J. Patrick Williams 
Subcultural Theory 
Traditions and Concepts

Subcultural phenomena continue to draw attention from many areas of contemporary society, including the news media, the marketing and fashion industries, concerned parents, religious, and other citizen groups, as well as academia. Research into these phenomena has spanned the humanities and social sciences, and the subcultural theories that underlie this work are similarly interdisciplinary. Subcultural Theory brings these diverse analytic issues together in a single text, offering readers a concise discussion of the major concepts and debates that have developed over more than eighty years of subcultural research, including style, stratification, resistance, identity, media and ‘post subcultures’.

The text emphasizes methods, concepts, and analysis rather than mere descriptions of individual subcultures, all the while ensuring readers will gain insight into past and present youthful subcultures, including mod, punk, hardcore, straightedge, messenger, goth, riot grrrl, hip-hop, skinhead, and extreme metal, among others. The book closes with an assessment of the subculture concept as a viable and useful sociological tool in comparison with other fields of study including social movements and fandom.

Table of Content

Detailed Table of Contents.

List of Figures and Images.

Preface.

Chapter 1: Subcultural theory.

Chapter 2: Theoretical and methodological traditions.

Chapter 3: Race and gender in subcultural experience.

Chapter 4: Style.

Chapter 5: Resistance: Subculture from the inside.

Chapter 6: Labels and moral panics: subcultures from the
outside.

Chapter 7: Identity and Authenticity.

Chapter 8: Scales.

Chapter 9: Related fields.

Chapter 10: A final note on concepts.

Bibliography.

About the author

J. Patrick Williams is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Nanyang Technological University