Permission given to use and adapt this information. Adapted from: ebrary; University of Queensland, Qld, Australia.
Hannon, Sharon. M. Punks: A Guide to an American Subculture. (Santa Monica: Greenwood Press, 2010) 1-12.
Hannon’s opening chapter provides a detailed account of the formation of the punk rock movement and its associated social and political connotations- from its origination in Great Britain in the mid 1970s to its progression to the United States later that decade. With a predominant use of secondary academic sources throughout the chapter, the author initiates their investigation with three candid yet succinct quotes from prominent punk musicians from such bands as the Clash, the Voidoids and the Avengers, incorporating a raw authenticity to the text beyond that of distant scholarly observation.
Geography and demography are discussed in detail, as the motivations and behaviour of key participants are identified and distinguished according to their various socio-political scenes, while bricolage and homology are examined as both material and ritualistic signifiers of punk’s anti-authoritarian attitude. The chronological progression from first wave punk and hardcore to the eventual adoption of straight edge is covered throughout the text, concluding with the fragmentation of the parent subculture, as groups formerly excluded from the scene (women, gays etc) enforced their presence via sub-subcultures.
While offering a concise narration on the historical significance of the featured subculture, this chapter, unlike other associated scholarly works, does little to develop an original argument regarding its emergence and success, its impact on practicing musicians and fans, or its eventual role in the emergence of future music subcultures. This approach, while informative, provides a calculated, somewhat two-dimensional depiction of what is arguably one of music’s most dynamic and spontaneous movements, thus lacking the fundamental essence of the subject of investigation.
Arguably, Hannon’s most effective analogy is established in her conclusion, as she attributes the increasing prevalence of the amateur production of cultural products within America and wider society to punk’s DIY ethos, having established a forum for freedom of expression and artistic experimentation that has and will continue to facilitate new mediums of creativity.
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