Rebellion and the Mainstream: Youth Subcultures Through History

We've studied various youth subcultures through history (wandervogel, flappers, beatniks, greasers, mods, hippies, punks, goths) and how each was a unique rebellion against the mainstream culture of their time.  By exploring these youth subcultures we get a better sense of how young people were expected to conform to social demands.  The dichotomy between mainstream and subculture is an interesting one as the push and pull between the two poles is crucial for the way that each defines itself.  This project puts you (the student) in the role of a direct participant in such a phenomenon to better understand and articulate the process of social conformity and rebellion.

Students will choose one of the youth subcultures we've studied and decide to either be a member of said subculture or an adult or young person who opposes it.  For reference, here are the subcultures to choose from and the respective countries and time periods in which they existed:

• Wandervogel - Germany (1900s - 1920s)

• Flappers* - USA & Britain (1920s) 

• Beatniks - USA (late 1940s - early 1960s)

• Greasers - USA (1950s)

• Hippies - USA & Western Europe (1960s - 1970s)

• Punks - USA & Britain (late 1970s - 1980s)

• Goths - USA & Britain (1980s - 1990s)

* While the Flappers were a female-specific subculture, a student may do a project as a male reacting to the Flappers or as a male friend or partner of a flapper.  Students are certainly welcome to work together in groups on this project.

Participating in a Subculture or Defending the Mainstream

Once students have chosen the subculture they want to represent or oppose there are a variety of options for how to do the project:

Video Blog: Students can record a vlog in character and explain either (a) what their subculture is about and why they are rebelling against the societal norms of the day or (b) why the subculture is a threat to the order and values of mainstream society.

Music: As music is a central part to almost all the subcultures, students can make a song in character and record it as either audio or video.  As group collaboration is encouraged, a student playing the part of a mainstream defender can use the work of other students to criticize to make their point.

Journalism: Students may write an article on a youth subculture phenomenon and describe it in either positive, negative or mixed terms.  Quoting from or hyperlinking to other student work or historical examples is required to make the argument convincingly.

Diary: Students may write a diary entry or entries in character and describe how the subculture they chose is either a legitimate rebellion or threat to society.  Hyperlinking to other student work or historical examples is required.

• All projects must be uploaded to the project wiki by the appropriate date

• Projects must make their arguments convincingly and convey that they have a thorough grasp of the subculture they chose as well as the mainstream social values they are either defending or rebelling against.

• While not necessary, given the social element of subcultures, group collaboration may be a fun and comprehensive way of completing the project.  One suggestion is to have one half of a group represent a subculture and the other half represent their mainstream opponents.

Acceptable Use Policy

While sexuality, use of alcohol and drugs and, sometimes, violence are inseparable from many subcultures this is still a high school assignment so let's make sure all content, created or linked to, has a PG-13 rating.

Created by future history teacher and current UMass Boston graduate student, Conor M.B.