Subculture types of modern subcultures. Reasons for the attractiveness of subcultures. Sources of the emergence of subcultures in Russia

- This is the third international event organized by. In 2013, a three-day conference was held, and in 2015, the International Anniversary Conference “Youth and Society: In Search of New Solidarities” was held.

– What are the most striking youth subcultural practices and communities that can be identified in modern Russia?
– This conference is remarkable because it places emphasis on new types of urban communities and formations, interactions and communications of young people both in Russian cities and in the global dimension. It is difficult to say what new cultural youth types have emerged in modern Russia. We note several key trends that we find most interesting in the modern youth space. Firstly, some fading of subcultural activities in their “classical” version. It's not that subcultures have disappeared. Rather, we are talking about the fact that some key and significant core values, around which subcultural solidarity was formed, are becoming more mobile and “soft.” And these values ​​can be perceived by wider audiences, i.e. subcultures are losing their closedness, which was inherent in them in the classical sense. At the same time, within the subcultural scenes themselves there is a constant fragmentation, the identification of new and new subspecies, such more targeted formations that, while maintaining the most significant value, at the same time develop additional special quality, which separates them, distinguishes them and makes them recognizable among other subcultures.

– What does the extinction of subcultural activities in their “classical” version mean?

– Using the example of the Gothic scene, we see that they (the Goth subculture) are actually disappearing. We made this conclusion, among other things, based on data collected during a survey of students who recognized Goths as a separate subculture only in St. Petersburg (the survey was conducted in St. Petersburg, Ulyanovsk, Kazan, Makhachkala). And then a very small percentage of young people are familiar with who the Goths are, and only a few admitted that they are part of this subculture. But the very idea of ​​​​promoting the cult of dark forces or something incomprehensible, mysterious, otherworldly meaning was accepted by a variety of smaller groups, small communities, and these ideas continue to gather “followers”, but mostly it goes into the music scene.

– So subcultures are no longer so closed?
– Using the example of classical subcultures, we see that they were formed based on 4-5 key ideas. For example, for hippies such ideas were unisex, a fundamental rejection of violence, pacifism, anti-capitalist values, the cult of movement and travel, soft drugs, the search for a different reality, refusal to necessarily follow the accepted one in society. successful career, cult of nature and everything natural, including close relationships, rejection of militarism, war, etc. If, for example, we talk about “Hipsters” or “Teddy Boys” - this is still a cult of style and special communication, these are young people who have a higher status due to a rather shocking, special style, which brings them (at least symbolically) closer to a higher class. If these are skinheads, then the ideas of workers, male brotherhood, tough heterosexual masculinity, strength, aggression, protection of local values ​​(one’s territory), such male solidarity prevail here. If we talk about punks, then this is a symbolic challenge to the consumer society, the cult of gloss, and disdain for money and wealth. And they are developing the DIY economy, veganism, vegetarianism and so on. All these and other key “points” and ideas begin to be perceived by broader youth groups, modified, refracted through local features, and implemented in a more diverse subcultural youth space and participation.

– This was all about the first trend, but what other trends do you highlight?
– The second trend that I would like to note in the youth space today is the development of sports practices that define urban functionality differently, i.e. reformat the city in terms of convenience and applicability of a specific place or places for sports. And here we see “natural” and “commercialized” sports – fitness. By the first, we mean such types of sports practices as parkour, tracing, workout, where young people refuse any commercial forms (paid fitness, trainer, etc.), and focus on the natural. Here we also see other types of careers that do not involve finance or commercial success.

The third popular trend is an emphasis on a healthy lifestyle, which, by the way, intersects with the previous trend. And here it is worth mentioning a real healthy lifestyle, where practices are implemented through asceticism in consumption, which can manifest itself not only in the refusal of alcohol, smoking, drugs, but also in simply a certain ideology of ascetic food (vegans, vegetarians, etc.), as well as virtual healthy lifestyle, for example, communities on VKontakte, pages of certain people on Instagram, in which photographs appear, tips on maintaining a healthy lifestyle and data from groups and pages collect hundreds of thousands of subscribers.

Fourthly, I would like to highlight activism, which over the past five years has also become a trend among young people. Young people and women are involved in formally organized structures or movements that may or may not be funded, such as student organizations or organized NGOs. But more and more often we come across a variety of initiatives, informally created, refusing commercialization, acting exclusively independently. And here, too, there is a trend towards being involved in some kind of civic activity and participating in some form in the management of the city.

All these trends characterize youth as a very heterogeneous social group, and this diversity helps to see and understand new types of youth involvement in the city.

– How do you solve this problem?
– If we talk about deproblematization at the methodological level, at the level of research practices and techniques, then we solve this problem using different methods. We not only try to capture the overall picture using survey techniques, but also strive to understand the different meanings and interpretations of young people regarding certain political and cultural practices, we pay attention to the features of youth rhetoric in order to avoid any moral, value judgments that may manifest itself in the formulation of questions or the conduct of interviews. We try to reproduce youth everyday life as accurately and completely as possible; we listen to the youth themselves and enter into equal communication with them. This is precisely where the understanding of youth as an active, reflective subject, and not as an object of political manipulation and control, is manifested.

And finally, the actual rhetoric of academic writing is very important. A very important point is how we present research results: presentations, articles, books. We strive for the most inclusive and frank view, so as not to distort our own assessment what we heard in interviews or saw during observations. Thus, if we manage to show all this diversity and find common features and trends, then it seems to us that the methodology has been implemented successfully.

– Please introduce Professor Hilary Pilkington as a researcher. Why did you feel it was important to invite her?
– Professor Hilary Pilkington She works at the University of Manchester and is a sociologist. She and I have been working together for more than 20 years and have carried out many joint projects and research together. During collaboration the main strategy, the concept of youth research, was developed. It's hard to say whose contribution is greater. It's more like a shared project where we all learned from each other. We consider her to be the formal and informal academic director of the school of youth studies. In addition, key books were written together with her -"Looking West" and a book about skinheads“Russia’s Skinheads: exploring and rethinking subcultural lives” , many joint articles and general academic activities. Hilary is a very honest and distinguished, well-known sociologist with an established reputation in Britain and Europe. At the same time, she is a very effective leader. Under her leadership, the third international project, each of which involves more than 15 European countries. These are global and very ambitious projects. Receiving such grants and such large projects speaks volumes about its reputation.

The first such project, MyPlace, was dedicated to historical memory and the attitude of youth to history in countries that have experienced war and the situation of a totalitarian regime, the second (HORIZONT 2020) is a project about the inclusion of youth in society, new forms of youth participation and exclusion. We are just now starting a third project together; it is dedicated to the radicalization of youth activism, primarily related to religion. She is a very strong researcher. By the way, the book she wrote “Loud and Proud: Passion and Politics in the English Defense League (New Ethnographies)”. The British Sociological Association recently recognized best book 2016.

She is not only a strong sociologist, but also a good friend of the Center for International Research, so it is extremely important and honorable for us that she will open this conference.

– What is the purpose of the conference?
– The purpose of our conference is to look at the diversity of youth cultural activities as a space for learning, growing up, experimenting, protest, creativity, and communication.

To do this, we intend to invite empirical scholars from different disciplines and countries to participate in the conference in order to discuss contemporary youth cultural contexts and the latest approaches to youth research.

– How can I become a participant in the conference?
– To participate in the conference, you must send an abstract of no more than 350 words along with a cover letter, which should indicate your place of work and position, email addresses and telephone number for contact. Abstracts can be prepared in Russian or English languages and must be sent before May 28, 2017 to: [email protected]. The selection results will be known on June 11, 2017. We are waiting for applications!

So let me introduce:

1. “Vanillas”
A new generation of Turgenev's young ladies. Fragile girls dreaming of love, romance, beauty over a cup of coffee. The main idea of ​​the subculture is the promotion of femininity in all its senses. It is believed that this movement originated as a protest against the vulgarity and unfemininity of modern girls.

There are two versions of the appearance of the name of the subculture: 1) the name comes from the film of the same name “Vanilla Sky”; 2) the name is explained great love for dresses in vanilla beige color.

The main attributes by which one can identify a “Vanilla Girl”: a camera, T-shirts with the inscription “I love NY”, knitted hats, UGG boots, bangs falling over one eye, stylish magazines, cakes, cotton candy, fashionable glasses.

2. "Rumpled"
Representatives of this subculture advocate unhealthy image life.

They are for “cigarettes, coffee, tousled hair, anorexic thinness, homeless style in clothes, scarves, mittens, stockings and tights, many different rings on the fingers, coconut cocktails, huge sunglasses, huge heels, Converse, flip-flops, ankle boots without heels, Ugg boots or ballet shoes, leather jackets and biker jackets, short haircuts and unrealistically long hairstyles, black, red, blue, cherry and other bright and provocative varnishes on short nails, provocative red lipstick, alcohol, concerts, parties, open relationships, rock and roll, glam rock, punk, 60s, 70s early 80s."

This movement came to us from Great Britain and consists of copying a lifestyle famous stars from showbiz such as Kate Moss or Jim Morrison.

3. Diggers and stalkers
Digging (from the English digger - digger) was once a slang definition of a hobby, the essence of which is the exploration of artificial underground structures for educational or entertainment purposes.

People who engage in digging are called diggers. Diggers study underground structures built by man using building materials and technologies, for example, drainage systems, sewers, underground rivers. As well as abandoned underground military facilities. Digging is often associated with various kinds of dangers, so it is considered a hobby, mainly among the male part of young people, but girls are also not uncommon guests of dungeons.

Stalkers- these are people who strive to visit forbidden or hard-to-reach places. They explore dangerous territories. The ultimate dream for many of them is the Chernobyl exclusion zone.

4. Computer geeks
The emergence of this subculture is associated with the development of computer technology. Computer geeks feel the taste of life mainly only in those moments when the next technological innovation comes into their field of vision.

Among them are many highly qualified IT specialists who are considered to be part of the hacker community. Experts in program code and the peculiarities of the Internet, who know how to hack programs and oppose censorship on the Internet, in turn, can be part of an anonymous association.

5. Steampunk (steampunk)
Imitation of an authentic era, usually Victorian, is encouraged here. Indispensable attributes of steampunk are pocket watches, goggles and gears that can be used anywhere. And then it’s up to the imagination - masks and cloaks made of leather, top hats, raincoats, jackets and shirts with metal buttons. It's no coincidence that steampunk culture is called "do it yourself."

Steampunk culture is in some way a refuge for intellectuals, enthusiasts, those who are constantly improving themselves, people with a soldering iron at the ready. It is not enough to simply dress like a 19th century gentleman; after all, the second part of this word is “punk”, and this is a person who does not take into account what the world imposes on them and does not attach labels. In other words, a representative of this subculture is a punk with a knowledge of etiquette.

These are romantics who sincerely love science, art, dreamers who reject the modern decaying society and its ideas, but also ironic, a little crazy, with the image of a “mad professor.” Like any subculture, they fight, challenge others, and their main difference is their thirst for knowledge. Steampunkers are interested in mechanics and science, and they themselves create fantastic devices and various designs. There is a close connection between man and machine. The world of steam engines is fascinating, once you understand it, you won’t let go - it’s so interesting, and there’s such scope for design ideas.

6. Japan: Tokyo Rockabilly
Some subcultures sometimes experience a revival. This is exactly what happened to rockabilly, which still exists in distant Japan. In Tokyo there is Yoyogi Park, where all the local representatives of this genre gather and hang out.

These Japanese dress unusually - they wear biker jackets, vertical bangs, high hairstyles with a roller. Naturally, they only listen to rock and roll. And accompanying these modern rebels who are still living in the 50s are the lady greasers. They wear colorful dresses and rolled-up jeans, as was fashionable half a century ago. By their existence, representatives of this subculture prove that rock and roll is alive!

7. Mexico: Guachero
There is an unusual fashion among Mexicans to wear special shoes with long narrow toes. Many people associate such shoes with jesters and the Middle Ages. But the city of Matehuala has its own subculture, the guacheros.

Her followers wear boots with long narrow toes. And a subculture emerged thanks to the tribal music popular here. It is a mixture of pre-Hispanic and African motifs, interspersed with cumbia basses. At first, people came to the dance in shoes with regular socks, but gradually the residents began to compete with each other and try to outdo each other in at least the length of the sock. To achieve this, shoes were made longer and longer until it finally lost common sense. They say that now there are unique people who wear shoes almost one and a half meters long.

8. Japan: Gyaru
Gyaru is a subculture of young women who strive to achieve a certain ideal of beauty. But this image, as in most other countries, is imposed on girls from the outside, through means mass media. Those who belong to this subculture go to extreme lengths to achieve their ideal of beauty.

It is believed that gyaru must adhere to a certain style in fashion, hairstyle and makeup. But some characteristics still remain unchanged - these are very high heels, short skirts and big eyes. Interestingly, this subculture has its own, smaller directions. The most unusual current in the gyaru is the Yamamba, a subspecies of the Ganguro. The name of this small subculture literally translates as “black face”. These Japanese women rub suntan lotion onto their faces as much as possible, dye their hair White color, and then apply even larger circles of white shadow around the eyes. The look is completed with flashy neon bright clothes and hair extensions. But in Lately The subculture of girls with dark skin is becoming less and less popular. Gyaru try to have fair skin and make their eyes multi-colored with the help of contact lenses. And in general, the much more feminine image of a schoolgirl is increasingly being exploited. As a result, regardless of the fashion that is present in Japan, the Gyaru subculture is strange even for this unusual country.

9. Japan: Dekotora
And again about Japan. The fascinating Japanese make full use of the capabilities of their transport. But there is a separate group of car fans who easily eclipse all the exploits of other modifiers.

The name Dekotora translates to trucks decorated with lighting. The Japanese turn entire trucks into works of art. And for this, dazzling neon lighting is used, which creates a special effect. This is how pumped-up trucks are born that look like Transformers from Las Vegas.

They just drive on Japanese highways. And the reason for the emergence of the subculture was the cult TV series of the 1970s “Trucker”. It is not known how the seeds of the phenomenon were preserved, but it has rapidly developed in the last decade.

10. Congo: Sappers
The sappers are not explosives experts, but local dandies. Some even believe that these men are almost the best dressed in the world. But Congo is one of the poorest countries on Earth, torn apart by war and poverty. But this is where you can meet stylish men in designer clothes on the streets. double breasted suits who wear excellent shoes, use silk scarves and smoke expensive cigars.

Are there really that many oil tycoons in Congo? In fact, sappers are not rich at all, they are ordinary people who work as teachers, drivers, postmen and sellers. And such fanatical adherence to fashion is a kind of religion for them. And there are reasons why the most ordinary representatives of the working class spend all their savings not on a new home or car, but on expensive clothes. This behavior is conditioned by history itself. Mentions of the appearance of fashionable men here date back to the 18th century. Back then, slaves were forced to wear elegant uniforms to please the eyes of their masters. The slave trade was abolished, and now free Africans decided to create their own style in fashion.

According to other theories, sappers appear in the Congo only in Peaceful time, but this is a very unstable political grounds a country. Therefore, the appearance of fashionably dressed men on the streets indicates that things are going uphill in the country and stability and peace currently reign here.

11. Health Goths
Sports are conquering the world. He got there and is ready. Health gothic is a mixture of ghetto gothic and cyberpunk: the same winning black color, but with an emphasis on futuristic-looking sportswear and modern materials like neoprene, plus the idea of ​​a healthy lifestyle. Waterproof fabrics and breathable mesh are used. The highest honor for a health goth is to have a bionic prosthesis.

Halse Gothic was invented by the musicians of the American R'n'B group Magic Fades; they admit that at first it was a joke, but now everything is serious. The world of health gothic is sterile, its inhabitants do not make unnecessary movements and do not allow themselves anything unnecessary, and their efficiency is close to one hundred percent.

In conclusion, I would like to say that a selection of such wonderful subcultures appeared on the basis of information from Internet articles, therefore, you should not take the above subcultures too seriously. But, nevertheless, these are the realities that exist in the modern world.

The article used materials: http://radygaa.blog.ru/, http://www.subcult.ru/, http://soccer-game1.blogspot.ru/, http://www.molomo.ru/ , http://www.furfur.me/

The world is colorful, diverse and unpredictable. In every era, there were those who were opposed, who went perpendicular to the majority and challenged. In the last century, communities of such individuals were called subcultures.

Youth subcultures were initially hermetic communities that opposed themselves to the majority and were reluctant to assimilate into mass culture and were equally reluctant to accept people from the outside.
However, nothing stands still. The once marginal groups, which in Soviet official language were called informal associations of youth, gradually ceased to be something alien. Such processes are easiest to track at the level of accessories and elements of external style. Mohawks, bangs, wristbands and tunnels, which once caused consternation, sidelong glances, scandals and fights, now in one form or another happily exist on the streets, in offices, on catwalks and are no longer a cause for noise. And even questions.

List of youth subcultures

Punks are the most well-known and odious of subcultures. Over the history of its existence, an innumerable variety of varieties have grown within punk culture, which differ strikingly: both in the sense of external surroundings and in part ideological content. Nowadays, many attributes of the punk subculture have become popular and are no longer considered something out of the ordinary, even when exploited by representatives of pop culture. However, punk culture is alive - thanks to ideological adherents, for whom punk is not a fashion of the day, but a way of thinking.

Modern youth subcultures

Visual Kei - “Our answer” to the glam rock culture that originated in Japan. If in 1977 band KISS didn't perform at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan Stadium - probably no visual kei would have existed at all. However, this event caused a surge in the popularity of glam rock and related genres, and then the formation of a local subculture.
In visual-kei, the image component seems to have become even more important than in its Western predecessor...

The history, features and list of modern youth subcultures around the world are in our “Subcultures” section!
Don’t forget to check in regularly - and our experts will tell you not only about goths and role-players, but also about many exotic trends in culture. You will be surprised!

Societies are characterized by their special rules and have their own development trend. Teenagers are very different in their worldview, behavior and habits. In the process of self-discovery, they try to find their place in life, decide on goals and understand themselves. Quite often, such searches lead to such rather serious problems as teenage alcoholism and early drug addiction. Therefore, the influence of subcultures on teenagers is one of the most pressing problems that worries all parents without exception.

Positive and negative aspects of the influence of subcultures

Conducted recently sociological research showed that many teenagers identify themselves as representatives of one or another subculture. At the same time, some young people are subject to the strong influence of subcultures, which can be both positive and negative. In the first case, teenagers receive what they need to live in social society skills, and in the second - they acquire qualities that society tries to fight with all available means.

Teenage subcultures help young people realize their desires and adapt to adulthood and independent life. But there are also negative aspects, such as cruelty towards certain groups of people. For example, skinheads are racist and, according to their ideology, can commit criminal acts against persons of other nationalities. For them, there is nothing illegal in such behavior, and therefore they do not understand that they are responsible for the actions they have committed. In this case, adolescent subcultures negatively affect their worldview, pitting the younger generation against others

Varieties of subcultures

All teenage communities have not only their own laws of behavior, but also rules that require a certain appearance. Certain youth movements can shock adult society with numerous piercings, unusual hair color, and strange style of clothing and accessories. Quite often, disagreements between parents and teenagers arise precisely on this basis. Young people do not like it when their personal lives are interfered with, and parents want their child not to stand out from the crowd.

Subculture of working youth - teddy boys

The social youth group Teddy Boys formed back in the early 50s due to the relative improvement of the working class. This youth subculture, which became widespread in the post-war period, consisted of working-class people with unfinished higher education and without highly paid profession. Their style was copied from the clothing and behavior of members of the upper classes. In the classic version, the “tadd” looked like this: pipe trousers, a loose jacket with a velvet collar, a lace tie and boots with rubber platforms. The image was typically masculine, despite its elegance.

Representatives of the Teddy Boys tried their best to maintain the “high” status they had created, which became the cause of conflicts that arose with representatives of other sectors of society. For example, there were clashes with wealthier teenagers and attacks on elite youth clubs. There were also attacks on immigrants.

Subculture of the skilled working class - fashion

The group of mods included teenagers who, after graduating from school, mastered working specialties that required high level preparedness. In fact, the mod in ideal understanding he had to live luxuriously, visit prestigious and expensive clubs, restaurants and shops, and dress in extremely expensive things. But for many such pleasures were unavailable, so all that was left was to try to recreate the ideal image. There are four types of mods:

1. Aggressive type in jeans and rough shoes.
2. Owners of scooters, also in jeans and jackets with a hood.
3. Mods in suits and polished shoes made up the majority of this subculture. The list is completed by fashion girls, exemplary in appearance and with short hair.
4. Students art schools, students and so on.

Subculture - rockers

Rockers appeared in the mid-60s. This group consisted mainly of teenagers without education or from single-parent families. The main attributes of the people of this subculture were a leather jacket, worn jeans, large rough shoes, combed back long hair and tattoos. Of course, what is a rocker without such an important element as a motorcycle. Rock music occupies a special place in the rocker subculture.

Skinheads or skinheads

The members of this group, like the rockers, predominantly came from working class backgrounds low level qualifications. Among them, many were unemployed, poorly educated and with a low cultural level. Skinheads wore jeans rolled up at the bottom, large, rough shoes, and shaved their heads. Football hooligans are closely associated with the skinheads. These types of subcultures are largely similar in social composition. They are also united by aggressive behavior, for example, associated with football matches.

Punk subculture

This group predominantly included young people from unskilled and low-paid segments of the population. The critical situation of young people led to the emergence of this subculture. The list of associations consisting of poorly educated members of society was supplemented by punks. The stereotypes of this group were closely intertwined with aggressive self-affirmation, but, in addition, it was largely based on views opposed to traditional moral principles and values. Initially, the punk subculture was used to provoke society appearance: unusual hair coloring, strange hairstyles, shocking behavior and different style in clothing, but over time, stronger methods of influence through themes of violence and death began to be used.

Hippie movement

This subculture appeared in the USA in the 60s and very quickly spread throughout the world. At one time, hippies evolved from the beatniks, representatives of the middle class, who for a long time influenced the people of their group. These American subcultures have one common distinctive feature - an ideology clearly expressed in words. The main elements of the hippie style or worldview were the following:

1. Peacefulness and non-violence. Pacifism was the main hippie ideology. That is why representatives of this group were distinguished by their disregard for power and apoliticality, since it is the rulers who incite wars and force people to fight.
2. Self-development and individualism. These elements were a reaction to the dullness of mass society.
3. Conscious simplification, that is, the transition from a prosperous life to poverty, the rejection of material wealth.
4. Drugs, sexual experiments, travel, festivals, communes - all these are the most striking features of the hippie subculture.
5. Living together is a distinctive feature of hippies, as other subcultures did not adhere to this form of behavior.

Hipsters

This youth subculture arose in the USSR in the late 40s of the 20th century. In this way, Soviet youth protested against the stereotypes of society. The main direction of the dudes was blind copying of the style of the West and the USA. At that time, dudes looked more like a caricature: wide trousers in bright colors, baggy double-breasted jackets, boots with thick soles and, of course, socks in bright colors peeking out from under the trousers. The image was very original and bright, no one worried about the combination of colors.

But over time, closer to the 50s, the dudes changed their image a little. They began to wear tight trousers and elegantly cut jackets with wide shoulders, a thin tie around the neck and, of course, a greased “cock”. It is worth noting that only guys had a certain look; stylish girls wore fluffy bright dresses or tapered skirts, pointed shoes and wore bright makeup. Society did not allow the development of this subculture in the USSR and in every possible way condemned and persecuted representatives of this vibrant group.

Social subcultures

The process of socialization of adolescents in the subcultures of society occurs much faster. Examples of subcultures such as “green” or “animal defenders” teach the younger generation to help nature and take care of environment. But theoretical information alone is not always enough to teach teenagers responsibility. It is necessary to demonstrate in practice the work of “positive subcultures”. it needs not only theorems and axioms, but their consolidation by actions and results, otherwise it does not realize the need for good deeds.

Subcultures popular in modern society

The criminal subculture (rockers, punks, emo, skinheads, etc.) in Russia is already losing its position. Negativity and aggression are gradually going out of fashion. In search of new directions, he comes up with his own modern look. For example, the footing subculture does not carry any negative manifestations, therefore it is very well perceived by society. Members of this youth group do not wear shoes in any weather.

Due to the widespread use of the Internet, the subculture of gamers is gaining increasing momentum. Modern youth are increasingly hiding from reality in the virtual world. Many young children already confidently operate tablets, e-readers and mobile phones. But this is basically a false substitute for real hobbies, which is imposed on them by their parents to save their own energy and time. After all, when the child is busy computer games, it does not require so much attention and care. In fact, the problem of this subculture is very deep, and parents must take certain measures if their child has a gaming or computer addiction.

Distinctive features of modern youth trends

The youth subcultures of the modern world are characterized by an increase in the number of active associations. In addition, today's youth are increasingly immersed in the Internet. They look for like-minded people online, organize meetings, and hold promotions. Three social and value orientations of modern subcultures can be distinguished:

1. Prosocial trends: the rapper subculture and the role-playing game movement.
2. Asocial movements: punks, metalheads, emo and hippies.
3. Antisocial groups similar to the adult criminal subculture: skinheads in their radical form.

Youth subcultures can also be classified as the group’s activities are included in the young person’s lifestyle. There are behavioral groups and active ones. In the first case, adolescents adhere to the style of clothing, behavior and communication characteristic of the selected group. Such areas are not characterized by engaging in any activity. This includes emo, hipsters and goths. In other words, the younger generation will only change external image and behavior style.

Active types of subcultures are those communities that are based on a passion for specific activities that require one or another activity. This group can include parkourists, graffists, and role-players.

What attracts young people to subcultures

Youth subcultures on a personal level are a way to achieve self-esteem and compensate negative attitude those around you. Dissatisfaction with one’s own style of behavior, body, inconsistency with the standards of femininity or masculinity. Subcultures, the list of which is huge and varied, allow teenagers to give themselves an aura of specialness and bright individuality.

Social and psychological reasons are considered to be the attractiveness of an informal lifestyle, which does not require responsibility, focus and dedication, in contrast to generally accepted requirements in society. There are three possible consequences of the influence of the subculture on the socialization of youth:

1. A positive orientation, which manifests itself in social and cultural self-determination, creative self-realization and experimentation with images, behavioral style, and so on.
2. Socially negative orientation, which is found in joining subcultures of a criminal, extremist nature, drugs and alcohol.
3. An individually negative tendency manifests itself in escaping reality, justifying one’s infantile behavior, and avoiding cultural and social self-determination.

It is quite difficult to determine which trends predominate in a particular subculture. It is even more difficult to notice how it affects a person’s lifestyle. Modern trends attract young people with their diversity and provocative appearance and behavior. But it is worth noting that belonging to a certain social group- the phenomenon is usually short-term. Basically, the passion for subcultures begins at the age of 13 and goes away by the age of 19. By this age, a person changes his hobbies or rethinks. But there are exceptions within the age range, for example, the rocker subculture has no time limits. Among the representatives of this community you can also find mature people, and sometimes even elderly people. They have remained true to their teenage hobbies and still listen to rock or play in bands. As a rule, the rocker subculture includes those people who, even in adulthood, are not ready for a responsible and independent life.

The characteristics of adolescent subcultures include their inconstancy in behavior. Many teenagers have an unstable psyche, which largely depends on how their relationship with their parents develops. If there is distance in relationships with close people, then the chances that the child will come under outside influence increase. After all, a teenager needs communication, advice and understanding. If he does not receive all this in his family, then he will seek support among people who are close in spirit and moral state. Very often, a child’s deviant behavior in adolescence is associated with a bad example from the outside. This could be television, bad actions of comrades in the company, etc. In order to prevent a negative influence on the child, parents need to establish contact with him or attract older youth for this purpose.

Sources of the emergence of subcultures in Russia

In the Russian youth environment, the emergence of subcultures is due to a number of reasons. In the last 15-20 years everyday life adult society and children have undergone strong changes. The openness of Western and Eastern cultures greatly influenced people’s worldviews and dissolved many traditions, stable relationships, and values ​​of Russian citizens. The new scientific and technological revolution, which is primarily associated with the emergence of phenomena such as computers, Cell phones, Internet.

Basically, youth subcultures spread spontaneously. Although quite often parties, trendsetters, and so on contribute to this spread. There is another way - commercial and youth organizations take as a basis forms of youth leisure that exist spontaneously and create organized directions. An example is street dancing. But this process also requires a special approach. Experts believe that interaction with potentially positive informals should be carried out according to three rules: it is necessary to coordinate your actions with the leaders, provide them with everything they need to carry out events, and agree on restrictions on behavior and activity during the actions.

Strategies for youth activities

If we consider youth activities from the perspective of social education, then we can distinguish three main pedagogical strategies. Ignore, do not exclude spontaneous penetration into social life and only after that work or analyze the potential of youth subcultures from the point of view of additional educational methods and use them in the interests of personal development teenagers and children.

The potential of youth subcultures from the point of view of education is that the types and forms of activity of adolescents and young people, which arose independently of the pedagogical sphere, in an environment of free communication among young people, are socially positive in nature. But at the same time it is necessary to apply appropriate pedagogical tools.

In fact, modern educational methods have virtually no contact with such youth and adolescent communities. Moreover, this contact is mainly observed in summer camps, in children's public associations and extremely rarely in secondary school institutions.

As a rule, lifestyle, behavior and external signs subcultures of teenagers and young people are covered in a negative way, which contributed to the active imitation of representatives of these communities by a certain unreached part of youth. This, in turn, served as an impetus for the spread of these subcultures beyond the borders of one country. Nevertheless, the variability and other characteristics of subcultures were greatly influenced by ethnic and social conditions. For example, Soviet hippies were not much like representatives of this subculture in Western countries. And the skinheads of modern Russia are very different from the first skinheads of Great Britain.

Violent youth protests in Western countries in the 60-70s and in the Soviet and post-Soviet space in the second half of the 90s caused not only a decrease in social activity among young people, but also contributed to the development of certain tendencies towards escapism. A distinctive characteristic of the modern world is the increase in the number of protest youth subcultures, as well as the diversity of forms. Thus, we can say that new subcultures are emerging, the list of which is growing.

Subculture- this is a special sphere of the dominant culture, which is distinguished by its internal organization, customs, norms.

youth subculture- this is the culture of the younger generation, which is distinguished by a special language, lifestyle, behavioral traits, group norms, values, means of self-expression .

Youth subculture is a phenomenon characteristic of the industrial and post-industrial stage of development of any type of culture. It performs the functions of socialization of young people, solves problems of generational conflict and obeys the uniform laws of development. Being a subculture woven into the structural fabric of a specific type of culture, it has the properties and characteristics of the latter.

The youth subculture of any society at all stages of development is characterized by the so-called contradiction of “fathers” and “children”. It can safely be attributed to eternal problems: “Today’s youth are accustomed to luxury, they have bad manners, despise authority, and do not respect their elders. Children argue with their parents, greedily swallow food and harass teachers,” Socrates complained back in 470 BC. e.

However, as it unfolds over time, culture not only renews itself, but also preserves itself thanks to the action of succession mechanisms that transmit to each new generation the cultural heritage of previous eras (family, traditions, general system education, media, cultural institutions).

According to the stages of the life cycle, official (traditional) and innovative-avant-garde youth cultures are distinguished. An example of official youth subcultures in the Soviet Union were the pioneer organization and the Komsomol, in modern Russia - the “Walking Together” movement.

Based on areas of interest, youth subcultures are also divided into musical, intellectual, religious-philosophical, sports, computer, countercultural, etc.

The emergence of youth subcultures is caused by several reasons.

Firstly, it is a rapid and constant acceleration modern life industrial societies. The phenomenon of youth culture is a sign of predominantly dynamic societies (technogenic civilization). If previously culture was not divided into “adult” and “youth”, now “fathers” and “children” have serious differences in value orientations, fashion, methods of communication, and even lifestyle in general.

Modern culture is full of innovations that are constantly being hacked and rebuilt. cultural tradition, sometimes thereby complicating the processes of socialization and adaptation of a person to the constantly changing conditions and demands of life. Fragility and novelty form a “dangerous mixture”, since a person striving for self-identification and establishing social connections searches in a changing environment, that is, all the objects with which he comes into contact and to which he could join are in constant accelerating movement.

Secondly , the period of socialization of the younger generation is lengthening. This is due to the need to increase time for education and professional training that meets the requirements of the modern era. Today, a young man (or girl) early ceases to be a child (in terms of his psychophysiological development), but in terms of social status he (she) does not belong to the world of adults for a long time. Adolescence- this is a time when economic activity and independence have not yet been fully achieved. “Youth” as a phenomenon and sociological category, born of industrial society, is characterized by psychological maturity in the absence of significant participation in adult institutions.

Third, On an individual psychological level, young people are characterized by a not always conscious desire to free themselves from external control, increased emotionality, excitability, idealization of certain life ideas, maximalism, as well as instability of moral positions, often based on the perception of negative social phenomena.

Socialization occurs under the influence of various conditions and circumstances, including uncontrollable factors, such as the informal environment of communication with peers, views and moods existing in society.

There are some specific features that distinguish the youth subculture from the dominant culture in society. In other words, youth subcultures are a kind of socio-cultural formation.

youth subculture does not have a clearly defined social status A. The norms and symbols adopted in it are different from those prescribed by society. However, there are remnants of former myths, legends, and sprouts of new phenomena in it. Information coming from foreign cultures that does not fit into the main culture settles in youth subcultures.

Domestic the values ​​of youth subcultures are opposed to the so-called “generally accepted” values. Youth cultures are characterized by a rebellious spirit, non-acceptance or even complete rejection of official ideology, and apoliticality. Members of various youth subcultures insist on their independence from society. Independence is one of the main features of self-awareness.

The youth environment often shapes countercultural value orientation, the highest principle of which is the principle of pleasure, enjoyment, which acts as an incentive and goal of behavior. Hence, the morality of permissiveness can become an integral and organic element of the counterculture.

Most youth subcultures have its symbolism. For example, hippies and punks have shaggy hair, shabby clothes, and homemade bags. There are graphic symbols on clothes and bags: embroidered flowers, anti-war slogans. Skinheads are characterized by the absence of hair on their heads, leather clothing, heavy, rough shoes, etc. These symbols are the first to catch the eye, so the presence of special symbols is a sign of the existence of a communication field in which you are recognized as “one of our own.”

Every youth subculture tries to stand out with your tongue(slang), which makes it difficult to communicate with “strangers”. By the language one already subconsciously recognizes “one’s own”. There is special folklore, its own sayings, anecdotes, ditties, legends and stories.

The current situation in Russia can be defined as a stage between the old system of values, which is causing significant disruptions, and the new one, which is still being born.

For a long time in our country, the only youth organization was the Komsomol, officially permitted and supported. However, already in the 70s. Informal youth groups began to emerge, which, due to the general socio-political situation in the country, were in the “underground”, producing in some cases their own counterculture. Glasnost and perestroika allowed these groups to legalize their activities, loudly declare themselves, thereby significantly increasing their numbers.

A certain place among them was occupied by groups formed around various musical tastes and styles (metallists, Rolling Stones, breakers, Beatlemaniacs, etc.).

Informal youth organizations also emerged, value orientations which had some political and ideological connotation (nostalgists, anarchists, pacifists, deviationists, greens).

Groups of an apolitical, escapist nature stood out (hippies, punks, people of the system).

Among intellectual youth, the aesthetic group “Mitki” was popular, distinguished by self-irony and a grotesquely emphasized style “a la Rus'”.

Groups were formed that professed the “cult of muscles” and physical strength"jocks". Criminogenic groups also appeared, united on the basis of aggressiveness, rigid organization and illegal activities (hipsters, gopniks, lyubers, etc.). Some of them were inspired by slogans of restoring socialist justice or the fight against “badness” in the form of hippies, punks and others.

The nonconformism of this youth environment was manifested in everything: in manners, in clothing, in hobbies, in jargon, sometimes reaching openly extremist forms. Currents of the Western youth subculture on our soil often transformed into rather absurd forms, acquiring only an external character: they were “copied” from their Western peers by inept “artists”, so the result was not copies, but caricatures.

After the defeat of the August 1991 “putsch,” a wave of democratic euphoria sharply increased socio-political activity, including among young people. Having reached its maximum, this activity began to subside, which was accompanied by the disappearance of many informal youth groups and a significant decrease in the number of those remaining.

Currently, several negative trends can be identified in the development of the youth subculture.

Subculture entertainment and recreational orientation. Along with communicative (communication with friends), youth leisure mainly performs a recreational function, most often in the form of passive relaxation (“doing nothing”). Young people are developing attitudes not toward creative self-realization, but toward passive consumption of education, culture, and labor. This trend is even more present in the cultural self-realization of student youth, which is indirectly determined by the very flow of prevailing values popular culture, promoting background perception and superficial consolidation in consciousness.

“Westernization” (Americanization) of cultural needs and interests displaces values national culture, both classical and folk, examples of mass culture, focused on the introduction of values, the “American way of life” in its primitive and lightweight version. Favorite heroes and, to a certain extent, role models are the idols of show business or sports, for girls - heroines of soap operas and pulp novels about love, and for boys - invincible superheroes of thrillers.

Pragmatism, cruelty, immoderate desire for material well-being. Thus, among students, mutual payment for educational services - writing essays, coursework, assistance in preparing for exams, etc. The most important value for many young people is the “equivalence of mutual retribution” (the need for reward for good and retribution for evil).

These trends are also present in the cultural self-realization of young people: there is a reckless contempt for such “outdated” values ​​as politeness, meekness and respect for others for the sake of fashion. Young people differ significantly from older generations in that they are practically devoid of illusions that someone can solve their own problems for them.

Weak individualization and selectivity of culture. The choice of certain values ​​is most often associated with group stereotypes (“the principle of herring in a barrel”) of a rather rigid nature - those who disagree run a high risk of joining the ranks of “suckers” - “outcasts,” “uninteresting,” “non-prestigious” people from the point of view of the “crowd.” ”, usually equaling a certain ideal - “cool” (sometimes in the person of the leader of this group).

Group stereotypes and a prestigious hierarchy of values ​​are determined by gender, level of education, and, to a certain extent, residence and nationality of the recipient. The extreme direction of this trend in the youth subculture are the so-called “teams” with strict regulation of the roles and statuses of their members.

Cultural self-realization outside cultural institutions. Leisure self-realization of young people is carried out, as a rule, outside cultural institutions and is relatively noticeably determined by the influence of mainly screen art (cinema and television) - the most influential institutional source of not only aesthetic, but also generally socializing influence.

In these types of art (as, indeed, in the content of art in general) there is a tendency towards dehumanization and demoralization, which manifests itself, first of all, in the belittlement, deformation and destruction of the image of a person. In particular, this is recorded in the escalation of scenes and episodes of violence and sex, in the intensification of their cruelty and naturalism, which contradicts the laws of human morality and has an impact on negative impact to a youth audience.

Lack of ethnocultural self-identification. In modern Russia, there is a severe crisis of identity in many groups of society, especially with regard to self-identification with cultural, political and social values. Some groups of youth accept new values ​​and norms to a greater or lesser extent, while others try to preserve and strengthen traditional values.

Attempts to introduce ethnocultural content into the process of socialization in most cases are limited to the propaganda of ancient Russian customs and Orthodoxy. And ethnocultural self-identification consists, first of all, in the formation of positive feelings towards the history and traditions of one’s people, i.e., what is commonly called “love for the Fatherland.”

Belonging to youth culture, being a phase of development, a transitional stage in the formation of a personality, losing its significance as the boy (girl) adapts to the world of adults, Youth itself does not produce any culture without first having assimilated traditional culture. In the course of this assimilation, she can reproduce the ready-made forms offered to her, which, in turn, will be replenished in accordance with her consumer abilities.