Subculture and Style

- The term subculture goes back to the 1800’s, early studies referred to deviant groups or an urban underclass
- the prefix sub suggests a lower rank
- term associated with post 1945 youth subcultures, rise of the teenager
- a sub culture is a minority group that stands apart from the prevailing mainstream culture
- mainstream culture is the organisation of a society into a hierarchical structures that are shaped by prominent political, media, social and corporate interests. 
- mainstream culture is found in state institutions and apparatus, government laws, authhorities
- dominant ideology reflects the interests of powerful social groups
The Beats:
- sub cultural elite, mostly male, young, white, educated, middle class
- writers: William Burroughs, Allen Ginsburg, jack kerouac etc
- frame of reference: post ww2, 1950’s America, alienation from mainstream society
Beat literature themes:
- anti mainstream culture, opposition to the military industrial machine, anti 1950’s materialism and consumerism, anti censorship, moral ambiguity, emphasis on individual autonomy
Square values:
- mainstream culture, deferred gratification, conformity to bereaucratic rules, comfort in routine, consumerism equals status, family as moral centre, defined gender roles
Beat values:
- counter cultural, hedonism, spontaneous action, non conformity, distain for work ethic, anti materialistic, spiritual, non binary relationships

- punk dress code: anti Tate reflecting social dislocation, use of collage and bricolage, provocative, subversion of cultural signs, cross gender 
- sub cultural rituals: nihilism, sarcastic patois, speed logic, participation in spectacle, gobbling etiquette
- punk semiotic code: energetic, crudely produced, cheaply printed, mix of collage elements, no rock star posturing, lettering