Counter-Culture: Selling Than Rebelling? Free Essay

Counter Culture no longer exists. Currently, counter-culture is more expressed through selling than rebellion. Historically, counter-culture or sub-culture was a trend that witnessed the formation or practice of deviant norms or mores from those of the mainstream society, and was meant to offer alternative ways of thinking to the member of the society. Several people formed their counter-culture, to register their dissatisfaction from the rest of the practices of the society, mainly in politics. Some believe Counter Culture still exists, especially when faced with strange beliefs and practices of other people that they are not familiar with. If people do not recognized something , they will usually think it is counter culture. Finally, I will demonstrate that most Counter Culture sell more than rebel in the modern society. The paper will allude to the Hippies Culture and Chinese Rock Culture, which began as a counter-culture, but have since grown to be popular cultures, because majority of the paper accepted them.

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Hippies popularity is neither attached to cultural appeals nor does it has formal structure, rather, it communicates in style and wandering lifestyle to reflect their nationalism and opposition to the Vietnam War, they advocate for non-traditional religion and criticisms of Western middle class values ( Kosntash, 2015). Hippie culture members criticized government restrictions on the rights of citizens, the large corporate greed, no narrow channel of traditional morality and war. They opposed the institutions and organizations they called the establishment". Hippies later got a derogatory use to refer to drug addicts. Until recently, conservatives still use the term as a young hippie liberals insult. At that time hippies want to change their hearts and out of mainstream society.

Heath and Potter, in their book the rebel sell argue that the counterculture, against its subversive intentions, has actually created new segment of market, and thus, ends up feeding the very monster of consumerism and conformity it hopes to destroy (Heath & Potter, 2004). The two authors insinuate how deviation and the need to be different from the norms of consumerism have led to rise of new segment of market through counter-culture. Subculture has thus led to more commercial gain than harm, and is a blessing in disguise to the business industry, since their move to deviate means they would choose from the substitutes of the existing popular products which the rest of the society are embracing. Therefore, counter-culture is more selling than rebelling.

David McRaney in his article titled Selling Out, disputes the misconception that both consumerism and capitalism are sustained by corporations and advertising. Instead, he asserts that the truth is; both consumerism and capitalism are driven by competition among consumers for status. This example shows the extent with which counter-culture, which is a status-seeking movement or grouping, actually leads to the increased commercial tendencies. The lifestyle, diet, dresses, and languages used by people of a given sub-culture show an allegiance to specific patterns and fashion trends with a specific segment of the market. The members of a given culture seek to get noticed or be heard, which is the essence of consumerism and capitalism. Whether you lived through Freedom Summer or Jem and the Holograms somewhere in your youth you started to realize who was in control, and you rebelled, (McRaney, 2010). In this context, the writer that rebellion has got connotation with the commercial aspects of consumerism and capitalism.

Counterculture gradually became consumer culture as a different rebel associated with certain commercial trends which was different was the mainstream societal beliefs. Most of the members of a sub-culture exhibit certain levels of rebel and seek to find their own ways of doing things. Some groups hate the government and may avoid the consumption of certain commodities associated with the government or the mass. This commercial trend gives rise to new consumer culture, of people deeply associated with a particular product compared to the other. The aspect of Cultural Revolution witnessed by the hippies makes it possible to have a counter culture which differs from the masses, even on the commercial front.

In 1980s, Chinese Rock was thought to be a counter-culture in China's mainland. At that time people used to rock their inner thoughts on the Cultural Revolution show and called for affirmative human values, upholding of humanity and its dignity, through the Cultural Revolution. Rock was the first to reveal the "cultural revolution" of the younger generation of spiritual poison and trample upon, through the "save the children" urgent voice, aroused the strong response from society, created the literary creation a true reflection of the unrest of ten years. To serve a large number of exposing the "cultural revolution", "cultural revolution" reflection work arises at the historic moment. Rock can reveal some sensitive topics, such as freedom, political, and even sex, these content at that time is almost a taboo subject. At the time the government was very sensitive to the discontented elements in the society calling for freedom, traditional rebellion, and pursuit of passion.

In today's fashion circles for hippie style 70s is a trend, once the hippie favorite suede, fringed, and graffiti. The influx of people into the hippies culture has made the fashion a popular outfit in the show floor (Blauvelt & Castillo, 2015). It is also common to several elements, and the designers used a large number of elements to pay tribute to the 70s classic. It is a retro hippie element. Because freedom-loving, yearning anarchic simple life, so respected the original of clothing, to relaxed style prefer, especially the long shirt. This style is from the earliest Indian tribes. Through the acquisition of hippies popular fashion, the demand for such dress code has increased, adding to the commercial value and a proof that counter-culture is more of selling than rebelling.

Early 1990s, popular rock struggled to reach climax in mainland China leading to a near collapse, but not death of the rock. Since then, the Chinese rock is a sub-culture, against the mainstream ideology, organizational and cultural hegemony of commercial music. Most people who like rock groupies are not ordinary, but talk to a life objectively with songs and ideas. Under normal circumstances, people called "Chinese Rock" as an unconventional tool against mainstream ideology, music (Campbell, 2010). Later, Chinas opposition has not been very progressive, and the rock was slowly fading. But not necessarily rock the decline is a bad thing. Precisely because China is now in progress and most of the Chinese people's life is good. Now Chinese rock is a fashion-conscious genre, marshaling many followers who purchase the products associated with the rock icons and culture.

It is clear that counter-culture does sell than rebel. For example, most people are LGBT inclusive, although in the 20th century in North America, Europe, Australia and other countries were not. But now some of Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Finland, Israel, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Spain, South Africa, United Kingdom, Scotland, the United States and other countries allows marriage. However, LGBT or counter-culture in some countries such as China, Russia, South Korea, a number of African countries. . . Anti-LGBT culture in state support ended, but the country's opposition is not over yet. Therefore, counter-culture still exists and depending on the local.And in 1980s Chinese rock was counter-culture, but in that time other countries rock were popular. Rock style, was born in the beginning, and is not very popular (Campbell, 2010). We can see now rock style swept the world, it is the result of the transformation of things after processing, retains its formal beauty, but cut off the roots of its development. No real nutrition, it will become a mainstream among components, and graduated to become catchphrase, it is commercialized in the window and then around the world exhibition and sale. When the counter-culture does not exist in society would be good. Counter culture also depends on the time.

Counter Culture does still exist. Counter-culture has become indispensable things in our lives. People try to accept a lot of things, and other counter-culture is slowly reduced. Hippies and Chinese rock are at the heart of the counter-culture influence and growth. The society has seen the formation of social change in the counter-culture. But now the hippie culture and the Chinese rock culture have become popularly essential elements. Time will change everything. But most importantly is that the growth and acceptance of sub-cultures has led to commercial development because market segmentation associated with the groups.

References

CampbellJ. (2010) Red Rock. Hong Kong: Earns haw Books Limited.

Heath, J., & Potter, A. (2004). The rebel sell: Why the culture can't be jammed. HarperCollins.Kostash, M. (2015) Hippies. Retrieved from. :http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/hippies/ (10/03/2016)

McRaney, David. You are not so smart. Sherryl Woods, 2011.

Blauvelt, A., & Castillo, G. (2015) Hippie Modernism: The Struggle for Utopia. Walker Art Centre, U.S. P.6682