Доклад по теме "Subcultures. Emo is not a problem, people are"

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Subcultures

Emo is not a problem, people are

Выполнила ученица 9 класса:      Болтунова Ангелина

Учитель:                           Жирова Елена Валентиновна

г.о.Орехово-Зуево

                                    Subcultures.   Introduction.

     Today the life of many young people in Russia as well as in other countries of the world is influenced by popular culture. The young follow certain stereotypes that are imposed on them through TV, movies, and music. In their lifestyle they try to imitate the images of their idols. Other young people are sports and music fans. They frequent stadiums and huge concert halls. They follow their idols in their tours and support them.

     I think that subculture is the culture of those who are dissatisfied with their place in society. Different subcultures have their own beliefs, value systems, fashion, and favourite music. For example the subculture of Rastafairians was based on nostalgia for a lost word. They idealized Africa. Rastafairians were Afro-Caribbean immigrants in Britain. They began to wear distinctive clothes, camouflage jackets, large hats in the red, gold and green colours of Ethiopia and put their long, uncut hair in dreadlocks. They brought to us such tapes of music as ska, reggae and hip-hop.

     Many subcultures developed as a result of music fusion of black and white cultures. For example skinheads, which wore heavy boots, jeans and braces and shave their hair or cut it very short. Skinheads dreamed about the revival of the traditional working class culture. Skinheads were identified with extreme right wing views. There are many other subcultures such as Hippies, Punks, Mods, Rockers, Ravers, Emo and many others.

     Subcultures are not bad as they are thought to be. Teens want to show off. But at the same time a lot of teens think about changing the world to the best. Subcultures are for teens. Then, I am sure, teenagers become good citizens. Some who were punks became the main editors of famous newspapers. A subculture is a way of life. It is not a fan club, it is a real life for us.

                                 Why do the teens choose a subculture?

       Teenagers’ age is rather difficult time for many young boys and girls. They try to find themselves by comparing with their parents and schoolmates. Teenagers often look for the support of their individuality among different groups of young people  which were created by them at school. The majority of teenagers begin to divide into various subcultures. Nowadays there are a lot of youth movements such as: Goth, punk, Metalheads, emo, SKA, hippy and etc.

       A big city creates pre-conditions for young generation to unite into different groups and movements. So, the subcultures have appeared. Any person, who joined the subculture, becomes a part of it.

     The representatives of subculture have their own culture, so individual, that even having common with human being cultures, they put into the same words other meanings, emotions. And all these things have their own symbols. The study of subcultures often consists of studying symbolism attached to clothing, music, hairstyles, footwear and also the ways in which these same symbols are interpreted by members of dominant culture.

      Every day more and more teenagers all round the world make informal groups. They wear other clothes; sing other songs, read other poems. So, it is necessary to know more about them and we should be ready to face up to their representatives in real life.

      I’m sure that each of us has ever met strange people in the streets which don’t look like others. Some of them have strange hairstyles on their heads, some of them wear a lot of metal things, and others pass by you on their bikes in black leathers. They are informals - the representatives of modern subcultures.

     The meaning of the word “ informal “ means unordinary brightness and outstanding personality. An informal man tries to show his individuality. It seems that all his appearance is appealing to us: “ I am a personality”. He is ready to set a challenge to the world with its endless days and depersonalizing.

     Let’s face to the history of Russia. There were two youth organizations in the USSR.  They are “The Young Pioneers” and “Komsomol”. I think,  it wasn’t interesting to join them, because it was the obligatory for the members. Оn my opinion, it was like a duty. It is boring, isn’t it?

                                              Origin of Emo

      Our modern life is versatile. Sometimes it has strange forms of social life. One of this form is Emo. Who is Emo?  We’ll try to answer this question.

     Emo is a genre of music that originated from hardcore punk  and later adopted pop punk influences when it became mainstream in the United States.It has since come to describe several variations of music with common roots and associated fashion and stereotypes.

     In the mid-1980s, the term emo described a subgenre of hardcore punk which stemmed from the Washington, D.C. hardcore scene. In later years, the term emocore, short for "emotional hardcore", was also used to describe the emotional performances of bands in the Washington, D.C. "Revolution Summer" movement and some of the offshoot regional scenes such as Rites of Spring, Embrace, One Last Wish, Beefeater, Gray Matter, Fire Party, and later, Moss Icon.

     Where the term emo actually originated is uncertain: the earliest print citation found so far appears in 1997, although some claim that members of Rites of Spring mentioned in a 1985 Flipside Magazine interview that some of their fans had started using the term to describe their music.

     In the mid-1990s, the term emo began to refer to the indie scene that followed the influences of Fugazi, which itself was an offshoot of the first wave of emo. Bands including Sunny Day Real Estate, Far and Texas Is the Reason had a more indie rock style of emo, more melodic and less chaotic. The so-called "indie emo" scene survived until the late 1990s, when many of the bands either disbanded or shifted to mainstream styles. As the remaining indie emo bands entered the mainstream, newer bands began to emulate the mainstream style.

    At the same time, use of the term "emo" expanded beyond the musical genre, which added to the confusion surrounding the term. The word "emo" became associated with open displays of strong emotion. Common fashion styles and attitudes that were becoming idiomatic of fans of similar "emo" bands also began to be referred to as "emo." As a result, bands that were loosely associated with "emo" trends or simply demonstrated emotion began to be referred to as emo.

                                        Emo in scientific focus

     The scientists believe that subculture is the system of values, purposes and manners of behaviors which characterize а small group of social community that stands apart in space and society. Features of youth subculters such as fashion, beliefs, slang, dialects, behaviours, interests as a rule differ from the same in dominant culture though they are connecting with each other.

     English sociologist M. Brake noticed that subcultures as the systems of meanings, the ways of expression or the lifestyles were developed by social groups which were in position of subordination. Subcultures reflect the tryings of such groups to solve social contradictions. We all are alike in appearance, in our way of life and in our habits. We are influenced by fashion, mass media, public opinion. We are subordinated by orders and laws.

      An informal person has his own world and his own rules. He wears what he wants in spite of mainstream fashion.

     The young people are  more mobile and progressive, so they take the new forms of development in sphere of leisure with its positive and negative things. Young people can’t be satisfied with the general entertainments, so they have to think over their own way.

     In recent years the popular media have associated emo with a stereotype that includes being emotional, sensitive, shy, introverted, or angst-ridden. It is also associated with depression, self-injury, and suicide.

     Emo - people often write poems - all about pain, suffering, impossibility to be understood by the world, sadness and willingness to just pass away.
         I don’t agree with this point of view.  No, emo is not about "pain, loneliness and depression", not at all. Other teenage groups would spend their time wasted talking about boobies, farts, and sex, however emo groups mature by discussing the topics that are emotion driven.
Just the same, emo music is not just about the negative emotions that you believe, but rather all.

      For example the band "Dashboard Confessional", they are tagged emo, even though their music is about love and happiness.
    Again, the focus and misconception about emos being depressed is well stated by the article here "In any case, most psychologists suggest that expressing feelings of angst or depression is healthier than bottling them up." It is just because the emo cultur are not ashamed to express and discuss their emotions, whereas the other "boobies and farts" cultures are.

                                          Features of  Emo

    Here I want to make a digression and tell you about Emo’s appearance.     Dressing will be very important to an emo, because it is the way of telling to the world “I am an emo.” It is personal, unique exclamation of ideals and personality. The most popular items of appearance:

1. The main colours are black and pink. Emo wears tight T-shirts, usually short-sleeved, which often bear the names of emo bands (or other designed shirts). Also they wear jeans and stripped leggings.
2. They have straight hair with long fringe (bangs) brushed to one side of the face or over one or both eyes, dyed black.
3. They wear studded belts, belt buckles, canvas sneakers or skate shoes or other black shoes and thick, black horn-rimmed glasses.
4. Emo’s make up is unusual. Eyes are black, nails are black too. But also they use bright colours.

      Earlier, emo fashion was associated with a clean cut look, but as the style spread to younger teenagers, the style has become darker, with long bangs and emphasis on the colour black replacing sweater vest. In recent years the popular media have associated emo with a stereotype that includes being emotional, sensitive, shy, introverted, or angst-ridden. It is also associated with depression, self-injury, and suicide.

                                                 Conclusion

     But among the members of the subculture, there are many young people having other interests. For some of them getting knowledge is of primary importance. They are fond of reading serious books, listening to serious music. They go to the conservatory and theatres. They are engaged in Hi-Tech through the Internet. They are fond of stories and novels written by Victor Pelevin, Boris Akunin. The novels by Strougutsky's are best read even today, because it is science fiction, which is very popular among young people. And many of them are going to study at Universities and Institutes.

     Anyway, all of them are the part of our society. Who knows, may be they’ll have become the pride of our country?!

               Библиография.

1. Александр Тарасов. «Они нас изучают».
2.  Л. В. Шабанов. «Социально-психологические характеристики молодежных субкультур: социальный протест или вынужденная маргинальность?»
3. «Молодежные движения и субкультуры». Журнал « Браво».
4. «СУБКУЛЬТУРЫ. Неформальные движения молодежи». Статья из Википедии – всемирной энциклопедии. Автор неизвестен.
5. «Молодёжные субкультуры Советского Союза». Статья из Википедии – всемирной энциклопедии. Автор неизвестен