With the change of times and the appearance of cities, what is known as urban culture. But since it is a rather diffuse term, we are going to see what exactly this “urban culture” consists of.
Urban culture: what is it?
The urban culture It could be defined as that culture that encompasses all those movements, expressions or attitudes of certain groups that have emerged under the protection of new times and cities.
Urban culture can be seen in any area of life and society. The music, the culture, the way of thinking or dressing, etc. Within this urban culture we could speak of different urban tribes, groups of people who are moved by the same ideals, whether artistic, political or stylistic, or even by age or gender groups.
By urban tribes that have formed or are part of urban culture we can understand from the punks to the swaggers that currently meet outside shopping centers and Apple stores. In their own way, each one is part of that urban culture.
Urban culture also has certain special characteristics. For example, it usually emerges from cities, and is usually shown with artistic expressions rare. Examples of urban art could be drawings or sculptures integrated into the environment, graffiti or the works of artists such as Banksy.
The truth is that the term urban culture, since it became common, has been generally used to designate the culture of young people, but really everyone who lives in a city is, in some way, part of that culture. urban, whatever their attitudes.
Urban culture seeks participation, takes advantage of the communication facilities of cities and technologies. However, the communication methods are different. In urban culture, bonding or identification is often sought from a distance, while, for example, within a rural culturethe ties will be much stronger due to the closeness and the existence of fewer people.
Urban culture changes depending on the area. The urban culture of a city like Barcelona is not the same as that of one like Madrid, although they may have many similarities. Let’s not say how urban culture can change compared to other countries, see Japan, despite the fact that on many occasions we “import” urban culture from other countries.
The main urban tribes
As we have already mentioned, urban tribes are a very important part of the urban culture. There are many urban tribes different and, depending on the part of the world where we are, some will be more popular than others, but the most popular ones are usually present in most of the big cities of the world. Some of the most common are the following:
punks: There are many urban tribes that are closely related to the world of music, although they have evolved differently over time. Punk is one of them, since it emerged at the end of the sixties as a protest movement against the music industry and society as a whole, which considered that they did not listen to the voice of the youngest. Punk spread as a form of protest against social oppression and rebellion with a very marked aesthetic. Over time, the punk movement has evolved and linked to other trends to form new currents, such as anarcho-punk or hardcore punk. Nowadays it is an urban tribe that still has many followers and people who follow this current can be seen in practically all the big cities of the world.
goths: This subculture emerged separately in the 1980s and is characterized by a very close relationship with themes related to darkness and death, impregnating its entire existence and its vital conception. Aesthetically, they are characterized by the use of black clothes and make-up, and sometimes also pseudo-Victorian style clothing. It also has an important relationship with horror literature, scary movies and post-punk music, maintaining a predominantly dark vision of life, society and human relationships.
emo: This is a fairly widespread subculture, especially among adolescents, characterized by a very pessimistic view of existence and of society, of which they consider themselves innocent and misunderstood victims. Therefore, they are linked to themes that present a dramatic vision of some aspect of life and also reveal themselves as enormously non-conformist. Finally, as in other cases, other tribes derived from the emos have also appeared, the most popular being the pokemones, which adopt many of the ideas of the emos, including their aesthetics, but have a more positive attitude. before existence and society, also linking to other types of music and leisure activities.
Hipster: Hipsters represent a recently emerging urban subculture linked especially to men between the ages of 25 and 40 (although not exclusively) who wish to present an alternative attitude and aesthetic, without being too groundbreaking. They oppose consumerism, defend the environment and try to present a personal thought in a mass society by defending alternative readings, movies and trends. They have a large presence in the big cities and are considered cosmopolitan, culturally active and of a progressive political tendency. It is a subculture on the rise and they have a growing presence in large Western cities, being especially popular in the United States. canis and chonis: Although this group is enormously heterogeneous and is far from being considered a subculture in itself, its eminently urban connection and the large number of individuals it brings together who share similar characteristics has led it to be considered an urban tribe. The canis and chonis are, for the most part, young people who display a very low educational level and a practically total lack of interest in culture or politics. Likewise, leisure and consumerism are their main dedications, coming to exhibit violent characteristics or those related to the world of petty crime, such as robberies, fights or drug consumption and trafficking. This group made its appearance at the dawn of the new millennium and is beginning to be one of the most numerous groups in European cities.
Video about urban tribes in Japan
One of the best ways to understand a little better the urban culture of a country or city is to know some of the urban tribes that populate it. And in that, Japan has always been somewhat… special, as you can see in the following video:
Links of interest
In Sobrehistoria we have many other articles about culture that you will find very interesting:
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