The Indifferent Hipster How does the hipster culture affect college art students? Background Information Hipster stereotypes are often associated with artists and other creative individuals in today’s society. As young artists are instructed to be culturally and politically aware of their environment, (as well as refined in their chosen crafts), they are not only skilled, but incredibly educated in a modernized, free-thinking way. This research should support the argument that young visual artists, in particular, are aware of these conventionalized ideals and negative perceptions regarding hipster culture, and accordingly manipulate their identity to transcend these stereotypes, or ignore them completely. The term hipster was coined during the jazz age (1940s), when the term hip emerged as an adjective to describe enthusiasts of the growing music scene. The modern hipster is a composite of individuals with a certain bohemian, new-thinking lifestyle, as he or she rejects mainstream norms, and embraces and contributes to unconventional culture. Hipsters are a subculture of people that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and music, creativity, and intelligence. There are two sects of hipster: the authentic, indifferent hipster and the consumeristic hipster. One of the most prevalent ways of analyzing hipster, bohemian, and artistic identities is through consumeristic habits and ideologies. “Research shows that consumeristic hipsters use food as a mechanism for resistance through a series of insider strategies to preserve their identity. There is additional evidence to show that food is an inconspicuous yet intimate, authentic and social aspect of hipsters’ indie lifestyle.” ... ... middle of paper ... ... (e.g. Nakkula, Toshalis, 2006). The research regarding hipster culture compounds many of Erikson’s theories about identity development, which continue to evolve and mature throughout the course of life, but also emphasizes the importance on an adolescent formation of identity development (during the primary years of an student artist’s most intense training). Overall, the research confirms the belief that creative adolescents develop identities based on their specific choices, and who they choose to be. Although genetic factors play some role in artfulness, creativity is a skilled that is continually honed and refined — much like any other ability in life. The artistic identity is one that is carefully composed and considered, and continually cultivated throughout the course of a lifetime, though this identity formation takes place from a young age in adolescence.
Hipsterfication is a term that is relatively new in social discourse, thus has little in the way of academic literature mentioning it. Proud (2014) describes Shoreditch, an area in east London as a metonym for unlucky pieces of real estate that
Since the early to mid 90’s, hip-hop has undergone changes that purists would consider degenerating to its culture. At the root of these changes is what has been called “commercial hip-hop". Commercial hip-hop has deteriorated what so many emcees in the 80’s tried to build- a culture of music, dance, creativity, and artistry that would give people not only something to bob their head to, but also an avenue to express themselves and deliver a positive message to their surroundings.
Over time, social group labels tend to mutate from their original interpretation, due to societal evolution. The hipster is no exception, as it originally referred to 1940s Bebop Jazz enthusiasts. Hipsters has since become the term referencing pretentious rich kids, attempting to recreate a sense of underground-ness; whether it be music or style-related. However, hipsters of today differ from the former in the sense that their actions are fueled solely by effort, rather than sheer interest of being outlandish and chic concurrently with music and style.
The Counterculture movement was an alternate way of living for many American citizens. People began leaving big cities to escape issues in the urban areas. They started to live in large groups with people that were much like themselves. Those who participated in this movement strongly opposed the war, the Vietnam War in particular. They felt the ideal way of living was in peace and harmony. Better known as hippies, participants in the Counterculture movement started environmental awareness groups. The people started to be very concerned in the health of our planet and began to care much more about the damage being done to the earth. Hippies had a different view on politics, authority, marriage and sex. They rejected the social norms and viewed leaders unimportant. Politics were not a big concern when regarding the hippie culture because they believed that everyone was equal and no real leader was needed. In addition to a new way of life, the Counterculture movement became a time for young people to express their feelings through all types of music, art and literature that defined the 60’s generation.
However, 1960s was a period when American culture moved from being traditional to new and observant ways of thinking. Moreover, these changes led to the creation of a completely new, strange culture that is known as the hippie culture. In addition, the hippies (which means modern, stylish) made their way into a new sexual revolution that broke the old fashioned boundaries. There are many contradictions and different opinions in regard to clarifying the nature of the hippie movement. Some people believe that it is more cultural than political phenomenon, while others characterize it as entirely religious. However, the hippies are mostly young people between 15 and 25 years old and come from white middle-class family. The style, expression, behavior and appearance adopted by hippies turned upside down the normal norms of the time. Some of the key...
Teachers can show films such as Ma Vie En Rose (My Life in Pink) about a seven-year-old boy who is bullied by the kids and adults in society because he identifies as a girl. This movie can lead to discussion that challenges a student’s understanding of concepts such as identity and the priority of being yourself over conforming to the expectations of others around you. Students might finally realize the ways society limits acceptance and imagination. Although creativity may seem of concern to only the youth of our population, artist Pablo Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up.” Children will grow up to be become the working class of their generation, but without creativity to guide them and society constantly dragging them further away from their creative childhood, the world will decay into mundaneness rather than blossom with
When the word “hippie” comes to mind, images of men with long hair and colorful clothing, women with peace-sign necklaces and fringed vests, vans with “flower power” and rainbows arrive with it. For many people, colorful clothing and peace-signs were the legacy of the hippies. In fact, the definition of a hippie is a person from the 1960s with an unconventional appearance. However, the real legacy of the “hippie movement” is forgotten completely. As Timothy Miller writes, “There is at least some ongoing impact in the three most renowned centers of the hip revolution: "sex, dope, and rock and roll” (Miller 133). The actual legacy of the movement had very little to do with appearance and fashion. Instead, the legacy has more to do with rebellion and challenging societal norms - the acceptance of, dope, premarital sex, and rock and roll.
During the 1960’s, a new group of reformists aspired to change the cultural normalcies of their society. These people were called hippies. They sought to find meaning in life through peace and the acceptance of all people. Hippies have impacted today’s society, but before they had impacted us, they were greatly influenced by their own. The hippie movement was caused by many factors including the Vietnam war, the development of rock music, and the previous generation’s culture.
Bourdieu’s theory of distinction, judgement, and taste are rooted in education and then secondly, familial economic class. Through exposure and experiences we develop culture capital, which is all about being in the know. The more exposure an individual has, the more they know about the world and therefore, the more culture capital they consume. As a result of having culture capital one has the ability to decipher different symbolic codes because they are aware of more context. A hipster has a very specific culture capital that diverges from the mainstream and is ever evolving because they constantly have to be in the know and consume the latest trends before it becomes popular. Then only people with certain cultural
The sixties was a decade of liberation and revolution, a time of great change and exciting exploration for the generations to come. It was a time of anti-war protests, free love, sit-ins, naked hippie chicks and mind-altering drugs. In big cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Paris, there was a passionate exchange of ideas, fiery protests against the Vietnam War, and a time for love, peace and equality. The coming together of like-minded people from around the world was spontaneous and unstoppable. This group of people, which included writers, musicians, thinkers and tokers, came to be known as the popular counterculture, better known as hippies. The dawning of the Age of Aquarius in the late sixties was more than just a musical orgy. It was a time of spiritual missions to fight for change and everything they believed in. Freedom, love, justice, equality and peace were at the very forefront of this movement (West, 2008). Some wore beads. Some had long hair. Some wore tie-dye and others wore turtle-neck sweaters. The Hippie generation was a wild bunch, to say the least, that opened the cookie jar of possibilities politically, sexually, spiritually and socially to forever be known as one of the most memorable social movements of all time (Hippie Generation, 2003).
Art has always been a large part of my life. As a young girl, I always looked forward to receiving kits for watercoloring or a new set of colored pencils. I’d doodle on my papers in class to pass the time. I yearned for opportunities to express my creativity even doing so on poster board projects where I’d spend hours creating borders and framing my information with various colored papers. However, it was not until I began to take art courses at the high school did I recognize the value that creativity and art hold as a means of learning and expression. Through this recognition, it also occurred to me that not many outside the art room view art in the same light. If I brought up the topic, I usually received mixed reactions. For the most part,
When people hear the term hippie, they think of men and woman in loose clothing with flowers weaved in their hair. Although these men and women did in fact wear these things, they left a significant impact on society. Hippies were a part of the Counterculture movement, which basic ideals were to reject the ideas of mainstream society. The movement itself began with the protesting of the Vietnam War. Eventually, the movement was more than just protesting the war. Hippies promoted the use of recreational drugs, religious tolerance; they also changed society’s views and attitudes about lifestyle and social behavior. The Counterculture movement was the most influential era in the 20th century because the people of this time changed society’s outlook, and broached the topics of drugs, fashion, and sexual freedom.
The term hippie is derived from "hip" or "hipster" used by the beats to describe someone who was part of their scene. It literally means to know, so someone who's "hip" is wise. Hippies never adopted this term for themselves. They preferred to be called the "beautiful people". However the media played up "hippy" as the catch-all phrase to describe the masses of young people growing their hair long, listening to rock music, doing drugs, practising free love, going to various gatherings and concerts, demonstrating and rejecting the popular culture of the early 60's. Hippies were the adults of the baby boom post-World War II. They wanted to test and enjoy the limits of life adopting a motto of - “Being alive should be Ecstasy”.
Hip-hop culture began to develop in the south Bronx area of New York City during the 1970s. It had a significant influence in the music industry. Hip-hop music generally includes rapping, but other elements such as sampling and beatboxing also play important roles. Rapping, as a key part in the hip-hop music, takes different forms, which including signifying, dozen, toast and jazz poetry. Initially, hip-hop music was a voice of people living in low-income areas, reflecting social, economic and political phenomenon in their life [1]. As time moves on, hip-hop music reached its “golden age”, where it became a mainstream music, featuring diversity, quality, innovation and influence [2]. Gangsta rap, one of the most significant innovations in hip-hop music, contains violent and confrontational lyrics, such as the word “nigger”. Rappers like Ice-T and groups like N.W.A popularized this new rap style through out the country and made a great success commercially. When it comes to the twenty-first century, hip-hop music already has a global influence and becomes a dominant in the mainstream.
It is important that we stay true to ourselves and not fall into the labels that intellectuals have disvalued and throw around. This occupation that Picasso, Matisse and many art fathers worked so hard to get started, society is now handing it out to every soul that has enough paper to pay for it.