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| Anarchy sounds good to me... |
I just finished this paper for my quantitative methodology class...
Anarchy sounds good to me: A research design to understand punk ideology, self-marginalization , and anarcho-politcs on the influence of direct political participation
Introduction:
Since 1976 the world of political discourse has had a large undercurrent of radicalized youth moving amongst the many theorists, activists, and scholars of political science. Since Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols first sang “I am the anti-Christ… I am the anarchist…. ” politics and punk have been intertwined. Thirty years later the band Anti-Flag released their song “Depleted Uranium is a war-crime” referencing the words and policy positions of Democratic Representative Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) There has not been, to date, a comprehensive study on the political ideology of punk. In this proposed study I will attempt to define the political ideology of punk and apply this definition to actual political practices and influences on punks politically over the course of the past thirty years.
Is Self-marginalization the reality of rebellion?
In seeking to better understand the political ideology of punk I will perform research into the historical record of music and published articles. Many theorists such as Daniel S. Traber and Simon Frith have placed an emphasis on style politics, often considered personal politics. Style politics and personal politics become the political ideology of Anarcho-politics. There is also emphasis on the ideas of self-marginalization of youth culture to explain the origins of punk. Traber, in his work L.A.’s “White Minority”: Punk and the Contradictions of Self-Marginalization ” theorizes that Los Angeles punks in the beginning of the 1980s chose to live in the margins of society to rebel against their parents and the success of white mainstream society and middle class suburban culture, therefore developing into a “Sub-urban” self or “Other” which apes the disparities of city dwellers in slums and ghettos . The development of a new “white minority” is merely for show and not a realistic lifestyle but instead a substitute for the creation of their own identity away from their parents. I plan to research beyond the limited theory of self-marginalization and grow these parameters to show, by logical deduction, that it is assumed that by marginalizing their selves punks participate through traditional political rejection or rebellion. Specifically, punks reluctantly participate in the political process by either not voting or not being politically active. For example, to be a rebel or a punk, someone may have broken the law in their youth, received a conviction, and then lost the right to participate in the voting process. A great deal of formal theory in political science has based itself on the economists core assumptions that individuals choose their actions in order to maximize some valued object, and minimize the costs expended in achieving this goal. Does this account for the popularity of punk culture? Answering this question becomes the most important of points, not to clarify why self-marginalization is popular but why do individuals take themselves out of society and maintain the air of criticism of the society they left to begin with.
Punk Ideology: Rational Choice assumption and the Struggle against Fear.
Individuals choose to be punks because they can maximize a certain sense of belonging and identity through a constant struggle against fear of social repercussions . This constant struggle becomes a movement that serves to refute social attitudes that normally are perpetuated through willful ignorance of human nature . In the late 1970s, punk initially had been very do-it-your-self (D.I.Y.) with a strong ethic of self-empowerment and independence from authority . For example: Anarcho-punk, a system of classifying identity politics, is based on the argument that style is an essential ingredient of this movement embracing a wide diversity of approaches in both format and ideas. Anarcho-punk itself was produced by fans of punk, for fans of punk, removing it from the marketing mechanisms of big music corporations. An anti-consumerist ideology is pervasive in all aspects of D.I.Y culture certifying it as a true independence from authority. In Pedagogy of the Pissed: Punk Pedagogy in the First-Year Writing Classroom, Seth Kahn-Egan identified five main tenants of punk-ideology: The D.I.Y. ethic, a sense of anger and passion, a sense of destructiveness that calls for the attack of institutions which are oppressive or dislikeable, a willingness to endure or even pursue pain to make their art, and a pursuit of the “pleasure principle”, a reveling in some kind of Nietzchean chasm . From this basis a definition of punk ideology has its foundation.
It is easy to assume that the rational choice to subscribe to punk ideology in an effort to avoid the fear of retaliation against social repercussions through anarcho-punk is the main reason individuals become punks, but this brings us to what they do as punks. How does punk ideology affect the political process?
The Methodology of Punk Ideology
With the central understanding that punkers are producing their own culture, what ideas are they basing their creations on? In choosing the title of this study, I considered a slogan encompassing a certain criticism of the D.I.Y. politics of punk ideology, anarcho-punk, self-marginalization , and identity politics. The Dead Kennedys, one of the main punk bands of the late seventies and early to mid- eighties wrote many songs critical of established norms and mores of punk culture and ideology. Jell-O Biafra, the bands front man and main lyricist, also typified a type of progressive, albeit leftist political candidate when he ran for mayor of San Francisco in 1980. From the Dead Kennedys last album, Bedtime for Democracy I have chosen the song where do you draw the line?
Seems like the more I think I know the more I find I don't
Every answer opens up so many questions
Anarchy sounds good to me then someone asks, "Who’d fix the sewers?"
"Would the rednecks just play king of the neighborhood?"
How many liberators really want to be dictators?
Every theory has its holes when real life steps in
So how do we feed and make room for all the people crowded on our earth
And transfer all that wealth from the rich to those who need it.
(Emphasis added)
Anarchy, in the above song, is significant because it includes everything a punk wants in political ideology, but at the same time leaves unanswered the questions brought about by self marginalization and identity politics. The main use of formal theory would be to construct a set of conditions from which we can explain how anarchy logically flowed from the music of punk and where the actions of punk ideology have taken its participants. That being the case, my methodology will include two types of data research. First and foremost, a strong basis of theory is needed to understand how certain primary questions should be answered. This approach will require an examination of the body of punk recordings and written material. The historical record is extensive as punk ideology has existed for over thirty years and continues to produce relevant political material in song, film, and text format. A systematic examination of records, zines, and video based on anarcho-punk is necessary to form the context of the second approach to data research. The second approach for how punk ideology and its effect on political systems will be measured will include interviews with participants in the punk music and political scenes, including performers, famous non-politicos, social and political activists, and punk music fans to determine how politics of punk ideology have shaped their outlook and activities. I will conduct online interviews and when possible, interviews in person, documenting these interviews on camera. An online survey of 1000 punk participants (fans, performers, members of the community) should be performed to quantify the voting trends associated with punk ideology. This brings the scope of this study from the abstract into the empirical combining a comprehensive measure between the establishment of marginalized punk culture and actual practical examples of how this culture impacts political systems. According to W. Philips Shively, research mix is often necessary to produce complete works of research. In the book, The craft of political research “normative philosophers are not required to provide evidence for all their assumptions leaves them free to devote more energy to other parts of their research”. So there will be a mix between normative and empirical research with the types of research questions in this study. The questions asked will divulge a wide range of ideas to which punk ideology influences the voting activities. Do punks vote? How has political subject matter in music and media influence their actions and perceptions? Are punks apolitical? Will grant a foundation to the theoretical and other questions such as Did you vote in the last elections? Do you consider yourself to be “political”? Do you follow the news? Has a bands lyrics or political views ever influenced your purchasing decisions? will focus the study into the data of the empirical. In this research project I will also attempt to give an outline of the conservative, nationalistic, progressive, anarchist, and leftist movements historically associated with punk. My theory is that the influence of punk ideology is fleeting and does little to define the overall description of what politics are. Punk ideology has no direct impact on mainstream political movements but instead support periphery progressive non-mainstream candidates and causes. If punk ideology, specifically anarcho-punk ideology had a stronger influence, historically more elections would h
Blog Category: News and Politics
Playing (Music): Good Rats by DropKick Murphys
Current mood: accomplished
Added on: 05/12/2006 14:28:58
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