Identity Formation in Postmodern Consumption Cultures: An Example of Rocker Subcultures

Year 2016, Volume: 2 Issue: 3, 81 - 102, 01.06.2016

Okan Baldil

Abstract

In this essay, I will focus on the consumer identity of the rocker subculture, which is reproduced by the do-it-yourself culture and music industry’s cultural products. Rock culture is a postmodern culture whose formation and reproduction are continuous deviations from mainstream or conventional culture. The social dynamics and identity characteristics of this subculture and the groups in it should be focused on, because what substitute this culture, what reproduce their emotions, their way of thinking and behaviors are the shared consumption of cultural products, the musical culture, which are produced by their DIY culture2 and the music industry and mainstream culture. The identity construction in this subculture is claimed to be based on the postmodern consumption patterns, even if some subgroups in rocker subculture claim that they are in objection to consumerism. So many things contributing to identity construction in this culture and to the reproduction of identities are based on the consumption/shared consumption of the cultural production by the members of this subculture and the rock music industry

Keywords

Identity construction, self, rocker, shared consumption, DIY, industrial cultural production, subculture