Chapter 5 Summary and Analysis

Having addressed white subcultures as a mediated response to the black community, Hebdige expands to the conversation to include other groups, in particular those found in the dominant culture. The author is less concerned with the familiar rites of passage associated with the transition from childhood to maturity; rather he is more concerned with the historical specifics of why these forms occur where and when they do. He hopes to understand the historical context that defines a given subculture.

Hebdige paints a picture of post-war Britain. The country is physically and sociologically altered by war, the ruination of London signaling the end of an era. Despite the best hopes of Britain and despite new modes of expression, the country proves unable to rid itself of class conflict. Instead of breaking down class barriers, social forces serve only to fracture the working...