A Subculture
A subculture refers to accepted norms and values that are special for a given group of people as opposed to what is widely accepted by the majority (Hebdige, 2012).
Teenagers and Subcultural Identification
Throughout history, youths always conform to a specific cultural behavior that is mostly influenced by peers and the social media. Also, teenagers tend to align themselves with modernity and building a subculture of identity. The essay will critically analyze the representation of subculture in a teen film or TV episode considering the youth investment in the subcultural identification and imagined the relationship between subculture and race/class/gender/sexuality. Overall, it is usual for youths to identify themselves to a subculture for identity purposes and to boost their social skills.
The Elements of Subcultural Representation
The representation of a subculture in the episode can be critically analyzed using the norms and values of the subculture, the rituals, the images, argot, group perception, and fandom subculture. The rules and values guide how the evaluation of ideas are presented in the TV episode, and they are distinct from what is distinctly accepted in the mainstream society. Hence, the youth attitude is built on a culture of hegemony whereby the youths cannot share a conventional communication system to that of other members of the society. Also, the norms include the dressing code of teenagers who identify themselves to a given style to match their liking for football and their culture. Also, the images are shown in film influence communication and the group perception of specific issues (source: 20180909T112914_gcst2612_settling_accounts_with_subcultures_a_feminist_critique__1_%20(1).pdf).
The Role of Silence in Subcultural Representation
The representation of the subculture includes silence that depicts itself in the women movement and its personal experiences as well as the close links that exist. The peculiar sound of individuals influence the subculture, and it announces its interest in precipitating political and social benefit of the youths. The hypothetical representation brings a case into the family highlighting the real revolution and the teen approach in accepting or resisting a given culture. The TV episode or teen film has resulted into resistance of some specific norms that contradict their social well-being. For instance, the incident on the trap of sexual exploitation and gender-based violence mostly against women expense the youth in detecting the archaic behavior and promoting the well-being of every member of the community. The episode also exposes the family into the public sphere and developing toughness in dealing with unforeseen circumstances. Also, the entry of school leavers into the working environment creates a shop-floor culture where members of a given culture build resilience and toughness. Such qualities tend to counter the capitalists' tendencies that are brutal thus imparting value and eliminating cultures of cruelty and hence promoting a fully exposed working class (source: 20180909T112914_gcst2612_settling_accounts_with_subcultures_a_feminist_critique__1_%20(1).pdf).
Race and Subculture
Equally, the levels of discourse promote disrespect within the confines of the subculture and its critical review. The issue of race emanates in these subcultures where the whites dominate the blacks in creating a symbol of black or white experience. The process is paid homage to the music that is majorly taken up by the working class youths. The youths work towards an intellectual process and places music at the heart of its operations. Some of the music include reggae and soul music, and the style contributes to empirical facts that are involved in the subculture. Hence, one of the subcultural attributes of music is romanticism, and it addresses the dangers of oppression that are characterized by the black culture. Therefore, the issue of racism among the youth is a factor that dominates in sexism and sexuality in both races (source: 20180909T112858_gcst2612_introduction_subculture_and_style__1_%20(1).pdf).
Marxist Account of Subcultures
Furthermore, the Marxist account on the subcultures covers an explanation of the deviance and crime by illustrating the inequalities that are created by the capitalist system. Majorly, the idea focuses on offense whereby the selfish few wealthy individuals suppress the poor for selfish gain. In that regard, the poor resort into crime as a form of class struggle to attain the desired status of livelihood. Mostly, youth fall into this category, and they often aspire to have financial gain out of crime. Therefore, the conditions of capitalism force them to seek wealth due to ever-increasing wants, selfishness, and greed that exists (source: 20180909T112858_gcst2612_introduction_subculture_and_style__1_%20(1).pdf).
Feminism and Masculinity in Subculture
Feminism and masculinity feature in the reading and the question of youth cultures on sexuality explains the implications and ambiguities created by the patriarchal society and the moral question regarding the same. The illustrations in the TV episode highlight the meaning, existing signs, and breaking the rules regarding the extent of threats and the ease of handling the disorder. The subculture highlights the modern and traditional roles of women and the evidence, and anticipated solution in the contemporary society (source: 20180909T112914_gcst2612_settling_accounts_with_subcultures_a_feminist_critique__1_%20(1).pdf).
Rock Music and Subcultures
Rock music transformed the cultures and points a perspective of creating new meaning and addressing the post-war subcultures of the youth. However, the developments do not address the issues sensitive to gender and overwhelming male dominance that seem to be unchanged for an extended period. Besides, the use of drugs and substance abuse reveal an exciting pattern among the youths who are literary the heaviest consumers of these drugs and the surprise uptake of the women suggesting a complex chain of addicted teens. Moreover, the musical instruments characterize the youth influence and creation of a pool of intellectuals that develop a clearer idea of enhancing competency (source: 20180909T112914_gcst2612_settling_accounts_with_subcultures_a_feminist_critique__1_%20(1).pdf).
Politics and Subcultures
Further, the politics of youth influence the code and voting pattern in creating improved terms of the electorate and making use of their professionals and making their voice heard. No doubt, youth influence encourages investment through youth groups that seek to promote their growth. The relationship of the subcultures creates an ideology of class that naturally separates the upper, middle and lower-class in the economy. Therefore, the idea of subculture is premised on the real relationships that exist and the operation of consciousness and spontaneous utilization of resources that is firmly effective and transparent. The signs of the meanings create a reality of unambiguous pleasure, oppositional society, collective fantasy and disruptive public identity of the youths and helping them generate sense and conforming to social relations. The importance of all the subcultures achieves a stylish and conventional way of youth behavior characterized by active social engagements (source: 20180909T112858_gcst2612_introduction_subculture_and_style__1_%20(1).pdf).
The Influence of Films and TV on Subcultural Identification
The representation of a subculture in a teen film or TV episode exposes a real or imagined relationship with subcultural identification (Hebdige, 2012). In particular, youths are mostly affected and easily influenced by the social media and trending incidents whether in film or TV. About the two readings together with one additional text, the essay has been critical of youth representation as well as considering how youth investment is a subcultural identity in explaining a relationship. Hence, subcultures are cultures within the approved cultural trends and values that crop up within a given group of people through influencers like film. The most affected group of people in a subculture are youths.
References
20180909T112858_gcst2612_introduction_subculture_and_style__1_%20(1).pdf
20180909T112914_gcst2612_settling_accounts_with_subcultures_a_feminist_critique__1_%20(1).pdf
Hebdige, D. (2012). Subculture: The meaning of style. Routledge.
