Punks & Pretenders

Conclusion: U.S. punk is a counterculture ideology not visual pretense

Degree of willingness to sacrifice for counterculture identity and permanence of beliefs equals top position in hierarchy

Outrageous, severe alteration of appearance

Idolize hard core punks as well as having the support of hard core punks

Not willing to sacrifice to the degree of hardcore punks or convert to a permanent belief in punk ideology

Dualistic in appearance, commitment and value expression

Act as main economic support for hard core punks

See punk lifestyle as one more trend to express identity

Tolerated as an audience of fans by hardcore punks

Anomie = social gap between means and ends

Counterculture with norms similar to the society it pretends to reject

Occurred during period of social transition

Rebellion: means of existing outside of society to achieve their ends of rejecting

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found themselves. They would not lose their jobs because of a refusal to change their appearance as hardcore or softcore punks often did. Further, they negated the punk element in their life if it would stop them from gaining something from the more conventional culture. The preppies refused to renounce their former identity and were seen as pretenders by the higher two echelons in the community because of it. Yet, the preppies were an integral part of the punk culture because in a way they added to the respect and authority levels of the hardcore and softcore punks, many of whom they provided with a sense of “fan worship”. However, because the hardcore punk lifestyle depends upon its survival through living off of others, the preppies were tolerated and not rejected by the culture because they served a useful economic purpose (almost somewhat like some capitalist millionaires view their low-level employees), “Preppies sometimes offered hardcores financial help…Because of this, many punks felt that they could not afford to reject outwardly those who were less committed” (Fox 355). Yet, the hardcores would continually mock or be condescending to those they viewed as less committed preppie punks. The spectators received the
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Approximate Word count = 2308
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)

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