Throughout history, sections of the community in many parts of the world have adopted some subcultures quite unique to the common culture, and sometimes very controversial. Some of these subcultures actually evolve to develop into relatively new cultures, religions and beliefs, while others are short lived but leave some marks in the community. An example of such subcultures includes the hippies, punks and old religions (Falk and Falk 57). A comparison of these subcultures in their early development and their modern equivalent has been discussed in detail. Although the earlier versions of these subcultures share some common features with their current models, there are some significant differences in which the modern world subcultures have much integrated with the mainstream cultures. Good examples of songs in the past subculture include Joan Baez’s song Diamond Trust. Example lyrics are written below:
Well, I'll be damned
Here comes your ghost again
But that's not unusual
It's just that the moon is full
And you happened to call
And here I sit
Hand on the telephone
Hearing a voice I'd known
A couple of light years ago
Heading straight for a fall
Another example is Janis Joplin’s song “One Good Man” whose first few lyrics are shown below:
Honey, I love to go to parties
And I like to have a good time,
But if it gets too pale after a while
Honey and I start looking to find
One good man.
Hmm, don't you know I've been searching,
Oh yes I have!
One good man,
Oh ain't much, honey ain't much,
It's only everything, whoa.
Hippie Subculture in the past versus hippie subculture today
The hippie is a subculture that developed in the United States of America among the youths in 1960s, before spreading out to most other countries, notably the United Kingdom and Australia (Monteith 12). The word hippie was derived from the term hipster that was earlier used to describe some urban dwellers in some cities such as New York. The hippies assumed some major different behaviors and beliefs from the mainstream culture in these areas, most of which were highly controversial. A good example of a The hippie subculture, however, went through several changes in the 1980s and 1990s, and it is now arguable that although the modern world hippies share some common features with the past versions, they have assumed several aspects of the mainstream cultures, and have become more socially conservative (Falk and Falk 57).
The 1960s and 1970s hippies were characterized by several behaviors and beliefs. They greatly influenced music, religion, political views, television, literature, arts and film. The development and spread of the hippie subculture was based on the urge by youths and young adults to free themselves from restrictions within the American and European societies. They sought to choose their own way of living and behavior. They questioned the prevailing laws and authority on its effect on the people (Bennett 5). Some common features among them included the use of drugs such as marijuana, LSD and amphetamines, while influencing other people to enter into drugs (Falk and Falk 57).
Travelling, both international and locally, was a prominent aspect of the hippie subculture. The hippies sought friendship and recruitment of more and more persons worldwide through these travels. They popularly used buses that resembled school buses, as they always travelled in large groups. They also used their own logo as a symbol of unity and friendship. They also hitchhiked because they realized it was a very economical means of travelling locally (Bennett 5). They travelled to most European countries in search of new followers. In politics, the hippie culture greatly opposed the development of nuclear reactors whether for energy or military purposes (Bennett 5). They participated in several non violent mass campaigns and demonstrations in objection of Vietnam War, and support of human rights groups. In religion, they chose to break away from the mainstream religious organizations, and preferred spiritual experiences, but some would embrace Buddhism, Jesus movement or Hinduism. They greatly objected Christianity, probably due to some restrictions on drugs use and some music like rock (Monteith 34).
The modern day hippie subculture has been transformed greatly from the initial cultures, and the behaviors have changed radically. Modern day hippies do not have a cultural feature of travelling in search of followers. They no longer oppose the mainstream religion, and today one finds persons associated with the hippie culture in the mainstream religious groups. The use of drugs has waned from being a culture of hippies, rather becoming a culture of outlaws. In music, they no longer emphasize on rock music, rather allowing any one to listen, perform and participate in any music that prevails within the society. Politically, the modern day hippies allow each and every person to have and act according to his or her point of view on the local, national and international matters.
Another example of a hippie song (The Birdsong) released in the 1960s is that by Grateful Dead which goes:
All I know is something like a bird within her sang,
All I know she sang a little while and then flew on,
Tell me all that you know, I'll show you snow and rain.
If you hear that same sweet song again, will you know why?
Anyone who sings a tune so sweet is passin' by,
Laugh in the sunshine, sing, cry in the dark, fly through the night.
Don't cry now, don't you cry, don't you cry anymore.
Sleep in the stars, don't you cry, dry your eyes on the wind.
All I know is something like a bird within her sang,
All I know she sang a little while and then flew off,
Tell me all that you know, I'll show you snow and rain.
1980s British punk’s subculture vs. mainstream punks today
Just like the hippie subculture, the punk is a subculture that developed in the United States and the United Kingdom, and became popular among the youths and young adults. It began in the 1970s and spread to other parts of the world, especially among English speaking nations. The subculture was greatly influenced by a number of philosophical movements such as anarchism as well as other arts philosophies. Others included nihilism and Marxism philosophies (Monteith, 17).
The punk culture was characterized with great obsession and like for punk rock, deviation of religious believes from the mainstream to personal believes, the use of marijuana and other drugs, campaigns for seeking membership and different political views from those held by the conventional culture within the society (Falk and Falk 57).
The modern day punk culture still has some depended on the punk forms of music, but which has been changed greatly into other genres of music such as the pop punk and hip hop. In addition, they have greatly embraced other cultures, including the mainstream social features, and today, they seem to have become more and more inclined to the conventional society. A common means of seeking friendship in the modern world is the use of the internet, where they exchange ideas, points of view, music, carry out political debates and seek for new membership, and thus the outside community seems to have lost its concern over the punks (McCleary, and McCleary 29).
Neo-Pagans (New Age) vs. Old Religions
Among the early Judaists, Christians and Muslims, any other religious or antireligious believe were perceived as paganism. Pagans was, and still is, a term used to refer to native religions which tend to believe in more than one deity, personal deities, physical features as deities, manmade objects as deities and even animals or human beings as deities (Kathleen, 4). The early forms of paganism strictly observed the reliance of these objects as gods, and even sacrificed offerings to them (Falk and Falk 57). Several laws were existed which guide how the worshipping of such deities were to be performed, and punishment of the wrongdoers, as per the laws, was a common feature. There were gods representing each physical, spiritual, biological and imaginary phenomenon, for instance the god of rain, diseases, love and death. On their side, the non-pagans greatly despised paganism, and always described any believe or non-believers as paganism and pagans respectively (Kathleen, 4).
The modern paganism, otherwise known as neo-paganism, is quite wide and even well established, but which has taken several dimensions so as to integrate itself even with the believers in mainstream religions. Neo-paganism is characterized with reconnection with nature, use of imagery, and importing forms from the earlier pagans, but always adjusting them in order to meet the needs of the modern communities (McCleary, and McCleary 29). Modern pagans also believe in more than one god, but also believe that there is one great God that is above other gods and humanity. They also incorporate scientific believes and theories to some extent, including the law of evolution and natural selection. On their part, the mainstream religions have reduced their ill perception of the pagans, and in most cases they associate and relate with them in many ways in the society.
In conclusion, human beings tend to adopt new cultures and either dumps them or changes them with time, producing relatively new cultures. Generations are the main aspects in this process. In this discussion, the examples of hippies, punks and paganism as compared to their modern day forms provide good examples of how generations play an important role in adopting and changing cultures and believe with time and as per the prevailing conditions.
Works cited
Bennett, Andy. Subcultures or Neo-Tribes? Rethinking the Relationship between Youth, Style and Musical Taste. American journal of ethnography, 2006. Print.
Falk, Gerhard, Falk Ursula A. Youth culture and the generation gap. London: Algora Publishing, 2005. Print.
Kathleen M. Sullivan. Religion and Liberal Democracy. Heinonline journal, 2009. Print.
McCleary, John Bassett, and Joan Jeffers McCleary. The hippie dictionary: a cultural encyclopedia (and phraseicon) of the 1960s and 1970s. London: Ten Speed Press, 2004. Print.
Monteith, Sharon. American culture in the 1960s. Edinburgh , UK: Edinburgh University Press, 2008. Print.
