106-430 Subcultural Studies

Usually admission to the postgraduate diploma or fourth year honours in English or cultural studies, see Honours entry.

This subject studies texts and events relating to various subcultural formations, including gangs, music subcultures, drug cultures, ethnic or diasporic subcultures, queer cultures, body art cultures and techno-cultures. The subject asks students to explore the ways identification can occur through the subcultural frame; to examine ways in which cultural forms can be contested or claimed by subcultures; to read subcultures both textually and sociologically. On successful completion of the subject students should be able to analyse subcultural studies as an historically-framed discipline, beginning with late 19th century ethnographies and developing through the Chicago School and the Birmingham tradition.

Written work totalling 5000 words for 4th year, 6000 words for masters students.

A subject reader will be available.

• K Gelder & S Thornton (eds), The Subcultures Reader. Routledge.