SOC 110 PUNK

OBJECTIVE

In our study of punk subculture, we examine the meanings that punks attach to their own

behaviors, emphasize how authentic selfhood is developed through ideological and moral

commitments, and explore the linkages between punk ideology and the larger cultural objectives

of modernity. Punk is the personal expression of uniqueness that comes from the experiences of

growing up in touch with our human ability to reason and ask questions.

Punk is a movement that serves to refute social attitudes that have been perpetuated through

willful ignorance of human nature.

Punk is a process of questioning and commitment to understanding that results in self-progress,

and through repetition, flowers into social evolution.

Punk is a belief that this world is what we make of it, truth comes from our understanding of the

way things are, not from the blind adherence to prescriptions about the way things should be.

Punk is the constant struggle against fear of social repercussions.

Jay’s Objective

To educate people about punk culture, to acknowledge people who are really what is punk

culture about.

Zura’s Objective

To understand subculture theory in punk and an ideology of punk.

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SOC 110 PUNK

Dinesh’s Objective

To ensure that the punk culture does not influence young teenagers to ensure that we create a

socialized and more humane civilization.

Fatin’s Objective

To learn and understand more about the Punk Ideology, and educate the public so they would not

judge them.

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THE HISTORY OF PUNK

To fully understand the punk movement, one needs to understand the background of the

movement. Past events shape the culture and philosophy of any movement.

“Punk has its earliest roots in the United States, in New York city. It was there in the very late

1960’s and early 1970 are that bands such as the Ramones, Television, Patti Smith, and Blondie

emerged on the New York punk scene.

It is important to keep in mind that it was a scene and not the movement that occurred in Great

Britain in the latter parts of the 1970’s. Punk is a counter culture it cannot be pinpointed exactly

when the movement began. However, most would agree that it was sometime in 1975.

Britain was suffering from a recession at the time, and in times of extreme hardship, people look

for an outlet for their anger. This is exactly what happened in Great Britain. Adolescents became

angry and showed their frustration and dissatisfaction of situations or conditions. In 1975, the

poor working class youths of Britain began to use the style of the New York punk scene.

Adolescents were angry because they seemed doomed to living out an existence on the dole. This

coupled with normal adolescent feelings of isolation and estrangement gave rise to the punk

movement.

Punk music became a strong way in which pinks could give vent to their feelings and identify

themselves as a counter culture.

Their dress also became a means of identification. “Punk as a subculture was beginning to take

shape; conformity was what punk stood against. As the punk movement began to take shape and

grow, the media could not ignore it.

The press started to cover shows that bands such as the Sex Pistols, Clash. Punk has often been

called the "cutting edge" of modern rock & roll; it has clearly been the most fully developed

subculture of youth rebellion in America since the late 1970s. Punk is really a state of mind, an

attitude, a world-view.

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It is from the earlier sense of the word "Punk" as "a young outlaw, a juvenile delinquent, a young

hooligan or troublemaker" that this term came to be applied to a musical genre, starting in New

York at the end of 1975 and spreading around the world since then.

But the history of Punk includes much more than music; there have also been punk art, punk

film, punk video, punk comics, punk athletics, punk fashion, punk politics, and even punk

comedians.

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PUNK AROUND THE WORLD

New York City

The first ongoing music scene that was assigned the "punk" label appeared in New York in 1974-

1976 centered on bands that played regularly at the clubs Max's Kansas City and CBGB. This

had been preceded by a mini underground rock scene at the Mercer Arts Center, picking up from

the demise of the Velvet Underground, starting in 1971 and featuring the New York Dolls and

Suicide, which helped to pave the way, but came to an abrupt end in 1973 when the building

collapsed.

The CBGB and Max's scene included The Ramones, Television, Blondie, Patti Smith, Johnny

Thunders (a former New York Doll) and the Heartbreakers, Richard Hell and The Voidoids and

the Talking Heads. The "punk" title was applied to these groups by early 1976, when Punk

Magazine first appeared, featuring these bands alongside articles on some of the immediate role

models for the new groups, such as Lou Reed, who was on the cover of the first issue of Punk,

and Patti Smith, cover subject on the second issue.

At the same time, a less celebrated, but nonetheless highly influential, scene had appeared in

Ohio, including The Electric Eels, Devo and Rocket from the Tombs, who in 1975 split into Pere

Ubu and The Dead Boys. Malcolm McLaren, then manager of the New York Dolls, spotted

Richard Hell and decided to bring Hell's look back to Britain.

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London

While the London bands may have played a relatively minor role in determining the early sound,

the London punk scene would come to define and epitomize the rebellious punk culture. After a

brief stint managing the New York Dolls at the end of their career in the US, Englishman

Malcolm McLaren returned to London in May 1975. With Vivienne Westwood, he started a

clothing store called SEX that was instrumental in creating the radical punk clothing style. He

also began managing The Swanker, who would soon become the Sex Pistols. The Sex Pistols

soon created a strong cult following in London, centered on a clique known as the Bromley

Contingent (named after the suburb where many of them had grown up), who followed them

around the country.

An oft-cited moment in punk rock's history is a July 4, 1976 concert by the Ramones at the

Roundhouse in London (The Stranglers were also on the bill). Many of the future leaders of the

UK punk rock scene were inspired by this show, and almost immediately after it, the UK punk

scene got into full swing. By the end of 1976, many fans of the Sex Pistols had formed their own

bands, including The Clash, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Adverts, Generation X, The Slits and

X-Ray Spex. Other UK bands to emerge in this milieu included The Damned (the first to release

a single, the classic "New Rose"), The Jam, The Vibrators, Buzzcocks and the appropriately

named London.

In December 1976, the Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned and Johnny Thunders & the

Heartbreakers united for the Anarchy Tour, a series of gigs throughout the UK Many of the gigs

were canceled by venue owners, after tabloid newspapers and other media seized on sensational

stories regarding the antics of both the bands and their fans. The notoriety of punk rock in the

UK was furthered by a televised incident that was widely publicized in the tabloid press;

appearing on a London TV show called Thames Today, guitarist Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols

was goaded into a verbal altercation by the host, Bill Grundy, swearing at him on live television

in violation of at the time accepted standards of propriety.

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One of the first books about punk rock — The Boy Looked at Johnny by Julie Burchill and Tony

Parsons (December 1977) — declared the punk movement to be already over: the subtitle was

The Obituary of Rock and Roll. The title echoed a lyric from the title track of Patti Smith's 1975

album Horses.

California Punk Scene

During this same period, bands that would later be recognized as "punk" were formed

independently in other locations, such as The Saints in Brisbane, Australia, The Modern Lovers

in Boston, and The Stranglers and the Sex Pistols in London. These early bands also operated

within small "scenes", often facilitated by enthusiastic impresarios who either operated venues,

such as clubs, or organized temporary venues. In other cases, the bands or their managers

improvised their own venues, such as a house inhabited by The Saints in an inner suburb of

Brisbane. The venues provided a showcase and meeting place for the emerging musicians (the

100 Club in London, CBGB in New York, and The Masque in Hollywood are among the best

known early punk clubs).

Punk in Yugoslavia

The former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was not a member of the Eastern Bloc, but

a founding member of the the Non-Aligned Movement. Maintaining a more liberal communist

system, sometimes referred to as Titoism, Yugoslavia was more opened to Western influences

comparing to the other communist states.

Hence, starting from the 1950s onwards, a well developed Yugoslav rock scene was able to

emerge with all its music genres and subgenres including punk rock, heavy metal and so on. The

Yugoslav punk bands were the first rock acts ever to emerge in a communist country. Notable

artists included: the pioneers Pankrti, Paraf and Pekinška patka (the first two formed in 1977, the

latter in 1978), the 1980s hardcore punkpunk acts: KUD Idijoti, Niet, KBO! and many others.

Many bands from the first generation signed record contracts with major labels such as Jugoton,

Suzy Records and ZKP RTL and often appeared on TV and in the magazines, however some

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preferred independent labels and the DIY ethos. From punk rock emerged the New Wave and

some bands, such as Prljavo kazalište and Električni orgazam decided to affiliate with it,

becoming top acts of the Yugoslav New Wave scene.

The Yugoslav punk music also included social commentary, which was generally tolerated;

however there were certain cases of censorship and some punks faced occasional problems with

the authorities. The scene ceased to exist with the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s, and its former

artists continued their work in the independent countries that emerged after the breakup of

Yugoslavia, where many of them were involved in anti-war activities and often clashed with the

domestic chauvinists. Since the end of the wars and the departure of the nationalist leaders, the

music scenes in the ex-Yugoslav countries re-eastablished their former cooperation. The

Yugoslav Punk is considered an important part of the former Yugoslav culture, not only that it

influenced the formation of the once vibrant Yugoslav New Wave scene but also it gave

inspiration to some authentic domestic movements such as New Primitives and others

Spain

In Spain, the punk rock scene emerged in 1978, when the country had just emerged from forty

years of fascist dictatorship under General Franco, a state that “melded state repression with

fundamentalist Catholic moralizm”. Even after Franco died in 1975, the country went through a

“volatile political period”, in which the country had to try to relearn democratic values, and

install a constitution. When punk emerged, it “did not appropriate socialism as its goal”; instead,

it embraced “nihilism”, and focused on keeping the memories of past abuses alive, and accusing

all of Spanish society of collaborating with the fascist regime.

The early punk scene included a range of marginalized and outcast people, including workers,

unemployed, leftists, anarchists, queens, dykes, poseurs, scroungers, and petty criminals. The

scenes varied by city. In Madrid, which had been the power center of Franco’s Falangist party,

the punk scene was like “a release valve” for the formerly repressed youth.

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In Barcelona, a city which had a particularly “marginalized status under Franco”, because he

suppressed the area’s “Catalan language and culture”, the youth felt an “exclusion from

mainstream society” that enabled them to come together and form a punk subculture.

The first independently-released Spanish punk disc was a 45 RPM record by Almen TNT in

1979. The song, which sounded like the US band The Stooges stated that no one believed in

revolution anymore and it criticized the emerging consumer culture in Spain, as people flocked

to the new department stores. The early Spanish punk records, most of which emerged in the

explosion of punk in 1978, often reached back to “old-fashioned 50s rock and roll to glam to

early metal to Detroit’s hard proto-punk”, creating an aggressive mix of fuzz guitar, jagged

sounds, and crude Spanish slang lyrics.

Positive punk, Gothic rock, and Death rock in 1977, a second wave of bands emerged,

influenced by those mentioned above. Some, such as The Misfits (from New Jersey), The

Exploited(from Scotland), GBH (from England) Black Flag (from Los Angeles), Stiff Little

Fingers (from Northern Ireland) and Crass (from Essex) would go on to influence the move away

from the original sound of punk rock, that would spawn the Hardcore subgenre.

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THE SUBCULTURE OF PUNK

The punk subculture is a subculture that is based around punk rock. It emerged from the larger

rock and roll scene in the mid-to-late-1970s in the United Kingdom, the United States and

Australia. The punk movement has spread around the globe and developed into a number of

different forms.

Punk culture encompasses distinct styles of music, ideologies, fashion, visual art, dance,

literature, and film. Punk also lays claim to a lifestyle and community. The punk scene is

composed of an assortment of smaller subcultures, such as Oi! and pop punk. These subcultures

distinguish themselves through unique expressions of punk culture. Several subcultures have

developed out of punk to become distinct in their own right, including hardcore, Goth and

psycho Billy. The punk movement has had a tumultuous relationship with popular culture, and

struggles to resist commercialization and appropriation

Punk is considered to be an underground movement; much information about the punk culture is

not common knowledge. “Punk is more than just music; it has an in depth philosophy, based on

anarchist political views and liberation”. The lack of knowledge and understanding of the punk

movement has caused it to be continually misinterpreted.

The media has ignored the reasons behind Punk actions and wrongly attached negative

connotations to the punk subculture. The punk movement has received a bad reputation and has

been characterized by self-destruction and violence. One of the misconceptions about punks is

that all punks are skinheads. However, the two are generally separate identities.

The Skinheads were around before the Punk movement and have their own history and culture.

“In fact, most Punks object to Skinheads at their concerts, mostly due to the fact that the

Skinheads are usually the cause of violence and breakup of the gigs”.

The punk movement generally reacts against racism and inequality, which is a philosophy that

varies greatly from the Skinheads.

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That racism is an integral part of the punk philosophy Punk fashion, such as it is (and many

Punks are anti-fashion) is characterized by the color black, leather jackets, studs, chains, heavy

work boots, and short or unusual (such as Mohawk, spiked, and skinhead) haircuts.

Sometimes the hair is dyed unusual colors. Band stickers and punk slogans distinguish punk

leather jackets from those of other subcultures. Appearances, however, are diverse, not uniform:

clothes do not make a Punk.

Disdainful of respectability and careerism; night-oriented; with a strong, ironic, sense of humor,;

stressing intelligent thinking and deriding stupidity; frankly sexual, frequently obscene;

welcoming "tough" females as equals hostile to established religions but sometimes deeply

spiritual; disorganized and spontaneous, but highly energetic it is honest.

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THE DEFINITION OF PUNK

Definition of punk in Collins Gem (1988), their meanings are in ferior, rotten, worthless (person

or thing) and petty (hoodium).

Under the culture of punk, it is necessary to look at a definition of punk. “The true backbone of

the Punk movement is the ideals of the people and the music”.

True punk is not a look or a fad. It is passionate, preferring to encounter hostility rather than

complacent indifference; working class in style and attitude if not in actual socio-economic

background; defiant, unconventional, bizarre, shocking; starkly realistic, anti- euphemism, anti-

hypocrisy, anti-cheating, anti-escapist, angry, aggressive, confrontational, tough, willing to fight

which is derived from an underlying vulnerability.

Punk is young, small, poor, and powerless, skeptical, especially of authority, romance, business,

school, the mass media, promises, and the future; socially critical, politically aware, pro-outlaw,

anarchistic, anti-military; expressive of feelings which polite society would censor out; anti-

heroic, anti-"rock star".

Callus (1999), punk can take a bigger definition than anyone can ever understand. Punk can go

across the boundary of music. Punk takes part in other side of life too. In fact, punk helps to

shape life itself. Punk is an alternative way of living that can change certain aspect of life of

some individual or group of people if not for the whole society.

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THE LIFESTYLE OF PUNK

Art and Philosophy

A number of philosophical and artistic movements were influences on and precursors to the punk

movement. The most overt is anarchism, especially its artistic inceptions. The cultural critique

and strategies for revolutionary action offered by the Situationist International in the 1950s and

1960s were an influence on the vanguard of the British punk movement, particularly the Sex

Pistols. Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren consciously embraced situations ideas, which are

also reflected in the clothing designed for the band by Vivienne Westwood and the visual

artwork of the Situationist-affiliated Jamie Reid, who designed many of the band's graphics.

Nihilism also had a hand in the development of punk's careless, humorous, and sometimes bleak

character. Marxism gave punk some of its revolutionary zeal.

Several strains of modern art anticipated and influenced punk. The relationship between rock and

popular music has a clear parallel with the irreverence Dadaism held for the project of high art. If

not a direct influence, futurism, with its interests in speed, conflict, and raw power foreshadowed

punkpunk culture in a number of ways. Minimalism furnished punk with its simple, stripped-

down, and straightforward style. Another source of punk's inception was pop art. Andy Warhol

and his Factory studio played a major role in setting up what would become the New York City

punk scene. Pop art also influenced the look of punk visual art. In more recent times,

postmodernism has made headway into the punk scene.

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Fashion

Although it has been stated that true punk is not a look or a fad, nevertheless, the look of punk is

important because it is a visible expression of the anti-conformity philosophy, the dress of a punk

reflects the attitude. Jeans, Dr Martins, red laces, studded jackets, army pants, safety pins a

visible expression of the punks desire to be non-conformist.

The punks were fond of leather jackets, torn and ripped clothes, clothing that in no way

matched, and accessories such as safety pins, swastikas, and communist symbols. Basically punk

fashion emphasized individualism and embraced anything that stood out from the norm.

From the above it is clear that both in the past and the present, clothing is an important means of

identification in the punk subculture.

Music

Punk music can probably be considered as the way in which punks most strongly define

themselves. “Punk music is basically the ‘staple food’ for almost all punks”. Punk music is an

outlet for punks to express their rage, anger etc.

In the past, punk rock made social statements mostly with regard to the authority of the

establishment. Nowadays, however, much of the punk rock music has lost its political meaning

in the attempt to be commercially viable.

Although punk music technically started in the USA with artists such as the “Ramones,

Television, Patti Smith, Blondie, and Talking Heads, punk caught on with much more force in

England”. Bands such as the Sex Pistols, Clash, and Damned etc. came to the fore and used their

music to express their frustrations.

The lyrics in punk music “frequently contain oppositional themes (anti-romantic love songs,

anti-parents, anti-peer groups)”.The subcultures are generally the respective band members.

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In the past, the main appeal in punk music came in it’s do it yourself attitude and “emphasis on

individuality and self expression. Punk was simple, powerful music that had energy and made a

statement.

All you needed were three chords and the truth and you could virtually start a band. Punk as a

scene tried at its’ barest to resist commercialism and make recordings and shows affordable to

fans” .Punk rock has had a huge influence on music.

When it began in the Seventies it brought “a needed slap in the face to the complacency of rock

music and mainstream culture”. In the early to mid Eighties punk slowly began to die and

although some bands survived the transition and enjoyed a great deal of popularity underground.

“Then in 1991 a band called Nirvana released an album called “Never mind”. Once again punk

music became a force to be reckoned with.

But, this new brand of punk was not the same. Some of the same old energy was there but

generally punk music was a cheap imitation of the original. Punk music was more

commercialized and seemed more interested in mainstream success. This was everything the old

style punk had fought against.

Musically, Punk tends to be fast, loud, raw, and extremely energetic, simply structured, at its best

when performed live and typically featuring bands with a singer, one or two guitarists, a bassist,

and a drummer.

Punk rock is divided into several subgenres: hardcore, dominant through the 1980s, American in

origin, extremely fast and accompanied by slam-dancing, with lyrics often shouted; classical,

more melodic and not quite as speedy, characteristic of the "first wave" of the 1970s in the USA

and England;

British in origin but now widespread in America, melodic and featuring choral chanting;

thrash/speed core, with definite influences from heavy metal and growling vocals;

art/industrial/noise, experimental and diverse; and others.

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It has since been picked up by other musical genres. Diving head-first from the stage into the

mass of tightly-packed bodies, STAGE-DIVING, is usually part of it. Not for the faint of heart,

but tremendously exhilarating, the wildest, freest form of dancing in America.

Punk is basically grass-roots minimalist and anti-elitist: "Anyone can play in a punk band."

Bands produce cassettes, records, and CDs, selling them by themselves locally or through small

independent record companies and distributors.

Some go on to "major label" companies (which most Punks consider "selling out" and no longer

punk) but Punk is generally set against the commercial music business and commercial radio

with its homogenized corporate bands, avoidance of controversy and social criticism, and lowest-

common-denominator values.

Dance

The punk subculture has developed a variety of dancing styles, some which appear chaotic and

violent. This has led some punk concerts to look like small-scale riots. The punk dance styles

most associated with punk rock are pogo dancing (allegedly invented by Sid Vicious of the Sex

Pistols) and moshing (known earlier as slam dancing). Stage diving and crowd surfing were

originally associated with protopunk bands such as The Stooges, and have appeared at punk,

metal and rock concerts. Ska punk promoted an updated version of skanking and Hardcore

dancing is a later development influenced by all of these styles.

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Film

Many punk films have been made, and punk rock music videos and punk skate videos are

common. The use of stock footage typifies punk film. Several famous groups have participated

in movies, such as the Ramones in Rock 'n' Roll High School and the Sex Pistols in The Great

Rock 'n' Roll Swindle. Some well-known punks have even had biopic made about them, such as

Sid and Nancy, which tells the story of Sid Vicious (portrayed by Gary Old man) and Nancy

Spungen (portrayed by Chloe Webb).

Original footage of punk bands is also often used in music documentaries. The seminal punk

documentary is The Filth and the Fury, detailing the rise of the Sex Pistols. In addition to the

members of that band and its affiliates (Malcolm McLaren, Vivienne Westwood, Nancy

Spungen, etc.) it also features archival footage of Billy Idol, Sting, Shane McGowan, and a

young teenage girl who would grow up to be Siouxsie Sioux, among others. One of the

highlights of the movie is footage of the Sex Pistols playing "God Save the Queen" on a barge in

the middle of the Thames during the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II, and their subsequent arrest.

The No Wave Cinema and Remodernist film movements how much too punk aesthetics. Derek

Jarman and Don Letts are notable punk filmmakers. Many other films are associated with punk,

such as 24 Hour Party People, which presents the evolution of punk rock into New Wave and

Madchester, and Threat, which focuses on militant Straight edge punks in the New York

hardcore scene.

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Literature

Punk literature has generated a considerable amount of poetry and prose. Punk has its own

underground press in the form of punk zines, which feature news, gossip, cultural criticism, and

interviews. Some zines take the form of perzines. Important punk zines include Maximum Rock

and Roll, Punk Planet, Comet bus, and Search & Destroy. Several novels, biographies,

autobiographies, and comic books have been written about punk. Love and Rockets is a notable

comic with a plot involving the Los Angeles punk scene.

Examples of punk poets include: Jim Carroll, Patti Smith, John Cooper Clarke, Seething Wells

and Attila the Stockbroker. The Medway Poets performance group included punk musician Billy

Childish and had an influence on Tracey Emin. Jim Carroll's autobiographical works are among

the first known examples of punk literature. The punk subculture has inspired the cyber and

steam punk literature genres.

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THE PEOPLE OF PUNK

“A safe assumption is that the majority of Punks are young, white and middle class. The amount

of youth in the culture is one of the factors why the Punk rock is fast-paced and energetic”.

Punk nowadays is comprised of a majority of middle class whites as opposed to the original

inner-city working class minorities.

An important aspect to note here is that youth have consciously chosen to reject their privileged

places in society.

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ANARCHY AND PUNK

Anarchy and punk are inseparable. Punks are against any authority or system. “Punks support of

anarchy fits in well with their belief that government is oppressive and Punks call for individual

freedom and control”.

The belief of many punks is that the only way to achieve true individual freedom is through the

abolition of establishments, which create structures that restrict personal freedom. Punks feel that

the government does not act in the best interests of the people and therefore the individual is in

the best interests of the people. Punks’ belief in anarchism is the cornerstone for the rest of

Punk’s ideals.

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SOCIOLOGY THEORY AND THE IDEOLOGY OF PUNK

Punk is an ideology or a culture that have been sworn by many but understood by few. Danny

Kelly (1996) has stated is true, ‘punk sprang fully formed from nothing more than the desire of

youth for fast, engaging music and the sheer blinding inspiration of musicians.

Punk ideology is concerned with the individual's intrinsic right to freedom, and a less restricted

lifestyle. Punk ethics espouse the role of personal choice in the development of, and pursuit of,

greater freedom. Common punk ethics include the DIY (Do It Yourself) ethic, a radical rejection

of conformity, direct action for political change, and not selling out to mainstream interests for

personal gain.

Punk politics cover the entire political spectrum, although most punks find themselves

categorized into left-wing or progressive views. Punks often participate in political protests for

local, national or global change. Some common trends in recent punk politics include anarchism,

anti-authoritarianism, anti-militarism, anti-capitalism, anti-racism, anti-sexism, anti-nationalism,

anti-homophobia, environmentalism, vegetarianism, veganism, and animal rights. Some

individuals within the subculture hold right-wing views (Conservative punk) or other political

views conflicting with the aforementioned, though these comprise a minority. Well-known punks

with conservative values include Michale Graves and Johnny Ramone.

Like any other culture, punks have their own set of values, beliefs and customary behavior.

Many youngsters started to commit to punk culture when they have just finish with their

schooling as they have gained new kind of freedom. David Kinney (1993), in his study of

socially ostracized high school “nerds,” found that such a supportive peer groups is “the primary

social arena in which adolescents develop a healthy sense of identity as they experiment with

various social roles and make decisions about their present and future lives,”. In his study, youth

experiencing poor self-concepts, a lack of social interaction and stereotyping by peers suffered

low self esteem and negative self-evaluations. Gaining access to a group of similar, supportive

others, however, lessened their concerns with popularity, offered an alternative frame of

reference in which to construct their identities, and generated positive self-feelings that resulted

in their transformation into more competent social actors.

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Joe Kidd (former The Sun columnist) was initially attracted to the fashion sported by such

seminal icons as the Sex Pistols. Eventually, punks, in actualizing their identities, come to reject

style commitments; one becomes his or her own reference group, at which point punk simply

involves pursuing individualistic creativity and anti-authoritarianism. In a different vein,

Widdicombe (1998) studied how punks, goths, and other subculturalists avoided or rejected the

style-based stereotypes associated with subcultural identity and instead focused on the

development of an authentic self rooted in individuality and ideological freedom.

This ultimate advancement toward ideology in place of style leads us to question how punks

construct, express, and articulate authentic identities after they have revoked constraining,

stylistic mandates. Removed from the domain of appearances, punk ceases to be a style and

instead becomes a group identity that, ironically, orients itself around radical individualism

(Muggleton 2000).

Fine and Kleinmann (1979) suggest that upon developing a subcultural identity, punks do not

actually leave dominant culture; rather, they regularly and fluidly move between each social

milieu. In more recent decades, however, subcultural research conducted through a

microsociology lens has been advanced. The microsociology perspective views subculture “a set

of understandings, behaviors and artifacts used by particular groups and diffused through

interlocking group networks”.

In other words, punk does not constitute selfhood—it reflects it. Punks expressed great disdain

for the socialization that such institutions attempt to impart during childhood and adolescence.

For them, the idea of mindlessly internalizing values and obeying authority proved exceptionally

problematic and unsettling. In contrast to their peers, who they believed acquiesced to and

accepted this process without much hesitation, punks describe possessing a questioning,

inquisitive attitude—a disinclination to accept what others offer as truth and a desire to discover

it for themselves. They feel that they have always held that mentality, which primes them for

immersion into punk subculture.

Punk subculture comes to emerge as a solution to the collective problem of social alienation—of

youth not being able to fit in and also maliciously being left out.

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Punk handles this dilemma more effectively than conventional institutions by providing an

environment in which status can be achieved in ways not possible within dominant culture.

Cohen (1955) wrote that the development of group norms and boundaries supports the effort to

resist dominant ideology during the construction of an alternative frame of reference.

While a degree of social alienation and social disdain seemed to prime subjects for immersion

into punk, a major subsequent step implicated in developing a punk identity, according to punks,

involves exposure to punk music.

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The following include some of the most common ideologies and philosophies within the punk

subculture.

Anarchism

There is a complex and worldwide underground of punks committed to libertarian socialism or

anarchism as a serious political ideology, sometimes termed "peace punks" or "anarcho-punks."

Whereas some well-known punk bands such as the Sex Pistols and The Exploited sang about

general anarchy, they did not embrace anarchism as a disciplined ideology. As such, they are not

considered part of anarcho-punk. Notable anarchist punk artists include: Aus-Rotten, Dave

Insurgent, Steve Ignorant, Penny Rimbaud, Eve Libertine, Gee Vaucher, Dick Lucas, Colin

Jerwood, and Dave Dictor.

Apolitical

Some punks claim to be non-political, such as the band Charged GBH and the singer G.G. Allin.

However, some socio-political ideas have appeared in these musicians' lyrics. Charged GBH

have sung about social issues and have expressed anti-war themes, such as in the songs

"Wardogs" and "No Survivors." G.G. Allin expressed a vague desire to kill the United States

president and destroy the current political system, in his song "Violence Now". Punk subgenres

that are generally apolitical include: glam punk, psychobilly, horror punk, punk pathetique,

deathrock, pop punk and New Wave. Many of the bands credited with starting the punk

movement were decidedly apolitical, including The Dictators, Ramones (which featured staunch

republican Johnny Ramone alongside liberal activist Joey Ramone), New York Dolls,

Television, Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers, and Richard Hell & The Voidoids.

Christianity

Christian punk is a small sub-genre of punk rock with some degree of Christian lyrical content.

Some Christian punk bands are associated with the Christian music industry, but others reject

that association. Examples of notable Christian punk bands include The Crucified, MxPx and

Flatfoot 56.

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Conservatism and right-libertarianism

A small number of punks are conservative or right-libertarian, rejecting anarchism, liberalism,

communism and socialism in favor of free market capitalism, a minimal government and

individualist ownership of property. Notable conservative punks include: Michale Graves,

Johnny Ramone, Lee Ving, Joe Escalante, Bobby Steele, Dave Smalley and Barry Donegan.

Krishna

In the 1990s, some notable members of the New York hardcore scene, including Ray Cappo

(Youth of Today, Shelter and other bands), John Joseph (Cro-Mags) and Harley Flanagan (Cro-

Mags) converted to Hare Krishna. This led to trend within the hardcore scene that became known

as Krishna-core.

Neo-Nazism

Nazi punks have a far right, white nationalist ideology that is closely related to that of white

power skinheads. Ian Stuart Donaldson and his band Skrewdriver are credited with popularizing

white power rock and hatecore (for its hateful lyrical themes), or Rock Against Communism.

Nazi punks are different from early punks such as Sid Vicious and Siouxsie Sioux, who are

believed to have incorporated Nazi imagery such as Swastikas for shock or comedy value.

Nihilism

Centering around a belief in the abject lack of meaning and value to life, nihilism was a fixture in

some protopunk and early punk rock. Notable nihilist punks include: Iggy Pop, Sid Vicious and

Richard Hell.

Liberalism

Liberal punks were in the punk subculture from the beginning, and are mostly on the liberal left.

Notable liberal punks include: Joey Ramone, Fat Mike, Ted Leo, Crashdog, Hoxton Tom

McCourt, Billie Joe Armstrong and Tim McIlrath. Some punks participated in the Rock Against

Bush movement in the mid-2000s, in support of the Democratic Party candidate John Kerry.

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Straight edge

Straight edge, which originated in the American hardcore punk scene, involves abstaining from

alcohol, tobacco, and recreational drug use. Some who claim the title straight edge also abstain

from caffeine, casual sex and meat. Those more strict individuals may be considered part of the

hardline subculture. Unlike the shunning of meat and caffeine, refraining from casual sex was

without question a practice in the original straight edge lifestyle, but it has been overlooked in

many of the later reincarnations of straight edge. For some, straight edge is a simple lifestyle

preference, but for others it's a political stance. In many cases, it is a rejection of the perceived

self-destructive qualities of punk and hardcore culture. Notable straight edgers: Ian MacKaye,

Tim McIlrath, Justin Sane, and Davey Havok.

Socialism

The Clash was the first blatantly political punk rock band, introducing socialism to the punk

scene. Some of the original Oi! bands expressed a rough form of socialist working class

populism — often mixed with patriotism. Many Oi! bands sang about unemployment, economic

inequality, working class power and police harassment. In the 1980s, several notable British

socialist punk musicians were involved with Red Wedge. Notable socialist punks include: Attila

the Stockbroker, Billy Bragg, Bruce La Bruce, Garry Bushell (until the late 1980s), Chris Dean,

Gary Floyd, Jack Grisham, Stewart Home, Dennis Lyxzén, Thomas Mensforth, Fermin

Muguruza, Alberto Pla, Tom Robinson, Justin Sane, Seething Wells, Paul Simmonds, John

Sinclair, Joe Strummer, Ian Svenonius, Mark Steel and Paul Weller.

The Situationist International (SI) was allegedly an early influence on the punk subculture in the

United Kingdom. Started in continental Europe in the 1950s, the SI was an avant-garde political

movement that sought to recapture the ideals of surrealist art and use them to construct new and

radical social situations. Malcolm McLaren introduced situationist ideas to punk through his

management of the band Sex Pistols. Vivienne Westwood, McLaren’s partner and the band’s

designer/stylist, expressed situationist ideals through fashion that was intended to provoke a

specific social response. Jamie Reid's distinctive album cover artwork was openly situationist.

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Islam

Taqwacore is a punk subgenre centred on Islam, its culture and its interpretation. The Taqwacore

scene is composed mainly of young Muslim artists living in the United States and other western

countries, many of whom openly reject traditionalist interpretations of Islam. There is no

definitive Taqwacore sound, and some bands incorporate styles including hip-hop, techno, and/or

musical traditions from the Muslim world. Examples of Muslim punk bands include Alien

Kulture. The Kominas and Secret Trial Five.

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SUBCULTURAL THEORY

Four indicative criteria of subculture: identity, commitment, consistent distinctiveness and

autonomy.

Subculture theory: Consistent Distinctiveness

It would be an over-generalization to seek the absolute removal of notions of symbolic

resistance, homology and the collective resolving of structural contradictions from the analysis

of popular culture. However, none of these features should be regarded as an essential defining

characteristic of the term subculture. For the most part, the functions, meanings and symbols of

subcultural involvement are liable to vary between participants and to reflect complex processes

of cultural choice and coincidence rather than an automatic shared reaction to circumstances.

However, this does not mean that there is no distinctiveness or consistency to the styles and

values of contemporary groupings, or that, where present, such features are not socially

significant. While accepting the inevitability of a degree of internal difference and change over

time, then, the first indicator of subcultural substance comprises the existence of a set of shared

tastes and values which is distinctive from those of other groups and reasonably consistent, from

one participant to the next, one place to the next and one year to the next.

Subcultural theory: Identity

The second indicator of subcultural substance seeks to redress this problem by focusing on the

extent to which participants hold a perception that they are involved in a distinct cultural

grouping and share feelings of identity with one another. Leaving aside the importance of

evaluating consistent distinctiveness from a distance, a clear and sustained subjective sense of

group identity, in itself, begins to establish a grouping as substantive rather than ephemeral.

Subculture theory: Commitment

It is also proposed that subcultures are liable to influence extensively the everyday lives of

participants in practice, and that, more often than not, this concentrated involvement will last

years rather than months. Depending upon the nature of the group in question, subcultures are

liable to account for a considerable proportion of free time, friendship patterns, shopping routes,

collections of commodities, going-out habits and even internet use.

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Subcultural theory: Autonomy

The final indicator of subculture is that the grouping concerned, while inevitably connected to

the society and politico-economic system of which it is a part, retains a relatively high level of

autonomy. Most notably, a good proportion of the productive or organizational activities which

underpin it are liable to be undertaken by and for enthusiasts. Furthermore, in some cases, profit-

making operations will run alongside extensive semi-commercial and voluntary activities,

indicating particularly high levels of grass-roots insider participation in cultural production.

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CONCLUSION

There is no doubt that the Punk culture is wildly different from what it originally was, this is not

a signal that punk is dead.

Punk has evolved and changed with the times, punk has evolved into something that has great

attraction for young teenagers, especially among the skateboarders. As a subculture, Punk

vibrates around a fascinating, creative, dynamic tension between the values of community and of

individualism.

It is a society of non-conformists, encouraged to "Think for yourself!" but support each other.

Punks own rebel resistance to all forms of homogenization immediately stimulates an opposition

to the trend; thus diversity is preserved.

Some of the major currents in the subculture at this time are anarchist politics, skateboarding,

vegetarianism, alcohol, psychedelics, "straight edge" opposition to the preceding two, squatting,

animal rights, feminism, anti-racism, and internationalism.

Punks may not be able to change the world, but we are dedicated to creating an island of

freedom, a community of dissent and experimentation, and we are determined not to go down

with our sinking civilization without a howl of protest and an angry fist shaking and hurling

curses at the inhuman gods above.

Jay’s Conclusion

In my opinion, I would say that punk culture is not started as “a way to distract to the youth”

Punk culture is basically started to be rebel and to fight for the equality, rights, and to show

frustrations and dissatisfaction of the youth to the government actually punk is to create

awareness to older generations. Punk is about to express them through music, art, comic and

fashions.

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Zura’s Conclusion

Understanding of punk is the part of being cultural relativism. It is important to study their way

of thinking, way of living or just way of doing things. Despite of prevailing alienation, the

emergence of subculture theory can let people understands with the interaction of people’s

perceptions of themselves with others’ view of them.

Dinesh’s Conlusion

Although punk culture is becoming a trend now, it is not only destroying the image of the

country and the nation but also the civilization of the upcoming generation, this has to be

prevailed to ensure we create a better living environment. In the terms of research we have to

respect their culture and learn more about their style of living and necessities. Despite the fact

that we have to start rejecting this culture we can however learn more about this culture.

Fatin’s Conclusion

After learning in depth of the Punk Ideology, I have come to a conclusion that many have

misunderstood it as a violence culture. They are actually expressing their thoughts through their

own way. Many who are involved in the Punk culture also misunderstood it and does not fully

practice the real ideology of Punk, meanwhile making the public think negative of the culture.

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APPENDICES

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