Subcultures as related to ethnicity and hybridity

Question 1

What does Hebdige say about subcultures as related to ethnicity and hybridity?

Answer 1

• British youth subcultures can be read as ‘a succession of differential responses to the black immigrant presence in Britain’
• E.g: the mods intimidated the ‘cool’ styles of West Indians and their influence from soul music. Skinheads gained a reputation for racism and resistance to immigration, but took on some fashion and music from West Indian culture

Question 2

What does Nayak say about subcultures as related to ethnicity and hybridity?

Answer 2

• Black music and fashion have influenced white working class subcultures
• ‘White wannabes’- white youths acting like black youths
• E.g: Ali G or white rap- Eminem and Professor Green= hybridity

Question 3

What does research say about Rastafarians and reggae culture?

Resistance

Answer 3

• Rastafarians are an example of a youth subculture. Rastas are associated with Jamaizan/Carribbean culture, reggae music, dreadlocks, red gold and green clothing (Ethiopian flag), strong religious beliefs, etc
• Hebdige saw Rastafarianism and reggae culture as a resistance to white culture and racism (slavery roots). Act as a political and spiritual movement, offering a positive identity and source of opposition to racism and subordination

Question 4

What does research tell us about Brasian culture?

Hybridity

Answer 4

• Young Brasians refuse to accept a subordinate place in society and wish to celebrate their culture by making it more contemporary and fashionable
• Johal suggests some Brasians adopt a hyper-ethnic style (exaggerated form of parent culture). Provides a kind of empowerment through difference . But issues such as religion, marriage and diet may lead to code-switching

Question 5

What does Mercer say about subcultures as related to ethnicity and hybridity?

Hybridity

Answer 5

• Discusses styling of hair within the black culture and its symbolic meaning
• Afro and dreadlocks emphasise identification with black identity (could be seen as resistance). Straightened black hairstyles are seen as imitative of white culture (assimilation)
• Mercer sees all of these hairstyles as forms of hybridity- make statements about the black individual’s place within British culture

Question 6

What did Cashmore say about rap demonstrating hybridity?

Hybridity

Answer 6

• Rap can be seen asw the ultimate hybrid music form- many styles and no point of origin
• Shows how rap culture has evolved and changed , how local artists in different countries adpated the style to their own culture
• Supports postmodern ideas of the fluidity of recent subcultures

Question 7

What does research say about ‘modern primitives’?

Answer 7

• Subculture found in the US and Western Europe.
• Wide but loose membership, focus on individuality and self-expression
• Characterised by body modifications as a form of self-expression
• Hybrid subculture- merges modern with the primitive

Question 8

What does Hutnyk say about hybridity in youth subcultures?

Answer 8

• There are power differentials at work, within which Western subcultures may strip the meaning from symbols and use them in a superficial way
• Cultural exchange suggests a two-way, equal process, which is often untrue