Gothic Subculture - Sinister or Harmless?

Lidia Rigga (I MSU) Gothic Subculture - Sinister or Harmless? "What are the worst dangers that threaten our children today? Satanism? Drugs? Homosexuality? A culture of violence? Heat exhaustion? What if there was a danger that included all of these? That danger is here, and its name is GOTH." 1 Those words, taken from the website hosted by Parents American Religious Organizations Defending Youth which main purpose is to inform and warn parents against dangers related to Gothic subculture, best summarize the confusion around the phenomenon of being 'Goth'. Is gothdom a sinister cult posing danger to the society or a harmless movement, one among many? The commonly negative reputation of the Gothic subculture, especially among parents and teachers, has its roots in stereotypes. 'Stereotype' is defined in the Webster's New World Dictionary as "a fixed or conventional notion or conception, as of a person, group, idea, etc., held by a number of people, and allowing for no individuality, critical judgment, etc." Stereotypes are usually imposed on the group of people they are applied to by others who are not within the group but are instead critical of them, very often due to lack of understanding or fear. Thus stereotypes are simplified cutouts representing general ideas rather than real living human beings, depriving them of their exceptional individual features. Such attitude

  • Word count: 1470
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Japanese Skinheads: The Meaning of a Subculture.

Japanese Skinheads: The Meaning of a Subculture by Dan Freire Society gives birth to culture, and culture gives birth to subcultures. '"Mass Culture" indicates culture as commodified and administered, pretargeted and produced for large numbers of consumers: the masses. "Popular culture" must be carefully distinguished from the culture industry's productions, if the popular is to retain any critical force or resistant grass-roots connection to the "people."'[3] The primal force behind many subcultures is the ability to not belong to mass culture, thus creating a sense of belonging, as one is part of something unique and particular. There is a resistance to mass culture within the skinhead subculture. Marginality has a power to create change. As long as these symbols are to be redefined and recreated by the subculture and not mass culture, the subculture will always exist. Although some subcultures are often the creative expression of cultural difference by marginal groups, the skinhead subculture is something completely unique, as many who find themselves immersed at age fifteen still have somewhat similar ideals at age thirty. Youth of the world find themselves immerged in many cultures, as an attempt to rebel. Plenitude is a strange and powerful virus. The contemporary Japanese skinhead subculture is a perfect example to the rest of the world's subcultures, fostering

  • Word count: 2674
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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The graffiti subculture mirrors the functions of 'institutionalized art'.

The graffiti subculture mirrors the functions of 'institutionalized art'. 3rd Year Visual Sociology. I Watson. Cara Forbes-Malone 00076848. Graffiti first came to public attention in the late 1960s, mainly in New York City and largely as an outgrowth of political radicalism and of black and Hispanic empowerment and identity. It was from here that it spread to Europe and other parts of the world as part of a 'graffiti underground' (Ferrell J, 1995:74). The term 'graffiti' comes from a word meaning to scratch, and in a sense graffiti is the imprinting of an image onto a surface leaving a mark or a stamp of recognition. It is in this way that graffiti and 'institutionalized art' can be commonly linked or bonded together in the same manner. Institutionalized art is considered art that derives from a learned background or educated in museum art where the study of technique and history are mandatory. Graffiti in comparison to this form of art is often considered mere vandalism and born from or leading to further acts of criminality. In both cases however, the graffiti 'writer' and the 'trained artist' consider themselves proper artists. In this sense does graffiti mirror the functions of 'institutionalised art' or is it recognisable in its own right as an independent form of expression with an opposing agenda to this other form of art? In this essay I intend to give an

  • Word count: 1436
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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Critically examine the different ways in which sociologist have used the concept subculture to explain deviance.

Critically examine the different ways in which sociologist have used the concept subculture to explain deviance (40marks) Subcultural theories of crime and deviance explain deviance in terms of the subculture of a social group. The theories argue that particular groups develop and maintain norms and values that differ from those held by the majority of modern day western society. This approach does not ignore the importance of social structure but sees it as a background to beliefs about the world. It heavily influences by the social action theory. There are a number of subcultral theories of deviance which attempt to explain forms of collective, non-utilitarian deviance in terms of the formation of subcultures. Robert Merton argues that deviance results not only from 'pathological personalities' but also from the culture and structure of society itself. Merton begins his argument from the standard functionalist position of value consensus, that all members of society share the same values. However, since members of society are placed in different positions in the social structure, they do not have the same opportunities as others of realising the shared values. According to Merton, this can cause deviance. "The social and cultural structure generates pressure for socially deviant behaviour upon people variously located in that structure." Merton outlined his theory the

  • Word count: 1123
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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Why is style important to subculture groups? Analyze the style and politics of one or two subculture groups.

Why is style important to subculture groups? Analyze the style and politics of one or two subculture groups Extract from Japanese Skinheads: The Meaning of a Subculture by Dan Freire Society gives birth to culture, and culture gives birth to subcultures. '"Mass Culture" indicates culture as commodified and administered, pretargeted and produced for large numbers of consumers: the masses. "Popular culture" must be carefully distinguished from the culture industry's productions, if the popular is to retain any critical force or resistant grass-roots connection to the "people."' The primal force behind many subcultures is the ability to not belong to mass culture, thus creating a sense of belonging, as one is part of something unique and particular. There is a resistance to mass culture within the skinhead subculture. Marginality has a power to create change. As long as these symbols are to be redefined and recreated by the subculture and not mass culture, the subculture will always exist. Although some subcultures are often the creative expression of cultural difference by marginal groups, the skinhead subculture is something completely unique, as many who find themselves immersed at age fifteen still have somewhat similar ideals at age thirty. There was no such ´original skinhead´ which might serve as the initial model of the cult, but kids wearing boots and sporting

  • Word count: 2371
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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Explain crime

Crime has become a major area of public and political debate, and is often seen as a sign of underlying problems in society related to inequality, social deprivation and social class, age, gender and race. As commonly understood, crime includes many different kinds of activities such as theft, robbery, corruption, assault, fraud, rape and murder. So the simplest way of defining it is to see it as "an act or omission prohibited and punished by law." (Collins English Dictionary 1997:203) To explain crime, sociologists looked at the strains in the social structure, at the development of deviant or abnormal subcultures and at the process of social change and urban growth. Some of these theories will be discussed. Much Sociological work was informed by a Functionalist approach that saw harmony and conformity as the norm for a healthy society (Fulcher and Scott 1999). It was seen as a physical organism with all parts paying a function in mainstreaming the whole, and law reflected a concensus over what was right and wrong. Crime was therefore dysfunctional because it threatened the stability of that society therefore indicating a social problem. Sociologists looked at strains within the social structure at the development of subcultures and the effects on social change and urban growth. Not all however, shared the view that crime was pathological. (Haralambos and Holborn

  • Word count: 1882
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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The media are a primary factor governing the circulation of subculture

Sarah Thornton (1997) argues that, "the media are a primary factor governing the circulation of [subculture]." Sporting subcultures such as wrestling, rugby and boxing are continually mediated through the media as 'masculine' sports only to be engaged by men. This essay will discuss the role of women in such sports. Furthermore, it will briefly analyse how the film "Girl fight" takes the feminist perspective and challenge the perception of the male-dominated sport of boxing. Introduction Sport is a fundamental aspect of contemporary culture. It encourages and promotes fitness, heath and physical and psychological strength. With the exponential development of technology and mass media, it has also become a global commodity, which has advanced into a multi-billion dollar industry. The globalisation and marketing of the sporting culture has been mediated through much telecasting, broadcasting and advertising. International events such as the Olympic games, World Cup, Australian Open and Masters Cup have institutionalised sport as a global culture and commodity promoting concepts of sportsmanship, mastery and fair game. Furthermore, sport is also Hollywoodised and used as a focus for entertainment purposes. Action films such as Charlie's Angels, Rocky, Mighty Ducks, biography and nostalgia films; Ali, A League of their Own, For the Love of the Game and dramas; Any Given Sunday

  • Word count: 2698
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Maths
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Crime and Deviance

Crime and Deviance All human life is governed by norms and values. Some of these are formally enforced by the criminal justice system (police, courts, probation service, and prisons) and others are enforced through informal social controls. (Family, friends, work colleagues and how they see themselves as individual). The informal control stops most people from stealing; only a few have to be subjected to formal controls, for some even this doesn't work. What is deviance? Deviance is to stray from the accepted path which most follow. In some cases this may involve criminal behavior but on many occasions it is just not conforming to what most people do. There is no "absolute" way of defining a deviant act. E.g. Nudity in your home or nude beaches is normal but not in a public place. Deviance is therefore "culturally determined" and cultures change over time between different societies. Attitudes to homosexual in Britain have changed over the last 50 years. Until 1967, male homo were illegal, there is no law for women, at that time it was seen as a psychiatric illness. After 1967, it was no longer criminal as long as the two people were over 21 and it was done in private. In 1994, the age of consent was finally lowered to 16. In Singapore it is illegal whereas in USA you can get married. Physiological and psychological theories of deviance There are many

  • Word count: 2895
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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Evaluate the subcultural theories of crime

Evaluate the subcultural theories of crime. Subcultural theories of crime and deviance explain deviance in terms of the subculture of a social group. The theories argue that particular groups develop and maintain norms and values that differ from those held by the majority of modern day western society. Robert Merton argues that deviance results not only from 'pathological personalities' but also from the culture and structure of society itself. Merton begins his contention from the standard functionalist position of value consensus, that is, all members of society share the same values. However, since members of society are placed in different positions in the social structure, they do not have the same opportunities as others of realising the shared values. According to Merton, this can cause deviance. "The social and cultural structure generates pressure for socially deviant behaviour upon people variously located in that structure." In using the U.S.A in his example, Merton outlined his theory as follows: members of American society share the major values of American culture, particularly where they share the goal of success, for which they all strive to achieve, and which is largely measured in terms of wealth and material possessions. The "American Dream" states that all members of society have an equal opportunity of achieving success, of owning a Cadillac, a

  • Word count: 1726
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Sociology
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To what extent can orthodox theories on crime and deviance explain crime and deviance in the Caribbean?

To what extent can orthodox theories on crime and deviance explain crime and deviance in the Caribbean? Breaking the law is typically understood as something deviant and is needed to be reduced. There is a constant goal by governments to lower crime rates in their country but crime, surprisingly, is considered by most Functionalists as being "healthy for society." Without crime society can fall apart. The orthodox view is that crime in developing countries is the product of social change. It is a transformation from a traditional to a more modern stage of development. Modernisation is seen as a disruption to society involving urbanisation, industrialisation and de-population of the countryside which causes imbalances such as overcrowding in the larger cities and a state of anomie or normlessness. According to Ken Pryce (1976) however, "In the third world, the rising crime rate is not a product of modernisation per se, but a symptom of a particular type of "development of underdevelopment." The Caribbean focuses on mainly economic development and profits which only benefits a minority of the population (usually upper class) and therefore there will be a higher unemployment rate where people will have to search for means of survival by illegitimate means such as prostitution and violence. The usual victims of unemployment are the young lower- class males. Robert Merton states

  • Word count: 1314
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Sociology
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