Week 7: Are youth subcultures genuine signs of revolt or simply the manifestation of style?

Hebdige claims youth is a painful transitional period, which suggests subcultures are less about revolting or self-expression and more about simply wanting to belong. However, there is the example of youths self-harming purely to feel part of ‘emo’ culture, which certainly leans more towards revolt than manifestation of style. Hebdige also points out that punk must be interpreted in the context of the time it emerged, suggesting that this subculture was a genuine revolt born out of the social decay of 1970s Britain. Cohen claims subcultures are the solution for youths wanting to express their individuality whilst still maintaining parental identifications. This would suggest subcultures are used to help youths get to know themselves as opposed to revolting. It could be argued that at the point of emergence, subcultures are a form of revolt against the mainstream, but eventually they become widely recognised and it is at this point that they become merely an expression of style for youths to adopt.