Prerequisites for the emergence of subcultures of the 21st century

Many remember the existence of such subcultures as goths, emo, punks - many also tried themselves in this element, were not only active participants in subcultures, but also their organizers. The main goal of subcultures is to declare themselves, to show their differences from traditional culture, the desire to offer completely new values ​​that will be completely different from the generally accepted and outdated ones.

But subcultural trends do not stand still: those informal associations that were once popular are now fading into the background. They are being replaced by completely new ones that set the tone for the entire generation of the 2010s. A bit about history: most of the youth subcultures emerged after the Second World War. Then they did not exist in the form in which they are now (if, of course, they survived such a huge period of time). It was after the Second World War that teenagers began to acquire money, they had the opportunity to realize their inner potential, access to mass-produced products.

In the 50s and 60s there was a real boom in the informal sphere. Many of the subcultures in one form or another exist to this day (for example, the subculture of bikers or hippies). But everything changed when the Internet appeared in the life of teenagers. if before real rockers were rockers regardless of the circumstances, now this subculture has in a sense become a mask that you can either take off or put on if it is convenient for the person himself. So, in the family circle, a person can be alone, discussing the same interests and things, and in the circle of his friends he is a real rocker, discusses the intricacies of the subculture, puts on characteristic clothes, uses accessories.

Remark 1

Now, unlike what it was 50-60 years ago, fragmented entry into the subculture is the norm. A person can simply share interests, but at the same time also belong to a number of other subcultures. He is also genuinely interested in writers, various musical artists - from classical to rock and metal. But once it was practically unacceptable and condemned, because being a member of a subculture means completely surrendering to it, without sharing the interests of other informal associations.

In addition, the Internet blurs age boundaries. Previously, teenagers were mostly exposed to subcultures and their interests, but now even a small child has unlimited access to information about informal associations, and can identify with one or several of them from an early age. Adults also do not limit themselves in the choice of subcultures. Thus, the subculture includes not only adolescents, but also children and very mature people. In one family there may be representatives of several opposing informal associations at once.

Modern subcultures of the 21st century: characteristics

The new subcultures that have emerged in the 21st century do not at all correspond to the set of features that defined subcultures several decades ago. Some researchers even argue that they cannot be called true subcultures, and give them the name "cultural mixes". But, nevertheless, one should focus on some modern subcultures and understand their essence:

1. "Vanilla" - this subculture is quite specific. Appeared in the 2010s and spread mainly among adolescent girls. The name came, according to the researchers, from the fact that girls love clothes of "vanilla" shades. The worldview of this subculture comes down to three key ideas: emphasized femininity and weakness, love for depression and hidden tragedy, which is expressed in their attitude to everything that happens. The third feature is a special style of clothing (prints with the British flag, big glasses, sloppy bun). Today, "vanilla" has a rather negative meaning and means something very sugary and too tender;
2. "Tumblr girl" - in other words, web punk. Also affected are mostly girls who got this name because they copy the style that is common on the famous Tumblr site. Characteristic features are black crosses against the background of space, thin black collars (chokers), shoes with very high flat soles, short skirts, wide-brimmed hats. The subculture is supported by a mass manufacturer - tumblr girl can find clothes and accessories in special thematic online stores. Unlike vanilla, for tumblr girl depression is a common condition, because anyone in the world can hurt a girl. Depression can also be joked about to beat it;
3. The Korean wave is another subculture that mainly consists of fans of South Korean music groups. The name "Korean wave" was not coined in Korea at all, but in China. It was there that this wave reached much earlier than in other countries. The popularity of Korean music groups is higher because they are more numerous in composition (usually, a group can include from 5 to 10 members!). There is a very complicated relationship between the members, which attracts the eyes of the fans, who are watching as if they are watching a reality show, and not the real life of the members. Representatives of this subculture also use the word "oljan" to refer to models with large eyes, small noses and lips. Korean wave fans aspire to achieve a doll-like appearance through plastic surgery, as well as skillful makeup and, of course, photoshop.

Thus, today most of the subcultures are mainly focused not on ideology and philosophical ideas, but on the external component. In this they are very different from the subcultures that existed before, where all the emphasis was on core values ​​and norms. That is why today it is customary to call subcultures "cultural mixes", and adherents to them are guided by whether this or that style suits them or not, and not by promoting any norms and ideas in life.

Many young people note that their inclusion in subcultures is manifested not only at the level of external attributes, but also on the state of mind. What famous subcultures exist?

Hippies are one of the most famous youth subcultures, whose history began in the United States in the distant 1960s. The movement flourished in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Initially, hippies tried to protest against the puritanical morality of Protestantism, trying to attract people to nature, love, pacifism. In the 21st century, real hippies are almost impossible to find.

The grunge subculture appeared thanks to a unique stylistic direction in rock music. At the same time, the peak of prosperity came in the late 1980s - mid-1990s. The birthplace of grunge was the American city of Seattle (Washington).

Representatives of this subculture are true admirers of the following musical groups:

• Pearl Jam;
• Alice in Chains;
• Nirvana;
• soundgarden.

These musical groups are the "Seattle Four", and they perform high-quality heavy music.

The emo subculture is the latest new style that is reminiscent of Goth and Glam Rock. Girls and boys try to visually relate themselves to the subculture. In this case, the following elements become traditional style attributes:

• hair that is combed to one side;
• neck scarves;
• black eyeliner;
• very tight jeans.

Emo from the first minutes can be distinguished from the crowd, but it is extremely important to understand what drives them. In most cases, representatives of the emo subculture try to show their true attitude to the world, using various visual attributes and an original style of clothing, unusual dark makeup.

Punk

This youth subculture appeared in the mid-1970s. At the same time, it began its development in several countries at once:

• United Kingdom;
• Australia;
• USA;
• Canada.

Punks are distinguished by the presence of a special opinion towards society and politicians. At the same time, they received support from the American artist and producer Andy Warhol, who successfully interacted with the Velvet Underground. The band's lead singer, Lou Reed, is a founding member of alternative rock that is closely associated with punk rock.

Chik is one of the most unusual styles, gaining its peak of development every few years. Johnny Depp and Justin Timberlake are considered one of the most worthy representatives. Both celebrities have a special style of clothing that proves a direct relationship to the chik subculture: plaid trousers, a tucked-in T-shirt, classic sneakers.

Chik

Chik is one of the most unusual styles, gaining its peak of development every few years. Johnny Depp and Justin Timberlake are considered one of the most worthy representatives. Both celebrities have a special style of clothing that proves a direct relationship to the chik subculture: plaid trousers, a tucked-in T-shirt, classic sneakers.

The rocker subculture began to develop actively in the mid-60s. The peak was in the late 60s - early 70s. At the time, the rockers came from working-class families, so they were an uneducated and troubled society. Recently, the image of rockers is perceived in a completely different way, attracting more and more positive attention.

The main differences between rocker clothes:

• Leather Jacket. In most cases, jackets are decorated with badges and inscriptions;
• big boots;
• worn jeans;
• long hair. In this case, combing back is allowed.

The main attribute of rockers is a motorcycle, which can also be decorated with various inscriptions and symbols. In most cases, a motorcycle is perceived as an attribute of freedom, power, and the desire for emotional intensity.

Gansta Rap is a subculture that began its development in the late 1980s. The subculture is directly related to hardcore rap, which is a hard and noisy rap genre. In many situations, the lyrics of the song were 100% accurate, but sometimes they turned out to be exaggerated versions of the comics. Hardcore rap, despite its original performance, has remained one of the most successful areas of hip-hop.

Glam Rock is the romantic direction of the rock subculture. A musical movement originated in the UK in the early 1980s, which managed to have a major impact on the pop and rock scene in England. Glam Rock is a kind of alternative to punk culture, as it glorified the glamorous side of life and ignored social protest.

The butter dish is an outgrowth of British Teddy Boy culture. This subculture, first of all, is directly related to the guys. In most cases, guys dress like this:

• tight jeans;
• T-shirts made of dense materials;
• hair that should be combed back.

In each case, the British Teddy Boy tries to fill his life with jukeboxes, car travel, cocktail bars.

Dandy Flapper is a subculture that has been dominated by girls. The fair sex tried to look appropriate:

• Red lipstick;
• colorful dresses;
• sleek hair;
• hairstyles with sequins.

Dandy Flapper also attracted men, who were limited to a tweed suit and a bowler hat.

Each subculture deserves special attention, because it reflects the characteristics of the cultural life of young people in a certain period of history.

Video: 10 most famous youth subcultures

One of the first manifestations of a specific youth culture in the world was the movement of the “beatniks” (or “broken” generation) in the late 40s and 50s. 20th century in the USA. From the point of view of prevalence as a way of life, beatnichestvo was not particularly massive, but its historical significance for the development of youth subcultures in the United States and the rest of the world was that other leading subcultures actually came out of it (hippies, bikers, squatters, partly punks), for several decades determined the life styles, fashion, music of young people not only in the USA, but also in a number of other countries, including the USSR. The influence of the beatniks was due to the fact that its leading ideologists were world-famous writers - J. Kerouac, W. Burroughs, A. Ginsberg, K. Kesey. It is also expressed in the fact that beatism as a way of life and ideology followed a number of archetypes and motives inherent in the minds of young people - the cult of the road and wanderings, nonconformism, etc.

In terms of income, social prestige, the beatniks were on the social bottom, despite the fact that most representatives of the beatniks came from the middle class and, in principle, one way or another claimed some kind of public recognition - primarily in creativity. In one way or another, their purposeful rejection was a game.

The attitude of the beatniks to generally accepted morality and to the laws was more than critical. Contempt for moral and legal norms, in particular, was expressed in the distribution of drugs among the beatniks. The Second World War was essential for the formation of beatnikism, after returning from which many young Americans could not find a place in life, and many did not want to look for it. The ideological and literary origins of beatnikism can be found in the literary works of the 1920s, whose heroes (especially those of E. Remarque and E. Hemingway) were also distinguished by disorder and loss.

By the end of the 40s. includes the formation of another subculture in the United States, which subsequently spread throughout the world - bikers (or rockers). According to one version, in the late 40s - early 50s, the pilots of the Hells Angels squadron, famous during the war years, were demobilized as unnecessary. Accustomed to the speed and freedom of flight, many of them have found an alternative to the plane behind the wheel of a motorcycle. At first they gathered in small groups, traveled around the country, trying to find their place in peaceful life. Many of them subsequently settled in small towns, opened their own car and motorcycle repair shops, tattoo parlors, or went to farmers and became respectable and law-abiding citizens. Those who were not satisfied with a quiet life gathered in "gangs" of motorcyclists and went in search of adventure and some kind of income. 1 .

Unlike the beatniks, bikers did not have intellectual ideologists, and for a long time this subculture itself was associated by the mass consciousness of American society and the press not so much with motorcycles as with crime.

Biker uniforms were black leather jackets, leather vests, trousers, rough army boots or boots. Subsequently, biker fashion was reflected in the punk style and the style of metalheads. Significantly, the ranks of bikers in the United States replenished after the Vietnam War, when soldiers returned to the country, many of whom, as well as after the world war, were not particularly expected. At the same time, Nazi symbols entered the paraphernalia of bikers as an outrageous appeal to the inhabitants and an appeal to cultural symbols rejected by the majority of society.

By the beginning of the 50s. includes the formation of the first mass youth subculture in Great Britain - the so-called "teddy boys" or teddies. During the war years, a social phenomenon appeared in England, later called the term "teenagers". Adolescents, left to themselves for a long time, unconsciously demanded a new attitude towards themselves. The Teddy Boys style was a reaction to the conservative style established in British society after the war - long single-breasted jackets and tight trousers. "Teddy boys" supplemented them with elements of "cowboy" style. The main thing that they wanted to show with their appearance was exaggerated masculinity and sexuality. In addition to clothing, "teddy boys" were distinguished by aggressiveness and hooliganism. Their musical tastes took shape with the arrival in the mid-50s. to the UK of American rock and roll.

The British motorcycle subculture appeared a little later than in the USA. First of all, this was due to the issuance of gasoline on coupons, which was canceled only in 1950. A few years later, a youth subculture appeared in England, guided by the rule: "Live to the fullest, die young." They were called "cofee-bar cowboys" or the slang expression ton-up (meaning those who constantly exceed the speed limit on motorcycles). The word "biker" in England was less common. Groups of such youth gathered, as a rule, at small roadside cafes. Gradually, they developed their own geography of habitable places, and strangers did not have the right to enter their territory. The motorcycle was the main object of adoration, one could prove one's right to be “cool” only in impromptu races. This subculture also laid down the style that later formed the basis of the rock and roll British image.

If the appearance of "teddy boys" in post-war Great Britain was largely the result of a crisis in the socialization of adolescents from poor families who were without parental supervision and left to their own devices, then in the 50s. England experienced an economic boom. Young people got pocket money, the entertainment industry began to develop in the country. The “mods” subculture was aimed at stylishness in appearance (narrow shirt collars, fitted suits, always white socks and neat hairstyles). Moreover, the appearance was determined not only by material possibilities, there were also a lot of subtleties that prescribed what was possible and what was not (for example, such severity - with a certain width of the trousers, the distance between them and the boots should have been half an inch, and with a slightly larger width - already a whole inch ).

From the mid 1960s. the mod subculture began to lose homogeneity and fall apart into separate groups (among which were the so-called hard mods, which later transformed into skinheads) 1 .

However, the real boom in youth subcultures began not in the UK, but in the USA in the mid-1960s. This happened for several reasons:

First, the United States experienced a population boom after World War II. This was due to the growing wealth of Americans. From 1948 to 1953 The number of newborns in the US has grown by almost 50%. And by 1964, 17-year-olds had become the largest demographic group in the population. This situation continued until 1971. Accordingly, the number of universities and institutes doubled, and the number of students reached 5 million people. 1 ;

Secondly, American society was going through a stage of transition to a "consumer society" with specific values ​​of hedonism, enjoyment of life, etc. The age of entry into adulthood has increased. Much softer requirements began to be imposed on young people by society;

Thirdly, the masses of maturing youth simply could not find employment due to the limited labor market, production, despite its growth;

Fourthly, the beginning of the mass production of birth control pills in the United States marked the beginning of the sexual revolution and strengthened the hedonistic tendencies in the mass consciousness;

Fifthly, miscalculations in the domestic and foreign policy of the United States (the Vietnam War, etc.) served as the basis for a protest wave in which the young played the main role;

Sixth, a powerful middle class has emerged in the United States. And for the children of “average” Americans, who, unlike their parents, did not have to fight for survival, post-material values ​​became very important - self-expression, creativity, enjoyment of life, etc.

One of the most influential youth movements of the 1960s. in the US and around the world became hippies who combined rebellion against the system with leaving it, with the creation of their own world, parallel to the existing one. A huge role in the formation of the hippie subculture was played by the evolution of rock and roll, which by the second half of the 1960s. from dance music and partly a means of protest turned into a kind of philosophy. This was especially true for psychedelic and Californian rock (Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, etc.).

There are several versions of the origin of the word "hippie". According to one of them, it comes from the slang word "hap" - touched. According to another, in Negro slang, the word "hippie" means "a knowledgeable, knowing, understanding person" 2 . On the third - the word "hippie" - from "hip" - abbreviated "hipochondria" - hypochondria - depression 3 . Most likely, the first option is correct - a word put into circulation by journalists, since hippies did not call themselves that and did not like this word itself. The hippies themselves preferred the name "freaks" - eccentrics.

The basis of the hippie ideology was the preaching of love and non-violence, the complete denial of wars and pacifism. Love in the understanding of the hippies was a means to overcome disunity between people, to create a worldwide brotherhood. In many ways, the ideology of love was borrowed by hippies from Hinduism and Buddhism, which began to actively penetrate in the 1960s. USA and Europe.

The philosophy of love was organically combined with sexual freedom and emancipation. At the level of behavioral practices, the preaching of the need for love was reduced to freedom from sexual restrictions, which was greatly facilitated by drugs.

Faced with the unwillingness of society to remake according to their standards, hippies began to go into the bosom of nature and create their own communes, free from the foundations of society. In the communes, many of them began to cultivate the land, eat and clothe themselves with the fruits of their own labor.

The symbol of their "belonging" to nature was long hair, crumpled torn clothes made of natural fabric, embroidered with flowers, often bare feet.

Since the early 1970s In the United States, the hippie movement began to wane. The onset of the economic crisis undermined the ability of most young people to live comfortably on their parents' money. The influx of "new blood" into the hippie communes dried up. Old hippies degraded after long drug practices. The hippie communes began to be criminalized, there was little left of brotherly love. Many of the hippies left the communes, gave up drugs, got married and started working. A sample study conducted by the Wright Institute at Berkeley in conjunction with the National Institute of Psychological Disease in Washington showed that 40% of hippies returned to normal life, 30% retained their status as “dropped out”, mostly they were incurable drug addicts, and 30% were in between - retained the ideas and values ​​of hippies, as a rule, did not have a permanent income, but were moderate in drug use and did not rush into risky experiments on themselves 1 .

Significant events that contributed to the decline of the hippie movement and, to an even greater extent, the psychedelic subculture, were a series of deaths of famous rock musicians at the turn of the 1960s and 70s. - J. Morrison, J. Joplin and J. Hendrix. They all died of drugs very young.

The second wave of the hippie movement formed in the early 1980s. and by the end of the 80's it stopped. But in the mid-1990s the third wave of hippies suddenly announced itself.

Punk became the next subculture, which attracted masses of young people into its orbit and actually replaced hippies in terms of the degree of influence on youth culture as a whole.

Punk culture emerged in the mid-1970s. in the UK and the USA. The social factors that gave rise to punk were a paradoxical combination of crisis phenomena in the economy, contributing to unemployment, and the social policy of the state, paying benefits on which the unemployed could live. Naturally, the crisis primarily affected young people, and young people belonging to the middle class. She became the social base of punk. The sociocultural factors that contributed to the emergence of punk culture were the crisis and the commercialization of rock music.

The ideology of the punks was the philosophy of the “lost generation”: it is impossible to change the world for the better, life has lost its meaning, there is no future. Therefore, spit on everything and on yourself, do what you want now. Punks hooliganized on the streets and in cinemas, defiantly behaved towards the police and bullied passers-by. So they expressed their protest to the world. The very word punk means scum.

The main goal of punks - to shock society - was achieved through a defiant lifestyle and an appropriate image. The thesis "There is no future" found expression in self-destructive behavior - the use of large amounts of alcohol and drugs. The appearance of punks was also supposed to scare off the townsfolk.

In fact, at the same time as punk, perhaps a little earlier - in the early 1970s. another subculture began to spread in the world - rastamans, rastafari or simply "rasta". Rastafari was a religious sect that emerged in the early 1930s. in Jamaica. Its founder was the Christian preacher Marcus Garvey, who advocated for the Black Christ. The basic provisions of the Rastafari were formulated by Leonard Howell (later ended up in a lunatic asylum). Among them were: smoking marijuana (ganja) - "grass of wisdom" - to rid the mind of Western rationalism and deep insight into the mystical essence of things and events, compliance with a number of prohibitions - do not eat pork, shellfish, fish without scales, do not smoke tobacco and do not drink rum and wine (later this ban was explained by the fact that soon the brethren would drink palm wine in Africa), do not use salt, vinegar, cow's milk, do not gamble. Since God created man in his own image and likeness, any distortion of the divine image, including a haircut and shaving, is a sin. Rastafans began to wear long hair, forming curls - the so-called "dreadlocks". Rastamans studied the history and culture of Africa, cultivated African cuisine, etc. 1

In the 1960s Rastafari became very popular among young people of color in the UK, USA and Canada due to mass emigration from Jamaica, and in the 1970s, again thanks to music (reggae style, especially performed by Bob Marley), it became a youth fashion that also swept white youth. To some extent, the Rasta has taken the place of the hippies. They have quite a lot in common. As for the hippies, for the Rastas, the world around them is “Babylon that must fall”, and the Rastas themselves are a community of the “chosen ones”.

The skinhead movement also began in the late 1960s. By the way, until the end of the 1970s. there was nothing Nazi in their ideology. The first skinheads (or hard mods) came from underprivileged British families, whose favorite pastime was going to football matches and subsequent brawls with fans of other teams. The neo-Nazi wave began to manifest itself in the skinhead subculture from the late 1970s (the so-called "bonheads"). But no less influential was the movement of "red skinheads". Initially, the skinhead ideology protested against capitalism, exploitation, and so on. Popular among them was a tattoo with a crucified Christ and the interpretation "crucified by capitalism". Skinhead fashion has also changed over the years. The classic clothes of the first skinheads were boots with a steel toe, suspenders (mandatory attribute), jeans. Subsequently, leather jackets spread. The use of strong drinks was not welcomed. The signature drink was beer.

If the social base of the first wave of skinheads of the late 60s - early 70s was the working environment, then the second wave was dominated by the unemployed, the underclass 1 .

By the 60s. XX century also includes the formation of a subculture, which by the 1990s. will reach a huge number of young people in various countries. It's about the subculture of hackers 2 . Oddly enough, it arose in those years when there were no personal computers at all. The emergence and development of the “hacker” movement is due to students of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the best technical universities in the United States. Since the mid-1950s, graduating students on April Fool's Day (April 1) had to make an original joke. According to the tradition of the students of this university, the best and most original joke was the installation of one large and bulky object on the dome of the main academic building. They installed cupboards and a piano there, and once there was a police car there. Such an extraordinary joke was called a “hack” (English hack has several meanings, including: making furniture with an ax; hoe, nag; non-standard action; creative overcoming of restrictions; an original move in programming or using software, as a result of which a computer allowed operations previously not provided or considered impossible). The most common use of the term was in the Tech Model Railroad Club at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and meant the "disassembly to the screw" of electric trains, tracks and arrows, in order to find a new way to speed up the movement of trains. The concept of "hacker", in the original sense, is someone who uses his ingenuity to achieve a compact and original solution, called in a technical sense.

In the 1970s, the development of telephone networks gave rise to the first specialization in the "hacker" subculture. Hackers who specialize in the operation of voice networks (telephone networks, voice communication equipment) became known as "phreakers". Telephone hackers (phreakers) were engaged in hacking regional and international networks, as a result of which they were able to call for free.

In the early 80s, the activity of telephone phreakers began to shift towards computer technology, the first electronic bulletin boards appeared, which were abbreviated as "BBS". The Sherwood Forest and Catch-22 email boards were the forerunners of Usenet newsgroups and email. They became a meeting place for phreakers and hackers who exchanged news there, sold valuable advice to each other, and also traded in stolen passwords and credit card numbers.

Groups of hackers began to form. Legion of Doom in the US and Chaos Computer Club in Germany were among the first. Their activities did not go unnoticed by society, and in 1983 the first feature film about hackers was released. War Games is about a teenager played by Matthew Broderick. He attempts to hack into a video game maker's computer, but instead infiltrates the main military computer simulating a nuclear war. Part of the youth picked up the artistic image as an opposition to adult society and turned their eyes (and “purse”) to the rapidly developing information technology industry. There were hundreds of amateur teenagers who tried to become "hackers", embody the first image of the "rebel hero" created by Hollywood. In 1984, the first printed editions appeared. The first hacker magazine "2600" began to appear.

The hacker movement of the early and mid-80s of the XX century. moved from pioneering research to unauthorized intrusion into other people's systems, increasing aggressiveness, using knowledge to protest (against adult society), deleting or changing important data, spreading computer viruses, etc.

With the beginning of the rapid development of the Internet, after the introduction of the new browser "Netscape Navigator" (1994), the appearance of which significantly simplified access to information posted on the Internet, hackers very quickly moved to a new environment, transferring their conferences and programs from old BBS electronic boards to new websites. As information and easy-to-use tools became available to every Web visitor, the hacker community began to change. The movement is becoming more massive, and the number was already tens and hundreds of thousands of newly converted adherents.

In the late 80s and throughout the 90s of the XX century. The hacker movement has become a powerful force capable of destabilizing public structures, and is becoming one of the main objects of study by government agencies and international human rights organizations.

In the 1990s a new image of the hacker subculture is being formed, which is most characterized by a pronounced interest in the latest computer technology, communication devices and software. A distinctive feature of the hackers of this period is the ideological justification for hacking computer systems.

The end of the 90s of the XX century. and the beginning of the XXI century. - this is the stage of institutionalization of hackers: the creation of large associations, unions, firms that closely cooperate with criminal and shadow structures, active promotion of the values ​​and principles of the hacker subculture through the media.

Distinctive features of the hacker subculture are:

Explicit priority of virtual communication;

Strict observance of the principle of anonymity and the use of pseudonyms;

The cult of freedom of access to information;

Specific vocabulary related to computer technology;

A number of psychological characteristics - as a rule, individualistic attitudes, high self-esteem.

The hacker movement is overwhelmingly male.

The variety of activities of hackers, their specialization allow us to distinguish the following groups of hackers:

Software hackers who break into software;

Network hackers working with the Internet;

- "postmen" - hackers responsible for transporting (moving on the network) and packaging (breaking down, converting) the program code, so that law enforcement agencies and special services would not be able to determine the "performers" of the order if someone from the group of hackers is found to have stolen information ;

- "virus writers", responsible for writing viruses designed for specific purposes;

- "recruiters" responsible for psychological pressure ("mind control") on third parties through economic espionage methods, in order to obtain the necessary information (passwords, technical features, support from within the organization, etc.).

So, the boom of youth subcultures in Europe and America fell on the 50-60s. XX century. This was due to a number of demographic, economic, political and sociocultural factors proper. The development and diversity of subcultures testify to the formation of the subjectivity of young people in general and its individual groups, their clearer self-identification, positioning of their own interests and priorities, especially in the areas of self-expression and leisure. To a certain extent, the recognition of young people by the society of specific interests and the right to free expression contributed to a decrease in the intensity of the “generational conflict”, which, by and large, meant the desire of a significant part of young people to position their own “specialness”.

As before, media culture continues to play a leading role in the formation, distribution and diversity of youth subcultures. At the present stage, it also performs a dual role, but this role is different from the previous one. In addition, media culture itself, directly generates new, previously unknown and even impossible varieties of youth subcultures. And modern youth subcultures of the 21st century are no longer so despotic.

We are talking about the so-called gamers, hackers, bloggers.

Modern subcultures of youth of the 21st century:

At first glance, these groups are difficult: they do not have such expressive external signs and behavior as hippies, punks, goths, emo or skinheads, etc. But the absence of external manifestations in cyber subcultures will not prevent us from seeing precisely modern, new youth subcultures.

Representatives of cyber subcultures do not have such an ideological orientation as white skinheads or a romantic outlook, like the Goths, but the behavioral orientation towards virtuality, mediated by multimedia technologies, to a greater or lesser extent means a departure from real life, a tendency to self-realization not in the traditional (virtual) form, slang language, specific interests, isolation of oneself, one's group of like-minded people from the public, certain status relations, etc. point to them precisely as a subculture.

Cyber ​​subcultures, respectively, have characteristic features. First of all, it is multimedia competence. Often, these groupings are precisely the subcultures of leisure. Let us recall at least rockers and bikers, whose representatives in life can engage in ordinary activities for society, but in, at their leisure (rock concert, bike rally), they profess other values, realize interests, ideas that are different from traditional ones, and, so to speak, release a portion of their essence.

The same is true, for example, for bloggers or hackers: in real life they can do ordinary things, and assert themselves, declare and implement their ideas through Internet technologies - in virtual reality. And here it is appropriate to recall the next sign of cyber subcultures - the inconsistency of their manifestation.

If the behavior/activities of groups of white skinheads professing national racist views or football fans with a focus on fights and riots in stadiums are unequivocally asocial, and the behavior of emo, goths is desocial, then the activities of the same bloggers can be both constructive and destructive .

So, it can be stated that the subcultures of youth at the beginning of the third millennium differ significantly from the subcultures of the second half of the 20th century. And not only in form, functions, ideas and goals, but also in the way of education, determined by the means of mass communication, which at different times influenced their appearance in different ways.

Summarizing all that has been said, we can say that media culture, as a natural result of the development of the general culture of mankind, mediated by the technical development of mass media, in a broad sense covers the production and consumption of media products and is closely connected with mass culture through its system of values, forms, maintains existence and generates new subcultures, and youth in particular.

Subcultures as a socio-cultural phenomenon have always been, are and will be, because their emergence is due to objective psychological and social factors. In our opinion, they are precisely the social soup from which new forms of socio-cultural groups are born.

It is traditionally believed that youth subcultures distract young people from solving the problems of society, their own and provoke, bring them into the ranks of unusual, non-traditional groups (small social groups). But today, regarding subcultures, one can hear a slightly different opinion, not so unambiguous and negatively colored.

If the main function of youth subcultures is the socialization of a young person into society and the formation of himself as a person at a certain stage of development, then youth subcultures, in particular, can be treated as various forms of manifestation of a person's knowledge of the world, his place in it. Youth subcultures are a stepping stone on the way to the individual development of a young being as a member of a mini-society.

Summing up, we can say that media culture, as a social phenomenon of production and consumption of information, significantly affects the formation of youth subcultures.

Along with the social, psychological reasons that determine the emergence and spread of youth mini-societies, media culture plays a very important role, which is to disseminate information about the emergence of informal youth movements.

Watch the video - a friendly festival of modern subcultures.

Modern subcultures of youth of the 21st century

Modern subcultures of youth of the 21st century Modern subcultures of youth of the 21st century Modern subcultures of youth of the 21st century

Today on the streets (especially in big cities and metropolitan areas) you can meet young people who are not quite of the usual type. Long black clothes, frightening makeup, or vice versa - flashy pink tones and funny hairstyles that turn young guys and girls into some kind of puppet characters from some unknown cartoon or movie. It may even seem to you that you are at some kind of costumed masquerade ball. But, this is not at all the case. Simply, you were lucky enough to meet a representative of a certain subculture.

About, what are subcultures, how do they affect the younger generation and why our children turn into goths and emos– and will be discussed in our today's publication. Together with you, we will try not only to answer this question, but also to figure out whether such a way of self-expression as belonging to a certain subculture has a beneficial or harmful effect on the psyche of the younger generation...

What are subcultures

Subcultures are called part of the culture of a society, which in some way (and sometimes in many ways) differs from the dominant culture, and has its own scale of values, language of communication, demeanor, clothing and, of course, its own concept of worldview.

So, for example, today, the most famous youth subcultures are:

• bikers(with their invariable motorcycles and leather clothes),
• glamours(fans of glamor and all that is beautiful),
• goths("men in black" with the corresponding gothic and sometimes even vampire ideology),
• graffiti artists(works of art called graffiti on the walls of your entrance are the work of their hands),
• metalworkers("iron men listening to Metallica") punks(legends can be made about the height of their Iroquois),
• Rustmans(dandelion people who inherit hippies, but have their own point of view on this world),
• rappers(rap fans)
• skinheads(it's better not to meet these shaven-headed boys in a dark alley),
• hippie(by the way, a dying subculture),
• emo(sad boys and girls, ready to cry with or without reason) ...

Why the 21st century is called the peak of the dawn of subcultures

Yes, yes, according to psychologists and sociologists,

It is the 21st century that can be called the peak of the heyday of all subcultures.

And if you try to find the answer to the question "why?", then you can come to a rather bold conclusion. You can't argue with the fact that, in principle, subcultures, as a phenomenon in society, have always existed. However, the peak of prosperity, which falls precisely on our time, psychologists associate with the phenomenon that society no longer has national ideas, and there is a depreciation of life values, and all this in combination creates such favorable conditions for the development and even the emergence of new subcultures.

In other words, man is a rational being, and his mind constantly demands from him or. So, our ancient ancestors believed in pagan deities, our great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers believed in the strength of the party. And what do we believe in? What do our children believe? Unfortunately, in the column "faith" many of us have a dash, because there is nothing to believe in. Society is not distinguished by special high moral principles, religion seems to be no longer relevant and you still need to “grow up” to it, but subcultures - when you can hide yourself behind an emo or goth mask - this is just what you need and that, which is convenient...

Why are subcultures so popular among young people?

Well, someone will say, the lack of faith pushes us towards subcultures, but not everyone becomes rassmans or skinheads?

As a rule, it is young people, aged 15 to 25, who fall under the influence of subcultures and join the ranks of such social minorities.

Why? It is the youth (according to their age-specific psychology of development and personality formation) that shows the most violent protest reaction, which is a claim to freedom, independence, self-sufficiency, which underlie any subculture. Such is the teenage protest against the world and the laws of adults, their worldview, lifestyle and values.

Over the years, when such youthful maximalism “calms down” a little, young people and teenagers no longer react so sharply to the manifestations of the world. A teenager understands that it is better to adapt and be flexible in relation to the world than to resist it ...

Video about youth subcultures:

The benefits of subcultures

If the ideology of the subculture does not destroy the psyche of the younger generation, does not oppose the teenager to the whole world around him, does not provoke him into an open conflict and does not carry suicidal motives, and also does not destroy the psyche and physical health of the younger generation, then there is no harm in such a subculture. On the contrary, it is a way of self-expression and self-manifestation of one's individuality, and the presence of interests and values ​​in life...