Projects
Youth subcultures (which are defined in particular by music and style) have the potential to erase, or sharpen, the distinctions between class, ethnicity, and gender. Subcultural identity in general is a collective identity, yet it consists of highly individualistic actors, who are active and creative member of their group. Therefore I will focus on ideas of personal identity after 1989. What alternative to ‘mainstream' post-socialist notions of personhood may be offered by these people? What is their vision of a ‘good life'? Such questions can fairly easily be answered with regard to the comparatively well developed Western subcultural "ways of life", where there exists a standard that is widely accepted by these youths. Concerning postsocialist standards "under Construction", it is better to envision youth searching for identity and striving to situate themselves in society even when many ideas of ‘mainstream' society are rejected by the group where the individual participates.
This research shall focus on the emergent personal identity of subculture Punk youth in Bulgaria, which is shaped by the controversy between old (before 1989) and new ideas (after 1989) of the West. The main objective of the research will be to capture the changing identity of the Punks. Fieldwork will be conducted in the urban areas of Sofia, and other big cities in Bulgaria, which are the focal points of contemporary subcultures, combined with short-term trips to UK, where a part of the examined group resides as migrant workers.