What Is The Norm?
Searching to find and express ones self is a continual process for individuals of society. Aspects through which individuals, particularly youth, express and identify themselves vary tremendously if one were to compare British and American perspectives. Comparison by extreme locations is not necessary to understand that young British people express his/her beliefs, values, and views through dress, language, music, clothing, and habits just as Americans would. They do so in a multitude of ways, some of which have a history of being categorized within sub-cultures of society and considered a norm.
Wearing popular clothing and accessories, is physical evidence that an individual wants to fit in and conform to what seems to be the norm. Currently, the norm of young British females consists of worn-out-styled jeans, boots that they tuck their jeans in, shirts that pass the waste in length, multi-layers, headbands, bangle bracelets, chunky jewelry, and stripped and polka-dotted patterns. It would be normal to see a girl walking around wearing all those things together. Sounds tacky but is actually the trend. Track shoes, faded jeans, and t-shirts that look as if they’d fit a 10 year old are typical attire for British men.
The norm in which most individuals express themselves is always changing because new trends are always evolving. In contrast of fitting into this norm, some may dress a certain way to differentiate themselves from those around them to avoid the norm. The Bohimes, a British sub-culture, are those who wear whatever they choose and are considered non-conformists of the highest order. Such breaking of norms was considered socially deviant, a social crime of society, in the 1970s of England. According to Hebdige, this "crime" of refusal and revolt was committed through style (both material and musical in the case of punks) as a weapon of choice, hence elevating crime into art. What these individuals don’t realize is they are the ones who are setting the standards, trends, and fads for the future because they refuse to conform to such norms of style.
Style in subcultures is then considered pregnant with significance. Its transformations go ‘against nature’ and interrupt the process of ‘normalization’. They are movements towards a speech which offends the ‘silent majority’ and challenges the principle of unity and cohesion. Whether or not youthful individuals are dressing to conform to or stand apart from the norm of society, they are doing so in order to express who they are as an individual.
During the time of “Beatlmania” that started in Liverpool and eventually spread all over the world in an amazing phenomenon obsession, one can look at the British youth of that time and see how their passion for Beatles influenced their style and actions.
Youth are constantly sending out some sort of communication whether they are doing so in a subconscious state or not, to those surrounding them. This is a way to identify oneself through various aspects of society whether it’s through physical approaches of materialistic things or emotional approaches through the expression of views, beliefs, and language. All that has taken place in previous generations and all that is influenced in today’s generations will continue to impact society and the norms which we must choose to conform or avoid.
Wearing popular clothing and accessories, is physical evidence that an individual wants to fit in and conform to what seems to be the norm. Currently, the norm of young British females consists of worn-out-styled jeans, boots that they tuck their jeans in, shirts that pass the waste in length, multi-layers, headbands, bangle bracelets, chunky jewelry, and stripped and polka-dotted patterns. It would be normal to see a girl walking around wearing all those things together. Sounds tacky but is actually the trend. Track shoes, faded jeans, and t-shirts that look as if they’d fit a 10 year old are typical attire for British men.
The norm in which most individuals express themselves is always changing because new trends are always evolving. In contrast of fitting into this norm, some may dress a certain way to differentiate themselves from those around them to avoid the norm. The Bohimes, a British sub-culture, are those who wear whatever they choose and are considered non-conformists of the highest order. Such breaking of norms was considered socially deviant, a social crime of society, in the 1970s of England. According to Hebdige, this "crime" of refusal and revolt was committed through style (both material and musical in the case of punks) as a weapon of choice, hence elevating crime into art. What these individuals don’t realize is they are the ones who are setting the standards, trends, and fads for the future because they refuse to conform to such norms of style.
Style in subcultures is then considered pregnant with significance. Its transformations go ‘against nature’ and interrupt the process of ‘normalization’. They are movements towards a speech which offends the ‘silent majority’ and challenges the principle of unity and cohesion. Whether or not youthful individuals are dressing to conform to or stand apart from the norm of society, they are doing so in order to express who they are as an individual.
During the time of “Beatlmania” that started in Liverpool and eventually spread all over the world in an amazing phenomenon obsession, one can look at the British youth of that time and see how their passion for Beatles influenced their style and actions.
Youth are constantly sending out some sort of communication whether they are doing so in a subconscious state or not, to those surrounding them. This is a way to identify oneself through various aspects of society whether it’s through physical approaches of materialistic things or emotional approaches through the expression of views, beliefs, and language. All that has taken place in previous generations and all that is influenced in today’s generations will continue to impact society and the norms which we must choose to conform or avoid.
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