This lecture looks at the relationship between Subculture and Style. It follows Hebdige’s
investigation into the topic and seeks to pose questions around the Postmodern sampling of
subcultural style which jettisons the politics (which were an essential component of the
original subcultures). In doing so, it aims to encourage the consideration of subculture and
style separately, and prompts the question “ Can contemporary subcultures be defined by
the key texts used in this lecture?”
The lecture investigates these ideas principally through representations of subcultures in film
and photography. It uses Ian Bordens writings to consider Skateboarding, Parkour and Free
running as performances of the urban environment: Nancy Macdonalds writings on Grafitti
and the city, and McRobbie and Garbers ideas about girls and subcultures.
Subculture is separate from style.
Subcultural Reactions
Mix of original Photography and up to date documentary footage.
Provides a good history of skateboarding and surfing. Taking the culture in the 1970's
into a professional sport. Re-use of existing spaces.
Female and Male
He argues it gives the body something to do rather than passively consuming the city scape.
Alternate to normal life in the city. Resisting the city, taking unique lines through the city.
Substitute family
Fight Injustice in the paris ghetto. Showing off their subcultures skills.
They steal from the rich and give to the poor - political
In this documentary they scale well known landmarks
Graffiti is claiming space. Putting your name on a Public Space.
Giving the city to the people
He describes the leveling from different cultural groups. It erases the traditional
borders of the way you look. Separating your identity from your own appearance.
She's saying female graffiti writers are judged on their looks.
Putting femininity in peoples faces. An ascertain of femininity.
US graffiti artist. Very politically motivated. She works in urban re generation.
She uses graffiti as a way of people claiming space back.
Most people that write about subculture are male, This was the case in 1977
In biker culture the girls are just an add on, who kind of ride along.
No competitiveness. This exaggerated masculinity and femininity in the biker culture.
No extreme styling, Morph of style. The girls and boys dress the same. Unthreatening.
The result of that is that mod culture fits into a wider culture. Doesn't attract too much attention.
Girls could have a status in their subculture unlike in biker community.
Tension of Mods and Rockers.
Sting plays a character in the film. He drives off a cliff which ends the experience of the culture.
Hippy Girls were middle class. Uni education. Space for leisure which allows you to find yourself.
Time for personal expression before setting down.
Kind of third wave Feminism. They covered themes that were quite serious like
rape domestic abuse etc...
Its less about the music more about the protest. Its not about
musicianship its more about the political side.
Its about the female in the music industry
She died last year. She was one of the pioneers of the alternative scene who grew up along
side the the punk bands.
Riot Grrls are involved in political actions. They produce fanzines.
They have reproduced the punk DIY aesthetic. Dealing with real issues.
To be a subculture there has to be some kind of political causes.
Gives women a voice in the music industry.
Example of the style without the subculture and the politics.
Easy consumption of the target audience. GIRL POWER. offers little empowerment
in real life. The lyrics of songs are terrible and dont even make sense. Eliminating the power.
Distortion of the punk movement in the media.
Offensive lyrics and style which is different to normal people.
Elements of the cultures are turned into commodity form. Everything
started turning into mass produced items. Ruining the subculture.
Style overtakes subculture.
Makes the punk subculture non threatening. They have been
represented unthreatening.
Functional object becomes an accessory. Piercing clothing and skin in a
rebellious statement. The subculture was quickly consumed by public.
The hoodie becomes an object of demonised object. Starts as a protective piece of clothing
Hiding from CCTV. And belonging to a group unidentifiable.
The coat starts off a commodity for the rich, then it slowly goes through the classes.
Girls were a small part of the teddy boy culture. If they were out on the street
they might get pregnant.
Starts with the mod culture, then deviated.
Right of passage movie about his journey.
He beats milky up. He cant deal with being friends with
someone of a completely different race. Working class Conflict.
Hand Out Subculture and Style
Further Research
• McRobbie, Angela (1977) Girls and Subcultures
• Hebdige, Dick (1979) Subculture: the meaning of Style
• Borden, Ian (2001) Skateboarding, Space and the City
• Mc Donald, Nancy (2001) The Graffiti Subculture
• DeMello, Margo (2000) Bodies of inscription: a cultural history of the modern tattoo
community
• Ganz, Nicholas (2006) Graffiti Woman, Thames and Hudson
• Gelder, Ken (2005) The Subcultures Reader
• Muggleton, David (2003) The Post Subcultures Reader
Filmography
• This is England (2006) Shane Meadows
• Quadrophenia (1979) Frank Roddam
• Dogtown and Z Boys (2001) Stacey Peralta
• Jump London/ Jump Britain (2005) Mike Christie
• Yamakasi - Les samouraïs des temps modernes (2001) Luc Besson From the Postsubcultures Reader
Is it possible to work within the existing limitations of ‘subculture’, or has the term exhausted
it’s usefulness? Can attempts at reconceptualisation adequately capture the experience of
fragmentation, flux and fluidity that is central to contemporary youth culture? And to what
extent does this involve challenging of past theoretical orthodoxies about spectacular
subcultural styles? By addressing such questions, through a wide variety of international
case studies, this reader helps chart the emergence of a new agenda for the study of youth.
(Muggleton and Weinzierl:2003:3)
NAME Choi Seang Rak BORN 1971 OCCUPATION Academic LOCATION Seoul, South Korea
AVATAR NAME Uroo Ahs AVATAR CREATED 2004 GAME PLAYED Lineage II HOURS PER WEEK
IN-GAME 8 CHARACTER TYPE Dwarf Warsmith SPECIAL ABILITIES Craft siege weapons,
whirlwind in battle
Photo from Alter Ego by Robbie Cooper, 2007
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