(in English) This Master's Thesis focuses on the analysis of the issue of production and maintenance of authenticity as subculture capital. Analyzing the case of a decline of interest of participation in the Czech Freetekno subculture, this Thesis shows how analytically grasp the issue of authenticity and subcultural capital. The research is methodologically built on a combination of in-depth interviews and participant field observation. Primary data are then complemented with an analysis of secondary data in the form of media articles, flyers, and social networks. The main argument of this Master's Thesis is that apart from a distinctive dimension, authenticity also has a substantive dimension. Authenticity does not represent only a distinctive element that internally and externally differentiates the field of a subculture. It is also an element that gives a subculture its inner content, meaning, and sense for both current and new members. Authenticity is not only a resource used in the competition of status but is also a source of the content of a subculture and the pleasure of participating in it. Through an explanation of the decline of interest of participation in the Czech Freetekno scene, this Master's Thesis concludes that in the field of subculture studies the formalist perspective of...

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This research is focused on a group of vegan and vegan-curious individuals who are creating, building and maintaining a vegan community of practice in Houston, Texas. Through ethnographic methods, including participant observation, in-depth semi-structured interviews, surveys, quantitative analysis, and use of geographic information systems (GIS), this thesis considers motivations, group hierarchies, core and peripheral membership, practices, beliefs and construction of identity within the vegan community of practice. Further, concepts from the anthropology of religion are utilized in discourse analysis around conversion to ethical veganism, preaching, and religious-ethical beliefs around enlightenment and the principle of ahimsa. Utilizing subcultural studies and social movement theory, this thesis also shows how the vegan community of practice fits into vegan subcultures and the greater vegan lifestyle movement. Finally, as an applied project, deliverables to the client Vegan Society of PEACE includes both personal and structural barriers to veganism which are understood with respect to a race-conscious approach to veganism, and with special consideration given to the capitalist commodification of animals. Suggestions are given and strategies for growth of the community are highlighted at the end of this paper.

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / In elke samelewing kan die jeug as 'n opsigselfstaande groep geldentifiseer word. Die unieke eienskappe van die jeugfase lei tot die ontstaan· van konstruktiewe of subkulturele jeuggroeperinge en destruktiewe of kontrakulturele jeuggroeperinge. Sub- en kontrakulturele jeuggroeperinge oefen 'n direkte invloed op die onderwys en opvoeding van die jeug uit. 'n Ondersoek na die faktore wat aanleiding gee tot die ontstaan en ontwikkeling van sub- en kontrakulturele jeuggroeperinge is in die lig daarvan van dwingende belang. 'n Analise van die stambegrippe kultuur, subkultuur en kontrakultuur is 'n voorvereiste vir die begryp en verstaan van die tema ter sprake. Kultuur is die somtotaal van menslike betrokkenheid in sy materiele en nie-materiele wereld. Hierdie betrokkenheid lei tot kultuurvorming. Die vorming, oordrag en verandering van kultuur bet 'n bepaalde gesindheidsverandering by individue tot gevolg. Die nie-konfonnering met kultuurverandering het die fonnulering van 'n altematiewe of subkulturele stel waardes en nonne tot gevolg. 'n Subkultuur kan beskryf word as enige segment van die dominante kultuur waarvan die waarde en normstruktuur van die dominante kultuur verskil, maar nie in konflik daarmee is nie. Die algehele afwysing of pogings tot die omverwerp van dominante waardes en nonne het kontrakulturele waardes en norme tot gevolg. Sub- en kontrakulturele jeuggroeperinge is eiesoortig van aard. Subkulturele jeuggroeperinge funksioneer met gemak in die dominante kultuur. Kontrakulturele jeuggroeperinge word deur die dominante kultuur as 'n bedreiging beskou. Die faktore wat tot die ontstaan en ontwikkeling van sub- en kontrakulturele jeuggroeperinge in Suid-Afrika aanleiding gee, kan kortliks saamgevat word as: politieke omstandighede, ideologiese invloede, ekonomiese, demografiese, sosiale (waaronder 'n gedepriveerde sosiale omgewing en huislike faktore, gesinsgrootte, enkelouergesinne, gesagskrisis, generasiekonflik en religieuse faktore), kulturele vervreemding en onderwyskundige faktore. Kontrakulturele jeuggroeperinge wat op geweld uitloop, bet 'n destruktiewe invloed op die fisiese en psigiese omgewing van die skool, die medeleerlinge, die gesagsdraers en die leeromgewing. Desnieteenstaande staan die skool in 'n ideate posisie ten opsigte van die identifisering, rehabilitering en akkommodering van kontrakulturele jeuggroeperinge en die onderrig van lewensvaardighede waardeur anti-normatiewe gedrag afgewys kan word. / In every society the youth can be identified as a separate group. The unique characteristics of the youth phase results in constructive or subcultural youth groupings, as well as destructive or countercultural youth groupings. Sub- and countercultural groupings exert a direct influence on the instruction and education of the youth. An investigation of the factors giving rise to the development of sub- and countercultural youth groupings is therefore imperative. An analysis of the key concepts of culture, subculture and counterculture is a prerequisite for the comprehension of the theme at issue. Culture is the sum total of people's involvement in their material and nonmaterial world. This involvement generates culture. Culture, and the forming, transmission and change of culture results in a change of mindset in individuals. Nonconformity with cultural change results in the formulation of an alternative or subcultural set of values and norms. A subculture can be defined as any segment of the dominant culture that subscribes to a set of values and norms that differ from, but are not in conflict with, those of the dominant culture. Complete rejection of, or attempts to overthrow dominant values and norms result in the formation of countercultural values and norms. Sub- and countercultural youth groupings are unique. Subcultural youth groupings function with ease in the context of the dominant culture. Countercultural youth groupings are perceived as a threat by the dominant culture. The factors leading to the origin and development of sub- and countercultural youth groupings in South Africa can be briefly summarised as: political circumstances, ideological influences, economic, demographic and social influences (including a deprived social environment and domestic factors, family size, single-parent families, authority crises, generation conflict and religious factors), cultural alienation and educational factors. Countercultural youth groupings that resort to violence have a destructive influence on the physical and psychic school environment, on fellow pupils, on office-bearers and on the learning environment. Despite all this, however, the school is ideally placed to identify, rehabilitate and accommodate countercultural youth groupings and to provide instruction in life skills with a view to expelling antinormative behaviour. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Historiese Opvoedkunde)

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / In elke samelewing kan die jeug as 'n opsigselfstaande groep geldentifiseer word. Die unieke eienskappe van die jeugfase lei tot die ontstaan· van konstruktiewe of subkulturele jeuggroeperinge en destruktiewe of kontrakulturele jeuggroeperinge. Sub- en kontrakulturele jeuggroeperinge oefen 'n direkte invloed op die onderwys en opvoeding van die jeug uit. 'n Ondersoek na die faktore wat aanleiding gee tot die ontstaan en ontwikkeling van sub- en kontrakulturele jeuggroeperinge is in die lig daarvan van dwingende belang. 'n Analise van die stambegrippe kultuur, subkultuur en kontrakultuur is 'n voorvereiste vir die begryp en verstaan van die tema ter sprake. Kultuur is die somtotaal van menslike betrokkenheid in sy materiele en nie-materiele wereld. Hierdie betrokkenheid lei tot kultuurvorming. Die vorming, oordrag en verandering van kultuur bet 'n bepaalde gesindheidsverandering by individue tot gevolg. Die nie-konfonnering met kultuurverandering het die fonnulering van 'n altematiewe of subkulturele stel waardes en nonne tot gevolg. 'n Subkultuur kan beskryf word as enige segment van die dominante kultuur waarvan die waarde en normstruktuur van die dominante kultuur verskil, maar nie in konflik daarmee is nie. Die algehele afwysing of pogings tot die omverwerp van dominante waardes en nonne het kontrakulturele waardes en norme tot gevolg. Sub- en kontrakulturele jeuggroeperinge is eiesoortig van aard. Subkulturele jeuggroeperinge funksioneer met gemak in die dominante kultuur. Kontrakulturele jeuggroeperinge word deur die dominante kultuur as 'n bedreiging beskou. Die faktore wat tot die ontstaan en ontwikkeling van sub- en kontrakulturele jeuggroeperinge in Suid-Afrika aanleiding gee, kan kortliks saamgevat word as: politieke omstandighede, ideologiese invloede, ekonomiese, demografiese, sosiale (waaronder 'n gedepriveerde sosiale omgewing en huislike faktore, gesinsgrootte, enkelouergesinne, gesagskrisis, generasiekonflik en religieuse faktore), kulturele vervreemding en onderwyskundige faktore. Kontrakulturele jeuggroeperinge wat op geweld uitloop, bet 'n destruktiewe invloed op die fisiese en psigiese omgewing van die skool, die medeleerlinge, die gesagsdraers en die leeromgewing. Desnieteenstaande staan die skool in 'n ideate posisie ten opsigte van die identifisering, rehabilitering en akkommodering van kontrakulturele jeuggroeperinge en die onderrig van lewensvaardighede waardeur anti-normatiewe gedrag afgewys kan word. / In every society the youth can be identified as a separate group. The unique characteristics of the youth phase results in constructive or subcultural youth groupings, as well as destructive or countercultural youth groupings. Sub- and countercultural groupings exert a direct influence on the instruction and education of the youth. An investigation of the factors giving rise to the development of sub- and countercultural youth groupings is therefore imperative. An analysis of the key concepts of culture, subculture and counterculture is a prerequisite for the comprehension of the theme at issue. Culture is the sum total of people's involvement in their material and nonmaterial world. This involvement generates culture. Culture, and the forming, transmission and change of culture results in a change of mindset in individuals. Nonconformity with cultural change results in the formulation of an alternative or subcultural set of values and norms. A subculture can be defined as any segment of the dominant culture that subscribes to a set of values and norms that differ from, but are not in conflict with, those of the dominant culture. Complete rejection of, or attempts to overthrow dominant values and norms result in the formation of countercultural values and norms. Sub- and countercultural youth groupings are unique. Subcultural youth groupings function with ease in the context of the dominant culture. Countercultural youth groupings are perceived as a threat by the dominant culture. The factors leading to the origin and development of sub- and countercultural youth groupings in South Africa can be briefly summarised as: political circumstances, ideological influences, economic, demographic and social influences (including a deprived social environment and domestic factors, family size, single-parent families, authority crises, generation conflict and religious factors), cultural alienation and educational factors. Countercultural youth groupings that resort to violence have a destructive influence on the physical and psychic school environment, on fellow pupils, on office-bearers and on the learning environment. Despite all this, however, the school is ideally placed to identify, rehabilitate and accommodate countercultural youth groupings and to provide instruction in life skills with a view to expelling antinormative behaviour. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Historiese Opvoedkunde)

In settings such as hotels, bars and boutiques, things like cars, sodas, clothes, and cities, are fueled with the symbolic capital of graffiti. The purpose of this ethnographic study is to understand how graffiti writers, through marketing, increase the value of their work, as well as that of other products, and how this commercialization affects the meaning of graffiti.  Utilizing a perspective of social constructionism, the analysis shows how actors and social fields that are constructed as incongruous (e.g., art galleries and graffiti culture), are at the same time being mixed together to create something new, and thus create value. This study shows how practices that are considered marginal, or deviant, at the same time generate value within the general economy. Deploying an abductive approach, and building on ample empirical material, this study shows that the narrative of graffiti as something illegal is one of the main traits that enables graffiti writers to exchange subcultural capital for economic. The results show that previous research, investigating graffiti from a dichotomous perspective of either art or vandalism, do not give a satisfactory understanding of this diverse subculture.   The empirical material consists of 30 participant observations in public events, in Sweden during the autumn of 2014, where graffiti is turned into a commodity embodied with subcultural capital. Moreover, four in-depth interviews were executed with graffiti writers who have sold their competence and art for purposes of marketing, and one group interview with three of their customers. Further, several documents were collected and analyzed.

Historical fencing represents an interesting leisure time activity that thousands of people in the Czech Republic devote, most of them joining historical fencing groups. There is a relatively strong hierarchy within a number of groups. The main goal of the thesis is to reveal mechanisms, by which the hierachies in the particular group are generated, maintained, how these hierarchies affect the behaviour of individuals and how an individual can move up and down in the group's hierarchy. The secondary goal of the thesis is to focus on the role of gender in relation to group hierarchies and how is gender done in a group. To get the data qualitative research methods of participant observation and semi-structured interviews are used. The thesis is supplemented by a photo documentation. Theoretical framework used in the research is mainly Bourdieu's capitals and the subculture capital. In addition the concept of authenticity became important during the research. Based on the data the most important capitals are objecitified and embodied subcultural capital, physical capital and social capital. For subcultural studies is very typical the engagement in the subculture, in this case subcultural engagement proved to be important mainly for the non-fighting members of the group. Within the group gender has not...

This thesis describes the phenomenon of alternative culture in public policy. The first part seeks to define what alternative culture means and builds on the research mainly from sociology and cultural studies. Very useful are then specific theory of social deviance, the theory of subcultures and postsubcultures. At the same time, the paper looks into the past, before 1989, when the alternative culture phenomenon was clearly defined, standing outside the mainstream culture and the alternative culture was illegal. Through the analysis of some events and political cases from the recent past, there could be seen both differences between alternative culture and an attitude to it before 1989, but also some important parallels with the current situation of alternative culture. Alternative culture is later specified by current alternative underground subcultures: freetekno - DIY, squatting and street art. In the case of these three controversial subcultures, the paper deals with an attitude of public policy to these subcultures through the extremism policy. The next part the paper deals with the contemporary cultural politics in the country. Briefly, it describes and outlines the current situation and possible areas for innovation in the context of alternative culture. In the last phase this thesis deals...

This thesis is an attempt to detect and interpret the elements of environmental frugality in the lifestyle of young Tramps, mainly in connection with activities related to their everyday lives. Based on a qualitative approach in the form of semi-structured interviews, I am trying to ascertain the point of view of the informants in several areas. These areas are mainly represented by the concept of tramping itself and its related forms of leisure activities, attitudes and preferences in selected areas of lifestyle (housing, food and waste, travel, transport and leisure, everyday objects, clothing), relating to nature, to the environment, nature protection and reflection of the current problems in this field, including the reflection of their own attitude (concept of responsibility, risk, etc.). I interpret the observed data on the basis of selected theoretical concepts, especially using Jan Krajhanzl's eco-psychological model of relationship to nature and its components, with emphasis on environmental awareness as one of its parts. Furthermore, I confront the results of my research with selected concepts related to the topic of an environmentally frugal life (voluntary and intentional modesty, ecological luxury etc.). Key words: Tramping, (alternative) lifestyle, leisure, everyday life, subcultural...

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