Sub Culture -assignment 3 research

1.       Mass Media- means by which information reaches a vast number of people through different mediums such as radio, newspapers, internet and television. Sociologists study mass media to explore the perceptions and behaviors of the audience and how it effects them.

2.       Culture Industry- this is in connection with Theodor Adorno as he discusses the applications within media in the Frankfurt school concept of culture industry. the culture industry's interest is to preserve its affinity to the narrowing cycle of capital as its source of living.

3.       Ideology- A system of ideas, one that forms a base for the economic and political policy. It is a manner of thinking whether it be a group, an individual or social class.

4.       Popular Culture- ideas, attitudes, images and perspective that lie within the mainstream of a culture

5.       Counter Culture – subculture of which the values of behaviors deviate from the mainstream society.

6.       Critical theory- Critical theory is a type of social theory oriented toward critiquing and changing society as a whole, in contrast to traditional theory oriented only to understanding or explaining it. Critical theories aim to dig beneath the surface of social life and uncover the assumptions that keep us from a full and true understanding of how the world works

7.       Neo Marxism- A term loosely applied to any social theory or sociological analysis which draws on the ideas of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, but amends or extends these, usually by incorporating elements from other intellectual traditions.

8.       Conformism and Creativity- A person who uncritically or habitually conforms to the customs, rules, or styles of a group, Another example of the complexity of the relationship between creativity and conformity can be found in fashion. Fashion is generally understood as a creative form and a way of expressing an ‘authentic’ identity. However, Simmel, in an essay on the philosophy of fashion draws attention to the ambivalence of fashion. He proposed that: As soon as a fashion has been universally adopted, that is, as soon as anything that was originally done only by a few has really come to be practiced by all – as is the certain elements of clothing and in various forms of social conduct – we no longer characterize it as fashion. Simmel points to the ongoing tension between individuality and conformity that is expressed in fashion. For example, clothes express individuality and creativity but at the same time cover and conceal.

INTRODUCTION TO SUB-CULTURE

We live in a society whereby individuals are understood and defined by particular sub-culture ,A sub-culture being a term used to define a cultural or social group within a larger mainstream culture.

Within a sub-culture lie diverse factors, namely common interests, customs, beliefs, ethnicity and values, these characteristics separate sub-culture from the dominant culture. A sub-culture can be distinguished by the following aspects, choice of jargon, dress and appearance as well as that particular group’s choice of musical genre. An example of a sub-culture is Punk, ideally known for being a rebellious group of teenagers, formed in Britain in the 1970s, a small group of teenagers stood their ground and made a point through violence, music and clothing, this was their statement of rebelling against the government. The Punk cultures had similar characteristics as the Hippie Movement although Hippies were all about peace and were anti-science people. (Chegg, 2013)