What Is Ideology? What Is Punk Ideology?

    Ideology can be defined as a set of beliefs, values and ideas that usually refer to a political social and cultural system. A few examples of Ideology are communism, capitalism, and socialism. These are all different sets of beliefs on how a society should function.

    Punk Ideology varies significantly on a wide spectrum, but the ideology I'll be focusing on consists of particular themes such as anti- establishment, individualism, non-conformity, and DIY ethics. The punk subculture is mostly known for its anarchist beliefs, but it's also well known for its political and social activism. The Sex Pistols in the 70's were largely renowned for their anti-establishment and politically based music, further influencing political activism within the punk subculture. This influence continued into the 80's, well into the 90's.   

Kathleen Hanna, Bikini Kill
Riot Grrrl was an underground feminist punk movement that started in the early 90s.

Anti- Establishment

Anti- Establishment ideas were often expressed through music and lyrics, provocative fashion, and political movements. Bands like The Crass who promoted anarchist (against the establishment) ideas through their music would actively challenge authority and government. Many acquainted with the punk subculture experienced class inequality and oppressive themes dealt by society, leading to anger and frustration with the established authority. This ideology influenced multiple political movements, such as the feminist movement in the 90s which advocated against the patriarchy, the Ronald Reagan protests in the 80’s, and the rock against racism movement in 1976.

The Ramones, 1970s

Individualism

Individualism in the punk subculture plays a defining role. The idea that self expression and the rejection of societal pressures that encourages one to “fit in” played a significant part in the punk identity. By being a community that rejected social norms, individuals aimed to stand out. By rejecting consumer and capitalist culture, punks would often make their own clothing and music. This anti conformist approach allowed for diverse self expression and ideas.
This is an episode from The Phil Donahue Show in 1981, 
featuring those affiliated with the punk scene, their parents, and other conservative adults. You'll notice a difference in ideologies and self expression within the first two minutes.

Non-Conformity

    The non-conformist ideology ties into individualism and the DIY ethos. As I said in the intro, punk was inherently against everything mainstream. There was a growing anger with an overly commercialized culture. The music industry had become a corporate dominated scene where music artists had to conform to industry standards, which gave rise to the erratic and fast paced music created by punks as a reaction to the corporate music that was so popular. Commercialized beauty standards that encouraged perfection provoked a fashion movement that aimed to shock and disrupt the established beauty and fashion looks that were regarded as conventional.

DIY Ethos

The Do-It-Yourself ethos promoted the idea that anyone could do or create anything without having experience or needing to buy it. The DIY ethos was used significantly, encouraging the idea that anyone could make anything: Art, music, record labels, distribution, clothing, down to forming their own events. The DIY ethos was originally a reaction to corporate and commercial society as this idea promoted individuality and creativity, eventually influencing later scenes and subcultures.
Two punks, 1980s

    

 


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Intro

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     The Punk movement originated in the underground scene of New York, but made its way to Britain in the mid 1970s where it flourished. In New York, the main idea was to provoke mainstream media with its erratic fast paced music and fashion expressions of nonconformity. In Britain, the same elements were incorporated, but it became more politically centered, as it was facing political and economic issues such as high inflation and unemployment rates. With the rise of the punk scene, the young demographic found an opportunity to express their anger with the ongoing issues surrounding them. Over time, the punk movement has evolved significantly, with each decade facing its own social and political movement.  This project will show the evolution of punk politics and how the ideology behind the movement influenced how political and social beliefs were represented.   The New York Dolls, 1973. One of the first bands to develop during the early punk scene, were well ...
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Political Evolution: From the 70s to the early 00s

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The 1970’s was marked by social and political upheaval across the globe. Anti- war movements were prominent in countries around the world, as well as environmentalism, civil rights activism, and economic hardship. This page will explore some of the political movements and events throughout the decades that were important in the punk subculture.
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Commercialization of Punk and the Question of Ideology

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The commodification of any subculture or movement that is threatening or different than the mainstream culture, is almost always inevitable, ultimately dulling their social resistance. They are turned inside out and exploited for a profit as they grow in popularity and become marketable. The defining look of punk DIY fashion has often been incorporated into luxury designer brands. The punk style can now be bought at retail stores like Hot Topic or Dolls Kill, a style that specifically advocated against corporate consumerism and for individualism and the ability to make your own clothing. The music industry has exploited the movement for profit, furthermore helping to commercialize punk and strip it of its root values. Essentially everything that the punk ideology was (DIY, individualism, anti-capitalism, anti-establishment and non-conformity), has now been reduced down to nothing but a product of popular consumption.  But is this entirely true? There's an argument that the domest...
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Questions to Consider

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Negative Approach, 1982 Throughout time, punk has evolved into a mass movement ultimately becoming mainstream. A big part of the punk ideology is that it's against mainstream culture, and some have argued that by becoming a commercialized success, punk has lost its purpose. Would you say you agree with this argument, why or why not? Green Day, 2009 In what ways do the core values of punk culture influence political activism?
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Sources

Works Cited Barett, D. DIY Democracy: The Direct Action Politics of U.S. Punk Collectives, p 23-39 Bleyer, Jennifer. "LAPD Unleashes Horses-Pepper Spray-Rubber Bullets" Scoop Independent News, August 15, 2000 Dunn, K. "Never mind the bollocks: the punk rock politics of global communication", p 193-210 Kyle Williams, J. "Rock Against Reagan": The punk movement, cultural hegemony, and Reaganism in the eighties, 2016 Polyphonic. "Riot Grrrl: The '90s Movement that Redefined Punk", YouTube, 2018 Sabbagh, Dan. "Anti-Nazi League founders call for new national campaign", The Guardian, 2018 Savidge, Martin. "Protest Concert Due Tonight Outside of Convention, Security Tight in Los Angeles", CNN Archives, August 14, 2000 Taylor, Tom. "In What Ways Was Punk a Rebellion Against the Social Conditions of the 1970s?", The Bristorian
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