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. 

 

Blog Project with our Sophomores 

This semester our sophomores are involved in a writing project. Every week, they are assigned an essay topic. For most of the topics, they need to do some research before writing. That is how they expand their vocabulary and find ideas and arguments to include in their own essay. They present their essays in class and share it with others in the Google Classroom. Everybody reads everyone else's essay and they all vote for the best essay of the week, which is shared with your on this blog. 

To read our sophomores' essays every week, check under Our activities. 

 Topic 3

The future of technology

We, as human beings, tend to ponder about our future and the future of the entire world. It is interesting to process the current situation and create an opinion about the future. You never know what can happen tomorrow so, your wildest fragments of imagination do stand a chance of becoming a part of reality and even your daily routine.

In a few decades from today, we will have many things that we don't have now. It is interesting to imagine your own life in different surroundings and situations. For me, the most interesting thing to think about is the future of medicine. Many articles point to big developments in that field. Multiple of them state that children born in 2040 will have a life expectancy of more or less indefinite. With gene therapy, stem cell, and nano-scale treatment, we could be able to survive indefinitely and look even healthier, preventing an injury or catastrophic illness. The elderly will be able to remain mobile because of longer thanks of exoskeletons, which are artificial, externally worn support devices. Cities will house 68 percent of the world's population, up from 55 percent currently, so local and state governments' decisions will be crucial. That is our cities' and the environment's future. It all depends on how we inform the public about the climate crisis. When it comes to outstanding technology, we will receive new material.3D printing is beginning to find its way into the medical field right now, but it's limited to implantable implants and replacement hips and knees. Between now and 2040, surgeons can be able to produce transplant organs on-demand using the patient's cells thanks to 3D printing. There is no risk of organ failure since the patient's cells are used and there will be no need for drugs. Elon Musk and Facebook are now collaborating on a brain-machine interface. The aim is to remove the need for people to use their hands to do stuff like use social media or surf the internet. It may also aid people with neurological injury by monitoring their brain function in real-time and helping them to interact. Other than medicine we will improve in other areas of life as well. Electric cars are currently a fad, but if you don't buy one in the next 20 years, you might be called an outlier. By 2050, hybrid vehicles will account for 57% of new passenger vehicles. While a lot of energy is involved in the development of new goods, the amount of energy used, as well as the effect on the atmosphere, can be significantly minimized using a technology that we already use, but at a fraction of its maximum capacity. At this point, it's difficult to foresee an exhaustive list of unique AI implementations, but I'm sure that twenty years from now, we'll be counting the fields that haven't been greatly affected by AI.

It's difficult to predict where technology will go in the future, but by looking at where we are today, we can make educated guesses on where we will be in the next few decades. Until recently, much of the hardware we use now belonged in science fiction movies. Star Trek communicators were transformed into mobile phones, and replicators were transformed into 3D printers. We've now arrived at a stage where our skills complement our creativity. It would be fascinating to see where our creativity takes us over the next two decades. 

Author: Nermana Alihodžić

 

Topic 2 

An international young people’s magazine is investigating the question: Do young people today really know what they want from life? Write a 500 word article for this magazine on this topic based on your own experience.

Do young people today really know what they want from life?

By Ajla Karajkić

Is being young and being a bit lost in life just a sign of the times? Is it something that has become a perquisite for our transition into adulthood? Well, whatever the case may be one thing is for sure – knowing what you want from life is far from being a simple and straight answer. 

From early childhood, we are imposed with the concept of having to choose a direction in life. “What do you want to be when you grow up”, adults would ask us and we would answer with “firefighter”, “teacher”, “singer”, and so on. I would say florist. Then, I replaced florist with teacher, teacher with lawyer, and lawyer was replaced with “I will figure it out later”. As I grew my aspirations changed in accordance with what I perceived as ‘successful.’ Growing older makes you realize that the world is harsh and that you should pursuit something that promises financial stability. I wanted to be a florist because I loved playing outside and picking flowers. I wanted to be a teacher because I had fun in school and saw teaching as a way to stay connected to that period of my life. Then, I wanted to be a lawyer because I figured that they make a lot of money and that would mean I wouldn’t have to struggle like so many all around the world. When my childhood dreams were replaced with serious ponderings of poverty and success, I started going down a path of confusion and self-doubt but also a path of realizing the harsh truths. I asked myself if I truly wanted to be a lawyer and after some time it became clear to me that I had only convinced myself of wanting to be a lawyer for the sake of having a purpose in life.

But, life is more than having an occupation. Like most teenagers, I had to balance my time between having an identity crisis and searching for what profession was my calling. Not having solved any of those issues, I moved on to college and entered early adulthood.  In college, I chose to study something I was good at in high school – that’s the sole reason. Not because I was passionate about it or because I though this degree would provide me with more opportunities in life. But, who can blame me or any other young person when they feel like they’re stuck in a maze because no one can ever know where life will take them. Times are uncertain. So much instability surrounds my peers and me. From social issues to social alienation, this life was never meant to be easy for us. Who hasn’t asked themselves if college is even worth it considering the fact that finding a decent job is a task in itself or that tomorrow a meteor might hit Earth and every worry is meaningless.  So at the end of the day when I ask myself what I want from this life - my answer is that I don’t know and that’s okay.

Young people don’t know what they want from life but they know that life is complex and unpredictable so it is alright to not know. Life is a bit meaningless but every day we live gives it meaning and that is all that matters. So, if someone asks me what do I want from life I will tell them that I just don’t know and go on about my day.

 

Blog Project with our Sophomores 

This semester our sophomores are involved in a writing project. Every week, they are assigned an essay topic. For most of the topics, they need to do some research before writing. That is how they expand their vocabulary and find ideas and arguments to include in their own essay. They present their essays in class and share it with others in the Google Classroom. Everybody reads everyone else's essay and they all vote for the best essay of the week, which is shared with your on this blog. 

To read our sophomores' essays every week, check under Our activities. 

Topic 1

You are interested in attending a language course in England next summer. Find an advertisement on the Internet. Write a 500 word text describing the school program, the school itself and its location, your travel and accommodation plans and the benefits of attending that particular program or school.

As an English language student, I hope to improve my English skills through a language course in England. Proper research is crucial to making sure this experience will be enjoyable. The trip, accommodation, fees and place are just as important as selecting the proper program.  For these reasons, I have decided on The University College London Summer English Course which I believe covers all necessary aspects for a fun and successful experience.

The first stop of this journey is getting to London. Since this course starts on the 9th of August and lasts until the 27th of August, I have to arrive a few days earlier. After taking the train from my hometown of Zenica to Sarajevo, I plan on taking a taxi to the Butmir airport in Sarajevo.  The most affordable return plane ticket I could find was £181 with a layover stop in Istanbul. My flight takes off at 14:15 and lands at Heathrow airport in London at 22:15.At Heathrow, my cousins will meet me and I will be spending my first night in England at their house but in the morning I plan on settling into the room I have rented. This would conclude my first step of this exciting journey. 

 The next step is getting accustomed to my quarters for the next three weeks. The room I have booked is in the "Helen Graham House" which I will be sharing with a roommate. I find that this place suits all the needs of a student. It has the necessary facilities with a rent of £171 per week (bills included). The „Helen Graham House“ includes: Wi-Fi, a communal laundry room, a mini library/study area, a cinema room, an onsite manager, a night guard and everything is fully furnished. Nevertheless, the biggest reason why I chose this accommodation is because of its proximity to the ULC – a nine minute walk. As a foreigner, I do not want to get lost or be late so location was the biggest factor in my decision making process. Having a pleasant place like this is sure to make my time in London even more mirthful.

As mentioned, our surroundings affect us and I believe that the UCL will have a positive effect on me. Its rich history and prestige motivate students to succeed. Located in Bloomsbury, the institution was established in1826 with its founders being inspired by John Bentham's ideas. John Bentham was a social reformer who advocated for secularism, gender equality, animal rights, freedom of expression and much more! With such liberal views, the UCL was set on a promising path. Thus, the UCL became the first university in England to welcome female students and students of any religion or social background. Another remarkable fact is that the UCL is one of the top ranking universities in the world. Approximately, 44000 students and 15000 staff members work hard to ensure this ranking. So, it should be no surprise that this institution has 30 Nobel laureates. A paramount status and an incredible past truly will inspire anyone wanting to study here.  

Finally, the most important factor of this experience is the course itself. This three-week program costs £1,725 and it won me over as a result of its superb structure and program. Students are organized into smaller groups of 14 to 16, meaning it is easier for everyone to get personal feedback and to be more concentrated during classes. Classes start at 11:00 and end at 14:00 which is an ideal time meaning it is not too early nor too late. With an average of about 21 hours per week, these classes include English language lessons, preparations classes for our trips, research projects, presentation skills development and report writing. Most likely, we will also have the opportunity to visit academic lectures! After classes, our afternoons will be spent on exploring museums, galleries and theaters!  Since we will be having preparation classes, it means that we will be familiar with the history and structure of these institutions as well as what attractions they offer.  During our free hours in the afternoon, we can individually explore the city which offers endless opportunities and exciting places to see. The well-organized course and its 'educational expeditions' are something to very much look forward to.

From arranging my trip to my place of stay to the fact that I will be learning at such an esteemed university as the UCL, I think I can safely say that I will be having an unforgettable and educational time. Having properly prepared myself for this upcoming experience, I think my immersion into the English language and culture will deepen. London here I come!

Author: Ajla Karajkić