Subculture (literally subculture from Latin: sub – under, culrura – culture) is actually an unconventional search for the individual himself. Youth movements affect many social spheres: language, clothing, behavior, literature, music.
Speaking of subcultures, most often young people are meant. This is due to the psychology of human development. A teenager, as he grows up and separates from his family, feels the need to fill the emerging void. He wants to be part of something common, while opposing the bulk of the “misunderstood”. Passing the time of rebellion, the young man looks for “tribesmen” who are ready to support him in a difficult moment.
Starting its path from a particular cut of the jacket and passing through a rigid installation of appearance, worldview, musical preferences, subcultures have become a special lifestyle, with its own rules, ideology and philosophy. Where did the history of subcultures in the United States begin?
The first kinds of subcultures were “black”. They grew out of an acute problem between blacks and whites in America. And it all began as a quiet challenge to the established standards of society.
The emergence of subcultural movements in the United States: The 1940s and 1950s.
“Zooties” – the silent street revolution
The desire to attract attention was realized in a rather unusual way for that time – by wearing a provocative suit called the Zoot Suit. It consisted of narrow pants and an elongated striped jacket. It was quite difficult to buy such a suit, especially for the oppressed African-Americans: it was sewn to order at an obscenely high price. The owners of such an outfit became known as “Zooties.
The significance of this subculture was great. The costume became a kind of symbol of ethnic pride and rebellion against white society. It was the Zutiz who later formed the first organized black street gangs.