Style

The main theme of Dick Hebdige's Subculture is style, realized as an intentional deviation of normative dress, speech, music and dance. Hebdige depicts style as an inherently subversive practice, intended not to define oneself individually, but rather to affiliate oneself with a group who seeks a collective identity separate from the one provided by mass culture. In this way style is both inclusive and rebellious, bringing people together to stand apart.

Hebdige explains that style is achieved materially, by taking familiar signs (such as common objects or clothing) and investing them with a significance which differs from common understanding. In this way a safety pin can cease to be a safety pin and instead become "punk jewelry." By challenging society's definitions, style seeks to overthrow the "myth of consensus" enjoyed by the majority culture. In this way, it is thought, style serves to combat the one-size-fits-all hegemony of...