Features and reasons for the emergence of youth subcultures

• This type of work is not a scientific work, it is not a finished final qualifying work!
• This type of work is a finished result of processing, structuring and formatting collected information intended for use as a source of material for independent preparation of educational work.

If you have a hard time understanding this topic, write to me on WhatsApp, we’ll look into your topic, agree on a deadline, and I’ll help you!

If you want to learn how to correctly carry out and write abstracts on any subject, then on the page “what is an abstract and how to do it” I wrote in detail.

Introduction

Youth subcultures play a dominant role in the sociology of youth and have been the object of research by scientists since the 60s of the last century. Of course, subcultures such as goths, punks, hippies, etc. came to us from the West and America (hippies were especially common there), since there were no subcultures born in Russia. Perhaps this is due to the Iron Curtain that existed at that time. Russian researchers and analysts were even afraid to use such a term as “subculture”, but used the definition “informal people”. Z.V. Sikevich wrote that the youth subculture is understood as “the culture of a certain young generation with a common way of life, behavior, group norms, values ​​and stereotypes.” I cannot agree with the author that the subculture belongs to a certain generation, but I believe that various informal associations belong to certain groups of society. Although it can be noted that some cultures are passed on from generation to generation and have been developing for more than a century. For me, subculture is a way of self-expression for young people, a so-called attempt at self-expression; sometimes it can be very strange, but the worst thing is that it ends in sad consequences. Some subcultures go away, others replace them, but they always were, are and always will be. Attitudes towards them will always be different, everything will depend on the message that culture brings, so this topic is all relevant. At a certain period in my life, I myself belonged to a certain subculture, so this topic is the most suitable for me.

How did the term come about?

The term “subculture” is derived from the Latin words sub (under) and cultura (culture). Therefore, in the Russian language the word “subculture” can be used on an equal basis with it. This term is used in political science, sociology, philosophy, anthropology and many other sciences, in which it can be interpreted somewhat differently. It is important not to confuse subcultures with youth communities consisting of young people with common interests.

This concept was introduced by the American sociologist David Riesman. He gave it the following definition: a subculture is a certain social group that demonstratively chooses moral values, an appearance style and manners that do not correspond to the generally accepted ones. This phenomenon was later studied by British sociologist Dick Habdige. He noted that subcultures include people united by common tastes and at the same time dissatisfied with the norms accepted in their society.

Interestingly, in the 20th century, many authors used alternative terms to refer to this phenomenon. Thus, the French sociologist Michel Maffesoli calls youth subcultures “urban tribes,” and the Soviet biologist Viktor Dolnik uses the term “clubs.” In the USSR, the concept of “informal youth associations” was widely used, and their representatives were called “informals.” Around the same time, the slang word “tusovka,” which is still popular today, appeared.

The history of the emergence of youth subcultures

There is no exact date of birth of the subculture. Of course, it is impossible to find out whether informal associations existed, for example, in the time of Ivan the Terrible, but I think that in the time of Peter I they were already beginning to arise. Unfortunately, there is no exact answer to this question, but if we consider the existing subcultures of the last century, the very first of them were the “hippies” of the 60s. But one of the informal ones that appeared a decade earlier was the so-called “stealing”. The brightly dressed people, who spoke their own language, were a little cynical and denied some moral standards.

To understand their essence, just watch the domestically produced film “Hipsters.” But under pressure from the authorities, this culture ceased to exist. The next stage of development was the 70-90s. Such representatives of informal youth as punks, metallurgists, goths, alternatives and others appeared. Some take drugs, listen to rock and reject all the norms of society, others live in “their own world”, walk through cemeteries and perform rituals.

But ordinary people, still clinging to them, do not understand why they need these mohawks on their heads, black clothes, crosses, pierced ears and other distinctive signs. Another stage was the period of the early 2000s. Then emo, major, extremes, hackers, parkourists and many other cultures common to the whole world begin to appear. As mentioned above, all these cultures came to Russia from abroad.

What characteristics need to be considered to create a psychological portrait?

Currently, there are quite a large number of subcultures and an even larger number of psychodiagnostic techniques for studying personality.

But this time we will dwell in detail on the description of such subcultures as: bikers, gamers, glamour, extreme sports and football fans. To deeply study the issue, we used a 16-factor questionnaire by the British and American psychologist R.B. Cattella. The questionnaire allows you to identify personality traits, inclinations and interests. This is one of the most famous multifactorial techniques, created within the framework of an objective experimental approach to personality research.

Cattell's theory of personality traits , personality is described as consisting of stable, stable, interconnected elements (properties, traits) that determine its inner essence and behavior. 75 people took part in the study, of which 15 people represented the biker subculture, 15 were gamers, 15 were glamour, 15 were extreme sports fans and 15 were football fans. They were asked to answer questions, each of which had three answer options, to choose from. There is no “right” or “wrong” answer to the question, since people are different, and the main thing is to express your honest opinion on a given situation. When interpreting the results, it is usually clear which factor is expressed more and which less.

The average results are presented in the table.

Analyzing this table, we see several interesting points. It was possible to reveal that in all the studied subcultures, abstract thinking predominates over concrete thinking. This indicates a high level of general intellectual abilities.

Most representatives of youth subcultures are sociable people. We can conclude that representatives of 75% of the surveyed groups are extroverts (bikers, glamour, extreme sports, football fans), and 15% are introverts (gamers). This information is supported by the fact that for most of them, gullibility and openness to the world prevail over suspicion, and expressiveness prevails over restraint.

Functions and factors of uniting subcultures

Simply put, a subculture is a part of a social culture that is different from the one that exists in society at a given stage of development. It unites all young people who have certain distinctive characteristics and believe in certain ideals.

In my opinion, the main function of a subculture is the ability of young people to stand out among the crowd, understand themselves and their time, and find friends on the same wavelength. Another question is that the subculture does not always have a positive effect on the younger generation. Other researchers highlight such a function as emancipation - increasing status and leaving parental control. Usually it is accompanied by conflicts with parents and goes into a phase of exaggerated rejection of the norms of behavior of both the child and the adult. This creates conditions for teenagers to develop their own subcultures.

In order for a subculture to be successful throughout the world, certain unifying factors are necessary:

1. Common activity, the organization of joint activities makes it logical to unite people.
2. Music, the coincidence of musical tastes, has been a powerful unifying factor for centuries and has served to form many subcultures.
3. Distinctive features, signs or elements of clothing.
4. A specific idol to be worshiped, be it a famous person, a mythical character, a life goal, or something else.

Each group of a certain subculture has its own special world of values, its own norms, slang, some subcultures even have their own rituals and rituals. I.P. Bashkatov believes that “it is not the perverted natural needs of adolescents for fashionable clothes, sexual pleasures, prestigious things, alcohol and drugs, etc., but the social need for communication, self-affirmation, prestige, and the desire to improve their lives that push them to communicate with other people " And such people are neither parents, nor teachers, nor even “normal” peers, nor “outcasts” who spontaneously united in informal groups.” In this I fully support the author. If a teenager listens to rock music and everyone around him prefers classical music, what should he do? Of course, go against the system and look for your own kind. And if we consider such a subculture as emo, then the poor people who have failed in life and are thinking about suicide? Who do they talk about this with, not their parents? It is very sad when parents do not notice the child’s condition, but he still does what he intended.

What is a subculture?

A subculture is a separate part of the main (dominant) culture, which stands out strongly against the general background. It can be formed on the basis of moral values, religious views, traditions, customs and other sociocultural characteristics. The most obvious example of a subculture is youth movements that unite fans of certain styles of music or a significant cultural phenomenon (for example, the works of Tolkien or Lovecraft).

To fully understand the term “subculture”, let’s also define the concept of “culture”. In simple terms, culture is the totality of all material and intangible values ​​created by humanity. At the same time, we can talk about one universal culture, or we can distinguish the cultures of individual countries and peoples. In any case, it implies a set of universal values ​​accepted by all representatives of a particular people, regardless of age, social status and other factors.

Most modern subcultures are youth subcultures, since teenagers and young adults are characterized by a low level of conformism (what is this?) and tolerance to the moral values ​​that society imposes.

Countercultures are an important type of subculture. This is the name given to subcultures that are completely built on the denial of traditional values ​​for a given society. Some authors believe that the term “counterculture” is appropriate whenever the primary element of identifying a subculture is based on opposition to the dominant culture.

Types of subcultures and their main features

The gender composition of youth subcultures differs; while in some cultures aggression and physical strength are encouraged (skinheads, sports fans), the number of men predominates. If the subculture is calmer, then both women and men prevail on equal terms. There are hundreds of subcultures in their history, let's look at the most basic of them:

1. Hippies are one of the oldest subcultures. It was against violence, against routine. They were supporters of free love and free living. They could leave home without money, food and simply travel the world because their main message was “We are for world peace”, of course, as you can already understand, they were against the war “Macedonian, not war” ( make love, not war). The distinctive features of hippies were long hair with ribbons woven into it (and it didn’t matter whether it was a man or a woman), clothes in soft colors and natural fabrics, all kinds of bracelets, hair dryers and other “handmade crafts.” An ever-peaceful, beaming face was also a hallmark of this subculture (some scholars have argued that this is due to the fact that hippies were often seen using drugs and alcohol). Hippies often gathered by the sea, ocean or river to make fires, sing songs and play the guitar. The most important distinctive feature, which was indicated everywhere: on houses, cars, clothes and special badges (attached to clothes) was the pacifist - an international symbol of peace.
2. “Punks” - originated in the 60s and 70s of the last century in England and Canada. They did not believe in the future, they strived for personal freedom and complete independence, and to some extent there were anarchic traits. Supporters of alcohol, drugs, fights and various uprisings. Their clothing was dominated by dark colors, ripped jeans, chunky shoes, chains, skulls and spikes. Punk hair was dyed in bright acid colors, and one of the popular hairstyles was the mohawk. They listened mainly to heavy music, namely rock and punk rock. The younger brothers of punk were the so-called metalheads and alternatives, who were distinguished by a calm character, lack of aggression, the main similarity was the music and style of clothing.
3. “Emo” is a fairly young subculture that first appeared in America in the 80s. But its heyday came at the beginning of the 2000s. Depressives who often think about death believe that their life is doomed and they cannot achieve anything. They think about suicide because they feel worthless and see no point in continuing to live. But sometimes, standing on the edge of a roof or holding a razor in their hands, something stops them and they cannot finish what they started. They often suffer from anorexia, and sometimes it is difficult to distinguish a guy from a girl. They wear long bangs dyed pink. Dressed in a variety of colorful T-shirts, tight jeans and sneakers, they always carry a bag over their shoulder. They listen to emo rock, which also sings about suicide. Almost all other subcultures simply hate emo and mock them in every sense, and the more aggressively they even fight them. emo rock. At a certain period of my life, I myself belonged to this subculture; of course, I didn’t cut my wrists, I didn’t stand on the edge of the roof and didn’t think, but I found it in a depressed state. I liked their clothing style, music and state of mind, but it didn’t last long, so it can be attributed to the so-called youthful maximalism and desire for something new.
4. “Goths” appeared in the late 70s in England. Representatives of the subculture are melancholic, depressed, and death is a fetish for them. True aesthetes. The predominant color in clothing is black, sometimes massive red shoes are added, girls love to wear fluffy skirts and corsets. Makeup and a pale face are required; as a rule, everything is painted. They love to walk through cemeteries and think about life there. Crazy romantics often deny all traditions and norms. Sometimes many people believe that the Goths make sacrifices and perform rituals, but this is not so; most likely, they are confused with “Satanists” because they are very similar.

There are many other subcultures such as skinheads, anime, hipsters (younger brothers of the hippies), freaks, role models and others. But these subcultures are dominant in certain areas and have not yet completely taken over the world. The most popular countries with youth subcultures are America and Japan. There are a huge number of different informal associations and their different subtypes, and from these countries, thanks to the Internet, they are spreading throughout the world.

Signs of a subculture

In most cases, representatives of subcultures seek to emphasize their belonging to a particular movement. This is manifested in their habits, behavior, speech patterns and appearance. They listen to certain styles of music and often reject other styles, even if they do not have an aesthetic dislike for them.

Most subcultures are characterized by the presence of such elements as:

• special lifestyle and behavior;
• own set of moral values ​​and views;
• characteristic features of appearance;
• nonconformism;
• low tolerance for universal values ​​and high for values ​​accepted within the movement.

Usually subcultures are apolitical, and their representatives emphasize their apoliticality. But it also happens that they adhere to certain political views, which they express in a rather harsh form. A subculture can be closed and strive to isolate itself from society as much as possible, or it can behave defiantly, demonstrating protest against accepted norms in society or some significant events. Many subcultures have their own press and public organizations.

The influence of subcultures on society

It is impossible to give an exact answer to the question of whether a subculture has a good or bad influence on society and youth in particular. As the saying goes: “Everything is good in moderation.” During the period of growing up, teenagers try to find themselves and understand what they want from life, so they begin to use different forms of subcultures, the main thing is to finish with this and not miss the moment of growing up.

But the problem is that many subcultures do not encourage career building, personal development, family and children. Everywhere there is only hopelessness, aggression, alcohol and denial of all norms, and such positions are fraught with consequences.

On the one hand, young people belonging to subcultures have constant communication and are passionate about what interests them. It also contributes to the socialization of young people, helps them realize their desires and raise their authority in the eyes of their comrades.

On the other hand, everything depends on the subculture itself and the person. There are certain cultures that call for violence, cruelty to animals, people here are certainly dangerous to society and should be feared. If there is a head on his shoulders, then a teenager will never try drugs, jump off a roof or commit a crime. Although it is better for parents to simply let their child play sports, go out and study, sometimes it is useful to join some kind of society to begin to build his character. To understand the influence of a subculture on teenagers, it is necessary to understand the meaning of their existence.

After all, various youth movements arise from certain trends in society. Aggression in subcultures becomes a reaction to adult injustice, military conflicts and improper upbringing, and a bright appearance indicates a rebellion against norms. Therefore, parents should understand their children and give them some freedom. Teenagers tend to outgrow their hobbies. In this case, the influence of subcultures gradually weakens and over time the child understands that he does not need it at all. You can turn to this or that subculture, the main thing is without fanaticism.

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.

Psychological portrait of the “gamer” subculture

And here, when comparing bikers and gamers, we immediately encounter a contrast. First of all, the latter are very secretive and isolated. They don't pay much attention to appearance. Able to confine themselves to a small space. During the conversation, some representatives of this subculture confirmed this and said that a small room with a computer was enough for them. At the same time, there is a high demand for the quality of the gadgets they use. Gamers are capable of defending their ideas, but are more often indifferent, they are not interested in the process of struggle outside of gaming activities.

They are smart and observant, and can spend a long time doing one thing (but, as a rule, this is a computer game). They tend to give in, refuse work, and not enter into arguments in problematic situations, choosing rather an avoidance reaction. They are characterized by the presence of intellectual interests, are suspicious of new people, and do not like noisy companies.

Very dreamy, many have a rich imagination and creative potential. As we see in the graph, daydreaming significantly prevails over practicality

.

While showing concentration in the game, gamers can be quite distracted in the everyday sphere. They are often absorbed in their ideas, at the same time they are interested in art and religions, and are inclined towards self-knowledge. Many of them prefer books from the fantasy genre. They are careful in their actions - often because they tend to focus on past failures and avoid new ones. Gamers can often be slow, indecisive, and overthink details. As we can see in the graph, gamers show restraint rather than expressiveness.

.

At the same time, they quickly react to danger, maintaining equanimity. This tactic helps you gradually, step by step, reach new levels in the game, gradually approaching victory.

Psychological portrait of the “bikers” subculture

Bikers are quite sociable and open, they behave naturally and at ease, without attracting too much attention with external attributes, but at the same time they constantly use them. For example, leather clothes, chains, heavy shoes. In terms of musical preferences, a large percentage of people in this group choose hard rock. They do not wait for social approval and can be careless at times.

They prefer to join only their group (“pack”), they love space and freedom. Most representatives of this subculture have high general mental abilities, insight and concentration, and they are distinguished by the presence of a large number of intellectual interests. Observations show that many bikers are successful and occupy leadership positions, which once again emphasizes the presence of leadership qualities. Despite established views and ideas, they can be free-thinking experimenters and try new things. Technical innovations are of particular interest. As a rule, bikers are calm and able to quickly solve practical issues. They are decisive, ready to categorically defend their interests, and are not afraid of conflicts.

Most representatives have high self-esteem

, self-control, strong willpower.

Also, respondents in this group clearly expressed the quality of courage. Of all the representatives of the subcultures with whom we communicated, bikers and extreme sports enthusiasts have the highest scores on the “timidity-courage” factor.

».

They are adventurous and have a pronounced risk appetite. Most likely, these qualities are largely responsible for the love of two wheels, speed and extreme sports.

Psychological portrait of the “extreme” subculture

Extreme people are very natural and carefree. They are smart and quickly learn new information. Representatives of this group are able to look at things soberly and manage the situation. They have pronounced emotional stability

.

Usually extreme people are rationalistic, calm, realistically assess the situation and manage the situation. Emotional coldness and insensitivity also occur. Often these qualities help to concentrate on the trick and not be distracted by external stimuli. When people are constantly in search of thrills and adrenaline, their behavior may manifest excitement, irritability, or, conversely, tolerance to the inconvenience of the external environment in order to obtain certain sensations.

Our observations confirm this: according to surveys, many extreme sports enthusiasts are ready to exchange comfort for an ascetic journey with Spartan conditions, say, to the mountains. The search for new sensations, love for variety, vivid impressions and adventures are obviously manifestations of radicalism

, not conservatism.

This, in fact, is quite logical: representatives of this subculture tend to experiment, try new things, and not accept only time-tested things. In addition, these people are usually well-informed, they do not trust authorities and generally refuse to take anything for granted. This combination of qualities is supported by resourcefulness and helps “to be on the crest of the wave.”

Psychological portrait of the “glamor” subculture

Representatives of this subculture are sociable and open. They love to be around people, in a lively atmosphere. They prefer to join rather than leave, they are trusting, can follow a lead and easily adapt to the situation. They are often unstable in their interests because they are influenced by feelings and emotions. Many representatives noted that most of the purchases they made were emotional and impractical. A fashionable item from a well-known brand can prompt such a person to change his plans for the day in order to purchase it.

They often show passivity and submissiveness, and are easily thrown off balance by authoritative leadership. Capable of showing empathy and tenderness, they do an excellent job of supporting people around them. This group is distinguished by the fact that it regularly seeks help, recognition and sympathy from other people. Sensitivity clearly prevails over rationalism

.

Another pronounced feature is that representatives of the glamor subculture are much more dependent on the group than others. They need the support of others and make decisions much easier together with someone. Representatives of this subculture follow public opinion and focus exclusively on social approval. In this case, dependence on others clearly prevails over self-sufficiency

.

When communicating, they can be subtle, cutesy, and even a little pretentious.

They are prone to romanticism, artistic, and act at the behest of intuition. This is why many choose a bohemian environment in which to express themselves. Most representatives are worried about their health, appearance, wardrobe and the interior items around them. There is reason to believe that it is these psychological qualities that explain the increased interest of glamor representatives in appearance, fashion, beauty and luxury.