The video, which is going to be discussed in this essay, eloquently demonstrates the idea that such a concept as youth subculture is a dynamic and ever-changing phenomenon. Although it is primarily associated with adolescents, it can be easily accepted by the representatives of other age groups. This documentary focuses on mod subculture, which emerged in the United Kingdom in the late fifties. These people tried to distinguish themselves from others by wearing sexually explicit clothes, created by Italian fashion designers, riding scooters, listening to beat music, using amphetamine, and so forth. At that point, their behavior was considered to be outrageous and subversive. It aroused the ire of the conservative community. Most likely, these people wanted to achieve this effect and attract attention to themselves. We may discuss this example in connection with the ideas, expressed by Bill Osgerby in his article All The Young Dudes. One of his arguments is that the youth subculture may be regarded as a rebellion against ordinary lifestyles, restrictions, imposed by parents and educators (Osgerby, 2004, p 115). Furthermore, this was an attempt to find or even invent an alternative source of prestige (Osgerby, 2004, p 117). These teenagers wanted to feel or at least appear to be unique or special.
Yet, later mob subculture began to decline only due to the reason that their lifestyle (fashion, aesthetic preferences) was no longer so original. Miniskirts, scooters, and drugs turned to be commonplace. In this way, one could not stand out against the crowd. It has to be admitted that the impacts of mob subculture are still palpable, especially in the world of fashion but the main point is that such conduct is not marginalized. This video illustrates only one case of youth subculture transforming into a mainstream one. In his article Bill Osgerby enumerates numerous cultural movements like hippies, punks, bikers, and so forth; practically all of them grew popular in the seventies and eighties (Osgerby, 2004). One cannot say that they have entirely disappeared nowadays but their importance has diminished. There may be several reasons why they tend to dwindle and one of them is lack of originality. Bill Osgerby surveys various viewpoints on youth subculture:
- Marxist theory, according to which, such mode of life suppresses the will of an individual as well as his/her ability to think critically, the supporters of these ideas claim that the so-called youth subculture is imposed on adolescents from outside, particularly, by mass media;
- in sharp contrast, the advocates of liberal approach maintain that adolescents are the sole creators of subculture (2004).
The documentary analyzed in this paper shows that in the vast majority of cases, this is just an outcry against commonality and routine.
There are several questions that arise from this discussion. One of them is how teenagers construct their lifestyles. One of the assumptions is that they do it by rejecting old value systems and creating new ones (Osgerby, 2004, p117). Secondly, it is vital to examine the interactions between various forms of subculture. It is vital to understand why they can be opposed to one another or vice versa. Finally, it is necessary to examine the transformation of marginalized culture into a popular one. What are the main factors which can accelerate this process? Numerous studies have been carried out in order to analyze these issues, yet at present, there are no definitive answers.
Reference
Osgerby B. (2004) All The Young Dudes: Media, subculture and lifestyle. In Youth Media. London: Routledge.
Youth Subculture. Mods. (n. d.) Web.