Why is Style so Important For Subcultural Identities - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 832 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/04/10 Category Culture Essay Level High school Topics: Cultural Identity Essay Did you like this example? What do we mean by the term subculture? Paul Hodkinson gives us a really broad definition in his book: ‘Goth : Identity, Style and Subculture’ as he says: â€Å"Acquisition of status within the subculture entailed being labelled and, hence, excluded from the rest of society, something the group would respond to through its own hostility to outsiders, to the extent that non-conformity with dominant norms often became virtuous. As the subculture became more substantive, distinctive and independent, members would become increasingly dependent on each other for social contact and validation of their beliefs and way of life.† (Hodkinson, Paul. Goth: Identity, Style and Subculture, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2002. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Why is Style so Important For Subcultural Identities" essay for you Create order ProQuest Ebook Central). For decades there have been a lot of theories and a lot of opinions on what is right and what is wrong. As he states in his book there are several schools that stand out the most in terms of subculture. One of them, in fact, is the Birmingham School. Mostly know from a neo-Marxist perspective, it’s mostly looked at from the position of the working-class young generation, in relation to the social culture of the 1960s and 1970s in Britain. It is built on the resistance of young people having the traditional values and believes of their parents and creating the modern hegemonic culture of consumption that is dominated by the media and trends. Knowingly forming these subcultures that are characterized by parlance and ritual, although the youth maintained their aspects of the working-class culture, that didn’t stop them from embracing the decadent consumption and insistence on taste and style reflecting their position within capitalist society. Although their consumption, unlike the general public’s, by the youths subcultural context it’s deemed for them to be characterized by everyday objects and new subversive meanings. Looking at the approach of The Birmingham School, there is a lot of neglect of counte nances such as diversity, external overlay, individuality between subcultures and identified instability of the groups. As well looking at the schools neo-Marxist view as an instinctive response to the structural contradictions, more importantly, underestimating the positivity of media and business in the development of such groupings. As it’s well known one of the most significant things that the subculture has is their authentic style and most clothing and music. The birth of goth was around the first half of the 1980s, specifically in Britain there were a lot of sounds and images based on the post-punk climate that it became a definite movement. As its known there are a lot of various factors that were involved insignificance of goth but music has always been the base of the subculture. One of the significant bands at the time has been Siouxsie and the Banshees as it took a bit of the theme of punk the genre provided general mood and sounds that would be drawn of for the following decades. The vocalist of the band had a really big part of the initial style of the goth’s in that time p eriod. The outrageous at the time Nazi imagery that was advertised seemed politically provocative, with the ‘dark’ distinguishing image that she was pursuing with her black backcombed hair and really heavy dark eye make-up, the lips as well. That particular look would be imitated by females and male goths for the following two decades. However, the most important point of goth, was probably the band Bauhaus with their single ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead ’ particularly the performance of the song, and a lot of their set, had most of the distinctive elements that until this day they exist in the still the goth scene, from the funereal musical tone to the lyrical references for death, from the deep vocals to a twisted form of androgyny in the band’s appearances. Associating themselves with not only the band but other particular listeners of the same type of music. The start of a subculture and resistance against the capitalistic society and its rules. Knowing the importance of clothing and asserorizing in the goth world: ‘The selection, purchase and consumption of particular kinds of subcultural goods, most notably recorded music, clothing and accessories, was a key element in participants’ ex perience of the goth scene. To a significant extent, it was through ownership and use of consumer goods that goths claimed their subcultural capital, differentiating themselves subtly from one another and more overtly from groupings and individuals outside the subculture. Collections of commodities provided the material manifestation of the subculture ’ s distinctive range of tastes. The process through which individuals developed their subcultural ‘ look ’ and enhanced their knowledge and appreciation of music revolved around selecting, purchasing, combining and using particular kinds of object, as did the consistency and distinctiveness of the goth style as a whole. Furthermore, as well as being crucial as a means to an end, the act of shopping was often an important subcultural activity in itself (see McRobbie 1989: 24; Shields 1992a: 5).’(Hodkinson, Paul. Goth : Identity, Style and Subculture, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2002. ProQuest Ebook Central).

Advantages and Disadvantages of Globalization on South Africa

Globalization is the shrinking of the world and the increased consciousness of the world as a whole. It is a term used to describe the changes in societies and the world economy that is a result of dramatically increased cross-border trade, investment, and cultural exchange. Globalization has been dominated by the nation-state, national economies, and national cultural identities. The new form of globalization is an interconnected world and global mass culture, often referred to as a global village. â€Å"(Bhagwati,2004).Globalization is perhaps the central concept of our age (Bhagwati, 2004). Developing country refers to the countries which are economicaly and technologically undeveloped.South Africa stands as a semi-sephere nation making†¦show more content†¦Its economy has been the centre of Africa and one of the strongest in the world and its economic realisation has been due to its effective and successfully eco integration with other parts of the world. The economic g rowth has been due to the global economy (Smith,2001). Politically, globalization has resulted in the affluent and efficient government system adapted through integration of political systems party which holds fair economies making the government of South Africa, accountable and durable to stable economies .For instance, ANC leaders chucked decades of rhetoric and opened the South African economy to the rest of the world (Smith,2001).From my own personal perspective and experience in a â€Å"global village†. Globalization has had positive impact in South Africa’s production of goods and services. For instance, the franchise of MacDonald’s has led to production aiming to maintain the global standard of the franchise producing standard global quality of production in South Africa (Ritzer,2000). Globalization has had a positive impact on the South African society .Myopic mindedness has been dealt away with and they have been set a more affluent and integration of ideas from different parts of the world which has helped the society in general. For instance the AIDS awareness has become a global theme and has encouraged South Africa to get more involved in its Aids awareness which has primarily not been as successful in the past and due to the integrationShow MoreRelatedPsci 140 Essay1016 Words   |  5 Pagesautomobiles) East Asia (South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore†¦) * Apartheid (South Africa) Racial segregation (legal justification) â€Å"Tribal homelands† Severe restrictions on freedom ! * Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa) Heritages of Apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Unravel the truth using amnesty * Economic, political, and social globalization 1. International trade Foreign direct investment (FDI) Liberalization of labor Advantages? A broaderRead MoreDiscussion on the Advantages and Disadvantages of Economic Globalization651 Words   |  3 PagesDiscussion on the advantages and disadvantages of economic globalization At present, economy globalization, which can be defined as the expanding world integration through trade, financial flow and knowledge, has significant effect on developed and developing countries. We are living in a world where people can communicate efficiently and enjoy the freedom of exchange of goods and capital. Due to the economic globalization, the material life today is more colorful than before. However, there areRead MoreImpact Of Globalization On The World1244 Words   |  5 Pageshave access to similar services and products. Let it be fashion, entertainment of even food. Everybody is adopting similar habits. That’s the power of globalization. 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Conflicts of the Narrator free essay sample

The Yellow Wallpaper, the narrator must deal with several different conflicts. She is diagnosed with â€Å"temporary nervous depression and a slight hysterical tendency† (Gilman 221). Most of her conflicts, such as, differentiating from creativity and reality, her sense of entrapment by her husband, and not fitting in with the stereotypical role of women in her time, are centered around her mental illness and she has to deal with them. The most obvious conflict the narrator has to deal with is living in the room with the yellow wallpaper and differentiating creativity from reality. The narrator becomes fond of the wallpaper and feels an excessive need to figure out the pattern. She says, â€Å"I know a little of the principle of design, and I know this thing was not arranged on any laws of radiation, or alternation, or repetition, or symmetry, or anything else that I have ever heard of† (Gilman 224). Her days become preoccupied with the wallpaper and she feels a distinct connection to it. We will write a custom essay sample on Conflicts of the Narrator or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page While she tries to decode the wallpaper’s pattern, her creativity allows her to see a face in the wallpaper. She says, â€Å"There is a recurrent spot where the pattern lolls like a broken neck and two bulbous eyes stare at you upside down† (Gilman 223). As she continues to study the wallpaper, she comes to believe that she sees a woman creeping in the chaotic wallpaper who is trapped behind it: â€Å"The front pattern does- and no wonder! The woman behind shakes it! † (Gilman 227). She begins to have a bond with this woman and can relate to her. The woman in the wallpaper is essentially the narrator. They are similar in the sense that they are both trapped and unable to escape. Towards the end of the story, the narrator reaches a state of insanity where she can no longer differentiate herself from the figure she sees in the wallpaper. She tells us, â€Å"I suppose I shall have to get back behind the pattern when it comes night, and that is hard! † (Gilman 228). As John Bak says, â€Å"Under the unerring scrutiny of the ‘two bulbous eyes’ in the yellow wallpaper, the narrator passes through stages from concern to paranoia and, finally, to madness†. She then eventually rips off strips of the wallpaper and finally escapes it: â€Å"I’ve got out at last, said I, in spite of you and Jane. And I’ve pulled off most of the paper, so you can’t put me back! † (Gilman 228). She believes now that she is the woman in the wallpaper and no one, not even John, can imprison her in the wallpaper again. The woman in the wallpaper originally was part of the narrator’s creative imagination, but the figure slowly turned into her own reality. The narrator’s sense of entrapment reveals her conflict between her and her husband. The husband, John, uses his power as a doctor to control her. As Beverly Hume says, â€Å"John is mechanistic, rigid, predictable, and sexist; he ‘combines the professional authority of the physician with the legal and emotional authority of the husband† (478). He forces her to behave how he thinks a sick woman should. The narrator tells us, â€Å"He is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction† (Gilman 222). John overprotects her and makes decisions for her. The narrator suffers from depression and is prescribed a rest cure. John believes that she is not sick, but she is just fatigued and needs some rest. She says, â€Å"You see, he does not believe I am sick! And what can I do? † (Gilman 221). Today, the narrator’s illness would be a quite common disorder for a mother, she would be diagnosed with postpartum depression. The narrator describes herself, â€Å"as feeling a ‘lack of strength’ and becoming ‘dreadfully fretful and querulous’† (Suess 4). He took her to a summer home and placed her in a room upstairs and in a way barricaded her in. She says, â€Å"I should judge for the windows are barred for little children, and there are rings and things in the walls† (Gilman 222). There is a gate put up in front of the stairs and the windows are all barred in. He then instructs her to rest and not to do any writing, or â€Å"work† as he calls it. John’s views as a doctor forbid any type of activity, because he feels it will only worsen her fragile condition. She says, â€Å"So I take phosphates or phosphites- whichever it is- and tonics, and air and exercise, and journeys, and am absolutely for bidden to ‘work’ until I am well again† (Gilman 221). But the narrator believes she would feel better if she could write because she does not believe it to be â€Å"work†. â€Å"Personally I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good† (Gilman 221). The narrator believes that writing would help her get better more than the rest cure. John addresses his wife as â€Å"‘little girl,’ and chooses the nursery rather than one of the adult bedrooms for his wife† (Griffin 11). The narrator has absolute no control over her own care, â€Å"she disagrees with her husband’s orders forbidding her to work, yet her opinion goes unrecognized. † (Griffin 11). He treats her like a weak, fragile child, which for the most part is what women were described as in that time period. The roles of women also play a part in the conflict in this story. In the 19th century, women were expected to fulfill their duties as wives and mothers. They were to be content in their existence as nothing more. As Amy Griffin says, â€Å"Fulfilling their submissive role forced women to deny their individual personalities and aspirations† (10). The narrator’s desires to have more in her life than John and her child do not fit in with the social expectations of her time. The narrator says, â€Å"Nobody would believe what an effort it is to do what little I am able- to dress and entertain, and order things† (Gilman 222). Her love of writing and creativity further distances her from the ideal woman of her time. But she feels badly for not being able to fulfill these expectations for John: â€Å"I meant to be such a help to John, such a real rest and comfort, and here I am a comparative burden already! † (Gilman 222). With her illness and orders to rest, a maid helps around the house and takes care of the baby because she is not able to. She says, â€Å"It is fortunate Mary is so good with the baby. Such a dear baby! And yet I cannot be with him, it makes me so nervous† (Gilman 222). The maid does everything the narrator should be doing. As Marjean D. Purinton says, â€Å"The narrator of ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ shows us how to read the wallpaper as a text challenging ‘normative’ values and behaviors assigned or reassigned to gender in the context of the period’s social and sexual anarchy† (96). The narrator uses the room and reacts opposite to John’s wishes and shows that the rest sure did not work for her. The narrator is faced with many conflicts in the story that she has to deal with. Her illness prevents her from doing the thing she loves most, writing, and to fulfill her role as the woman of the house. She responds to this by letting her imagination overcome her and defying John’s wishes. In the end she lets these conflicts get to her and her mental health declines and turns into insanity.

Microsoft Case Essays - Netscape, AOL, Netscape Navigator, Microsoft

Microsoft Case As far as I've seen, this entire ordeal is over a FREE browser that Microsoft includes with windows for FREE and gives out on the internet for FREE just as Netscape and most other browser companies do. I have yet to see where Microsoft is charging extraordinary prices for any of these FREE programs nor do I see how Netscape, in using the governments definition, a "monopoly" itself, is "being forced out of business" by Microsoft's FREE browser. Remember: the charge is against including Internet Explorer with Windows, not the Windows monopoly itself. What this entire case boils down to is that a few Washington liberals are upset at Microsoft for daring to be successful. These are the kind of people that hate wealth, capitalism, and anything that is more successful than them. My intention is to show that the case against Microsoft as a monopoly is weak and that the government is wasting its time. As the government jumps to the defense of the "all-too-often" taken advantage of consumer, they have accomplished very little. They tried to prevent the release of Windows 98 (a much anticipated and highly demanded program that was and is available at reasonable prices) but didn't even phase the consumers second thoughts. The government is costing taxpayers millions of dollars to pursue this suit against Microsoft. Microsoft's operating system near monopoly is probably good for us. It is much better to have one operating system than 20 or even 2. Software compatibility, technical support, and setup are much more simplified with one operating system. Programs today are specifically designed to be "Windows compatible." Would you rather have 20 (local) phone companies, each with a different line and number running into your house or one, as is the case now? Also, Internet Explorer brings browser competition to a market that is essentially monopolistic itself (at least if you apply Janet Reno's definitions of monopoly). Internet Explorer gives Netscape a competitive product where before virtually none existed. The purpose of antitrust laws is to prevent only harmful monopoly. Microsoft's operating system near monopoly is harmful in very few ways. Nor is Intel's chip near monopoly harmful, nor is Netscape's browser near monopoly. Other reasons easily explain how Microsoft came about to its size and how new companies constantly spring up in the computer industry. Computer software is a very volatile industry. To succeed in this industry all you basically need is a good program and a way to offer it for sale. When Microsoft, or any other software company, makes a program they only have to write it once. When this is done, reproduction of this program is very simple. All they have to do is copy it on a disk. Since making an extra disk containing the program costs all of 2 cents, it is more costly for the software company to print the box and manuals than it is to make one extra disk. With this situation occurring, a good program, once written, can be produced marketed at virtually no additional cost. Well you say, "if disks only cost 2 cents, why can't windows sell for 2 cents?" Remember that it costs Microsoft to develop a new program. No matter how cheap a disk is, other costs such as salaries, factories, storage, and programmers always exist. Even though development costs are sunk and additional production costs are nonexistent, other costs are incurred. Besides, supply and demand determines where a price will fall. Another thing about the computer market is its ever-changing program market. As I said earlier, anyone with a good program can be successful in the computer industry. Programs come about all the time. For example, the most popular finance program is Quicken. Microsoft's version, Money, is included with many of its programs yet Microsoft, the multibillion dollar a year company, has considerably less users than Quicken, with mere tenths and hundredths in sales than the annual income of Microsoft. Another example is Accessories Paint compared to Print shop or EXPLORER compared to NAVIGATOR. Microsoft offers its own products as complements to Windows, often for FREE, but consumers still prefer others. For all we know, anyone literate in programming may develop a better program than Windows. If consumers like it, we may soon find another browser monopolist. For reasons similar to this, computer industry leaders have vastly changed in just a few years. At times Apple, IBM, Intel, Netscape, AT&T and even Commodore, have or had large, sometimes monopolist-like markets. Characteristics of monopolies that cause trouble are (1) restriction of output, (2) higher prices