in offices, on catwalks and are no longer a cause for noise. And even questions.

List of youth subcultures

Punks are the most well-known and odious of subcultures. Over the history of its existence, an innumerable number of varieties have grown within punk culture, which differ strikingly: both in the sense of external surroundings and in terms of ideological content. Nowadays, many attributes of the punk subculture have become popular and are no longer considered something out of the ordinary, even when exploited by representatives of pop culture. However, punk culture is alive - thanks to ideological adherents, for whom punk is not a fashion of the day, but a way of thinking.

Modern youth subcultures

Visual Kei - “Our answer” to the glam rock culture that originated in Japan. If in 1977 band KISS didn't perform at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan Stadium - probably no visual kei would have existed at all. However, this event caused a surge in the popularity of glam rock and related genres, and then the formation of a local subculture.
In visual-kei, the image component seems to have become even more important than in its Western predecessor...

The history, features and list of modern youth subcultures around the world are in our “Subcultures” section!
Don’t forget to check in regularly - and our experts will tell you not only about goths and role-players, but also about many exotic trends in culture. You will be surprised!