There have existed many different subcultures, every one with their own unique style and purpose. During various presentations in our English class I have accumulated more knowledge about five particular subcultures: beatniks, hip hop, grunge, skinheads and hippies. The process of learning new facts and interpreting the subcultures has been very instructive and now I can happily say that I have more detailed knowledge and understanding about the subcultures and their characteristics. The purpose of this essay is to reflect upon interesting aspects that became clarified during the presentations.
One of the absorbing facts that was presented was the origin of the name beatnik, which comes from the word beat, meaning “tired” or “beaten down” in this particular context. I have always thought that the origin of this word was the word beat, meaning a rhythmical sound. After having understood the true origin of the word, it is much easier to understand the message that the beatniks tried to convey.
This subculture expressed their critique for the growing materialism in the post WW2 society which was undergoing economic growth. In addition, the beatniks protested against the opinions of their parents’ generations who were not so open
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The socially alienated skinheads who engaged in violent behaviour to protest against the societal norms and to simply entertain themselves is a clear example of how a group of individuals who think alike caused damage and promoted somewhat racist ideas. It is now quite evident that some skinheads supported the idea of neo-nazism and sympathised with social Darwinism and in other words, did not respect the first article of the universal human rights which is the right to equality. This group discriminated the non-natives in whatever country they were living in, which in some cases led to unrest and