Bennett And Maffesoli s Theory Of The Blurring Of...

A contemporary example which can be used to illustrate the point of Bennett and Maffesoli’s theory of the blurring of divisional lines, which makes subculture tricky to identify the ‘Fabulus of Unicorns’ (VICE 2015). The polyamorous group are arguably an appropriation of the ‘furries’ subculture, and the imagery has already been part of alternative culture and appropriated into mainstream festival wear for some time. They actively differentiate themselves from the ‘normals’ with fulltime use of glitter, multi coloured hair, animal print in a style reminiscent of the Cockettes (Weisman and Weber 2002) of late 1960s San Francisco, who also lived in a polyamorous commune and used white middle class privilege to facilitate a lifestyle of†¦show more content†¦These scholars theorize deviant behaviour using medical concepts. â€Å"(Blackman 2014: 499). Perhaps the rejection of the term is to shed the negative connotations previously associated with subculture, as an aggressive and disruptive force within society. Which raises the interesting point, off subculture being difficult to clearly identify in relation to the mainstream, once the disruptive element has been pacified and also because of the reinvention of existing culture. The idea that culture has stagnated due to nostalgia, explains why it is difficult for some social and cultural commentators to recognise emerging contemporary subcultures. Petridis (2014) and Moss (2015) both say it is impossible to tell someone’s identity by clothing and there have been no recent new subcultures. Petridis does discuss Haul Girls and Seapunks, but addresses the similarities between Haul Girls and Mods, and likens Seapunks to 1990s Grunge. So, it is not that subculture is no longer a relevant term, but that these contemporary subcultures are a revitalisation of what has gone before, and pose little challenge to society because of their familiarity. However, the binary of Haul Girls and Seapunks still