What our freshmen think about subcultures

     SUBCULTURES

Diversity is what defines every human being. There is a thread in each of us that no one else owns. Only when all these threads come together, is it possible to put together a picture of a wonderful diversity. Each of us is special and unique - we are all different not only physically but also in different aspects of our knowledge, skills, and beliefs. Our diversity enriches the environment in which we live - the class department, the city but also the whole homeland.

Different lifestyles and fandoms are recognized as subcultures. By general consensus, subcultures are subgroups within a society whose system of values does not belong to the mainstream culture. The main reason for subculture formation is the need to express individuality and belonging to something that is not imposed. Being aware and knowing about different subcultures around the world, especially within the context of our studies, is very important since it enable our mindset development and evolution of the future generations. By accepting that everyone is different in their own way, yet similar to each human being, we start to respect cultures and traditions that surround us, and bury the prejudice and stereotypes embedded in the society for centuries. By getting educated on the diversity of the human race, our hearts tend to grow bigger and kinder, as well as more understanding towards other people.

The study of subculture is often rooted in studying clothing, music tastes, beliefs, and traits. Subcultures are analyzed from different perspectives, such as the perspective of the members of a particular subculture and the general population. What is considered a subculture today often becomes a new fashion trend, at the same time contributing to the industry and the socio-economic development. Subcultures explore and push the boundaries of what is commonly considered aesthetically appealing and with their unusual appearance they try to provoke public reactions and send them a certain message.

We caught just a glimpse of it while researching and transforming ourselves into one of the subcultures around the world. We couldn't have imagined that becoming someone else for a day, or even a few hours, would take that much time and effort to make it authentic and believable. We have learned that subcultures are closer to us than we think since young people use and create subcultures as a way to get away from the dominant culture in which they were raised. Subcultures are highly important in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as a number of people are trying to find their place in the sun. This is especially applicable to young people whose identity development is usually challenging, and the pandemic makes it worse, meaning that subcultural belonging is a way for young people to escape the depressing reality.

In class, we have learned about popular British subcultures, e.g. teddies, mods, glam rocks, hippies, etc., which have been revived in the contemporary context, i.e. during the pandemic. This is an amazing approach in teaching and learning British Culture and Civilization, where we get an opportunity to explore and experience something great from the comfort of our home. In the classroom, we felt like truly unique individuals capable of standing out in a gloomy crowd. Subculture means we have enough courage and independence to take a glimpse into a sumptuous future where individuality is a necessity and not a mere occurrence. Just like Dark Knight said, our true nature gets out when we take on the mask. We should make this a tradition of our own so that we could learn to cherish the differences and similarities that make us who we are today. A creative way of teaching like this brings many benefits, we learn more and we are more focused and interested in the topics we cover. Definitely, this class is one that will never be forgotten and will be motivation for our further research of the importance of subcultures since it is a promising field of study especially when sociology, psychology, and literature come together.

 

Authors: Arnela Tursanović, Dženita Ribo, Asmira Hercegović, Vjekoslav Batarilo

Lejla Sofić - One Direction Fandom, created by fans of the One Direction, a pop boy band who debuted in 2010, is a subculture of Directioners who go far and beyond for the members of the band.

Ena Fejzic – Glam Rock evolved in the 1970s with the music of David Bowie. The subculture is recognizable by its emphasis on flamboyant costumes and make up. 

Naida Sarajlić – Hip Hop subculture is characterized by people who listen to rap music which speaks of socio-economic and racial problems. Some of the most noticeable activities of this subculture include: graffiti art, rap battles, and deejaying.

Habiba Hercegovac - a mix of gypsy and new age traveller subculture, also known as crusties. Their lifestyle is bohemian and some of their core values include environmental activism. 

Arnela Tursanović – Vampire Subculture or Vampyre is a subculture based around the mythology of vampires which came to prominence with Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. It became famous in the 20^th century when a number of film adaptations of Stoker’s novel were made.