Punk Rock: A History of Expressions of Emancipative Social Capital

You only get one life. This one is not rehearsal. Anyone can
start their own band – Aaron, Punk Rock Fan, 2014
Punk Rock: A History of
Expressions of Emancipative
Social Capital
Craig Talmage (presenter)
Mikulas Pstross (co-author)
Richard Knopf (co-author)
From Arizona State University’s
Bjorn Peterson (co-author)
Partnership for Community Development
Track
1
Punk can be Pedagogical
What does it teach us still today?
Attention! Attention! May I have all your eyes and ears to the front of the
room, if only, if only for one second - Attention, The Academy Is, 2005
Society, We all know there's something wrong, and we know it all along .
Sincerity, You may think there's no one else till they put you on a shelf
Society, Pay your taxes stand in line help them plan for your demise
Society, Crush the weak to get your share cause nobody's playing fair
And no one cares - Society, Pennywise, 1997
Emancipative Social Capital
!   Self-expression values and elite-challenging action may have
the greatest “civic” payoff (Welzel et al., 2006).
!   Elite-challenging action does not undermine the creation of
social capital or its promulgation of “civic” values (Welzel,
Inglehart, & Deutsch, 2006).
!  
!  
Semiotic practice: Self-questioning and dispute (Kristeva, 1986;
2002).
Public political action: Petitions, demonstration, boycotts,
strikes and occupations of buildings (Welzel et al., 2006).
!   Self-expression values can spur elite-challenging actions;
they combine to form social capital with “a strong
emancipative thrust” (Welzel et al., 2006, p. 141).
Track
2
Punk is a Social Capital Approach
Reflections on Emancipative Social Capital
History of Punk
!   Pre-Wave Protopunk (mid-1960s to mid-1970s)
You've got your mother in a whirl. She's not sure if you're a boy or a girl. Hey babe, your
hair's alright. Hey babe, let's go out tonight. You like me, and I like it all. We like
dancing and we look divine. You love bands when they're playing hard. You want more
and you want it fast. They put you down, they say I'm wrong. You tacky thing, you put
them on - Rebel Rebel, David Bowie, 1974.
!   The First Wave: The Birth of Punk Rock (mid- to
late-1970s)
God save the queen, the fascist regime. They made you a moron, potential H-bomb. God
save the queen. She ain't no human being. There is no future, in England's dreaming.
Don't be told what you want. Don't be told what you need. There's no future, no future,
No future for you - God Save the Queen, The Sex Pistols, 1977
History of Punk
!   Second-Wave: The Rise of L.A. Punk and Death of the
Underground Movement (late-1970s to 1980s)
Sick of politics-for the rich. Sick of power- only oppresses. Sick of government- full of
tyrants. Sick of school- total brainwash – Suicide’s an Alternative / You’ll be Sorry,
Suicidal Tendencies, 1983.
!   New Waves Above Ground: The Rise of Pop Punk
(1990s)
Are you locked up in a world that's been planned out for you? Are you feeling like a
social tool without a use? Scream at me until my ears bleed, I'm taking heed just for
you...She's figured out all her doubts were someone else's point of view, waking up this
time to smash the silence with the brick of self-control. - She, Green Day, 1994.
History of Punk
!   Pop Punk Gets Back a Part of Its Soul (2000s)
Don't wanna be an American idiot. Don't want a nation under the new mania. And
can you hear the sound of hysteria? The subliminal mind fuck America…Now everybody
do the propaganda. And sing along to the age of paranoia – American Idiot, Green
Day, 2004
!   Pop Punk Saves Rock and Roll: Well Maybe (2008 to
Today)
You are what you love. Not who loves you. In a world full of the word 'Yes,’ I'm here to
scream, ‘No, no.’ Wherever I go, go, Trouble seems to follow. I only plugged in to save
rock and roll – Save Rock and Roll, Fall Out Boy (featuring Elton John), 2013
Flavors of Punk
!   Pure Punk
!
Screamo
!   Pop (Populist) Punk
!
Metalcore
!
Emo
!   Soul Punk
!   Hardcore / Post-Hardcore
!   Art Punk
!   Horror Punk
!
!   New Wave
!   Anything that holds its
Ska Punk
core values
Track
3
What is Punk (Rock)?
The Worst Question in the World (Diehl, 2007)
Are you ready for another bad poem? One more off key anthem;
Let your teeth sink in; Remember me as I was not as I am.
- Rat A Tat, Fall Out Boy, 2013.
They might try to tell you how you can live your life, but don't, don't forget it's your right
to do whatever you like, you like, ‘cause you could be your own spotlight...You could be
the star, you can shine so bright...'Cause they're gonna tell you all the rules to break to
take away that light from somebody, somebody now. – Spotlight [New Regrets],
Patrick Stump, 2011.
Punk Rock is…
!   “What it means to be human” (Graffin, 1998, para. 7).
!   “The essence of punk remains a paradox; so simple to
execute, so hard to describe -- although everyone tries…The
only hard, fast rule of punk rock is…no rules” (Diehl, 2007,
p. 30-31).
!   “The major problem with trying to explain punk is that it is
not something that fits neatly into a box or categories. Not
surprising as punk had made the explicit aim of trying to
destroy all boxes and labels” (O’Hara, 1999, p. 11).
!   Punk is not dead; it continues to be recycled and
recomposed with different elements in each of its
iterations (Diehl, 2007).
“It gives me a terrible headache”
- ASU Student, 2014.
Punk Rock is…
A Youth Trend…
Teenagers scare the living shit out of me; they could care less as long as someone'll bleed;
so darken your clothes or strike a violent pose; maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me Teenagers, My Chemical Romance, 2006.
Gut Rebellion and Change…
Red carpet and rebellion; makes ya wonder at the established ones; they ain't out to get
ya; cause you're a mile away - Red Carpet and Rebellion, The Distillers, 2000.
A Formidable Voice of Opposition…
The wind is shifting; something’s different in the air. I see it in the form of choices
everywhere, and I've been asleep a lifetime just to wake in time to find...the voice that
has been speaking for me is no voice of mine! Now you’ve just been spoken for! Now
you’ve just been sold! - No Voice of Mine, Strung Out, 2004.
A Youth Trend
!  
!  
“That sound of undiluted lost
adolescence, all tentative,
quivering voices and speedy
caffeinated rush, is still evoked
today” (Diehl, 2007, p. 32).
“Rebellious youths have been
drawn to [rock n’ roll]…for
decades, but as a whole it has
been merely a part of the ever
growing entertainment
industry” (O’Hara, 1999, p. 24).
!  
The heavy youth-focus masks the
self-expressive nature of punk
(O’Hara, 1999).
!  
“Punk is the personal expression
of uniqueness that comes from
the experiences of growing up in
touch with our human ability to
reason and ask questions”
(Graffin, 1998, para. 9).
We're all fighting growing old in the hopes
of a few minutes more to get on St. Peter's
list, but you need to lower your standards
‘cause it's never getting any better than this
- Rat A Tat, Fall Out Boy, 2013.
Gut Rebellion and Change
!  
“Rebellion is one of the few undeniable characteristics of punk…
implicit in the meaning of Punk and its music and lyrics” (O’Hara,
1999, p. 38).
So, why do we do what they tell us? Why do we do what they say? Why do we do what
they tell us? Why am I controlled by what they say? - Question the Answer, Strike
Anywhere, 2005.
!  
“Punk…serves to refute social attitudes that have been perpetuated
through willful ignorance of human nature” (Graffin, 1998, para. 15).
!  
“Rebellion has to be part of the response to rigid social institutions,
or stagnation is assured...Institutions, by and large, strive for
permanence, and they almost always see life through a formulaic lens
and strongly disfavor individuality and change” (Graffin & Olson,
2010, p. 142).
He's a rebel; it's plain to see. Punk rock rebel so full of strife, he's a rebel; and he'll
always be, someone who changed my life - Punk Rock Rebel, Millencolin, 2002.
Gut Rebellion and Change
!   Revolt: A freedom “to call things into question,” to
challenge the status quo is needed in democratic society
(Julie Kristeva, 2002, p. 12), so that spontaneity of language
and thinking are not cemented.
!  
“Although we need power, [the] need to revolt against the
authorities is permanent” (Kristeva, 2002, p. 109).
The Portrait of Authority…You tell me that's what I'm supposed to be…The Portrait of
Authority…It embodies what he cannot be – Portrait of Authority, Bad Religion,
1993.
!  
“Conformity is rejected on every front possible in order to seek
the truth or sometimes to merely shock people” (O’Hara, 1999, p.
27).
Formidable Voice of Opposition
!   “Punk is a process of questioning and commitment to
understanding that results in self-progress, and by
extrapolation, could lead to social progress” (Graffin 1998,
para. 23).
!   Its ethic reflects a declaration of the oxymoronic ideal of
non-egocentric individualism; it is about finding one’s voice
to speak truth to power (O’Hara, 1999; Diehl, 2007).
!  
“Maintaining a state of punk rockness revolves around
maintaining a sense of individuality” (Diehl, 2007, p. 33).
And now I've got a big question mark above my head…nothing is right and nothing is
wrong…And now I've got a big answer to all my friends, who didn`t understand at all,
who didn`t get my way of living. This isn't something you learn at school. This is not a
fucking pose. It is something that comes from inside; yeah, something that I can call my
life. – Question + Answer, Useless ID, 2000.
Well, What is Punk Then?
!  
“Punk is a belief that this world is what we make of it, truth comes
from our understanding of the way things are, not from the blind
adherence to prescriptions about the way things should be
(Graffin, 1998, para. 29)…Punk is the constant struggle against
fear of social repercussions” (para. 41).
!  
“The crisis of individual expression lies at the core, ultimately, of
both the original punk movement and what constitutes it
today...however, we live in an era when the idea of punk rock as an
oasis of personal expression is under fire” (Diehl, 2007, p. 33-34).
From here to eternity, we begin understanding. From here to eternity I see who you are
and who else can compare. I meant what I said, I promised to stand by your side. Until
the end, that's where we begin. Until the end, that's where we begin - The Beginning,
As I Lay Dying, 2003.
Track
4
Punk Led Us to a Process of Inquiry
Foundational Principles and Their Core
So where do we go and what do we do? You're asking me and I'm asking you…The way you
think depends on what you're going through. What you create comes from deep inside of you
What you know makes the difference in what you hate. What you love depends on how you
relate. Inquiring minds want to know – Inquiring, MXPX, 1995.
Aware
!   Informed Empathy versus Ignorant Apathy
Cause we all wait for something else to save us. With eyes closed we find it all the
differences left us dead (inside). We can't walk the line unconscious this time. Cause our
apathy is a deathwish. Blank stares across the room take in the dead broadcast. All
ambitions disappear waiting for our lives to pass. How long will this last? – Apathy is a
Deathwish, Story of the Year, 2008.
Wake up, wake up, wake up, the world is changing. Someone else's sorrow, I can't hear
it, Someone else's sorrow now, and take back life's remote control – Consequential
Apathy, RX Bandits, 2001.
Open the eyes, look at this wall and notice the one that borrows and steals. I do this to
myself. Stick to the side roads, They help interesting thoughts. You see what you want to
see. – Apathy is a Cold Body, Poison the Well, 2003.
Expressive
!   Individuation versus Conformity
Try, still you got nowhere, try and stay in line. And live by all the rules they say to
follow. Try to conform in my head. They'll feed you bullshit you should swallow. Try
their style don't give up, you will blend in - Try to Conform, Pennywise, 1993
We're not gonna be, Just apart of their game. We're not gonna be, Just the victims.
They're taking our dreams, And they tear them apart, 'til everyone's the same. I've got no
place to go. I've got no where to run. They love to watch me fall. They think they know
it all. I'm a nightmare, a disaster. That's what they always said. I'm a lost cause, not a
hero. But I'll make it on my own. I've gotta prove them wrong…It's me against the world
- Me Against the World, Simple Plan, 2004
All I want, All I need, Always lies just out of reach. I've been coming up empty. I ran as
fast as I can run. I pushed as hard as anyone. But still there's nothing for me. I've tried
as hard as I can. I've taken all I can stand. But I am running a race, Against myself –
Race Against Myself, The Offspring, 2003.
Challenging
!   Altruism versus Egocentrism
Sons and daughters of a dream, The urge to struggle for an ideal, To stay and fight,
Oppose war fever, Refuse to kill or be killed. There's voices calling in the wind. Power to
the Peaceful With a readiness for war, They come down hard in dissent of all forms,
Blood and militarism has swept the country by storm. There's voices calling in the wind.
Power to the Peaceful - Power to the Peaceful, Anti-Flag, 2003
When all soldiers lay their weapons down, or when all kings and all queens relinquish
their crowns. Or when the only true messiah rescues us from ourselves, it's easy to
imagine… there will be sorrow no more - Sorrow, Bad Religion, 2002
From a nation under God, I feel its love like a cattle prod. Born free, but still they hate.
Born me, no I can't change. It's always darkest just before the dawn. So stay awake with
me, let's prove them wrong. Make it stop. Let this end, Eighteen years pushed to the
ledge. It's come to this, A weightless step. On the way down singing, Woah, woah. –
Make It Stop (September’s Children), Rise Against, 2011
Active
!   Reaction versus Idleness
I may never be quite satisfied, but that's the only way I know. I am overcome with
sympathy for your pathetic soul. Breathe in the air while you still can. Take all that you
have while you still can. Sleep all night while you still can. – Action Needs an
Audience, Jimmy Eat World, 2010.
My dearest friends…I felt this thing, I can't replace. Where everyone was working for this
goal - The Adventure, Angels & Airwaves, 2006.
Resister go, As long as it takes, To reverse the hypocrisy, Challenge the stakes. –
Chalkline, Strike Anywhere, 2001.
Revolution rock, it is a brand new rock. A bad, bad rock, this here revolution rock.
Everybody smash up your seats and rock to this, Brand new beat. This here music mash
up the nation. This here music cause a sensation. Tell your ma, tell your pa everything's
gonna be all right. Can't you feel it? Don't ignore it. Gonna be alright - Revolution
Rock, The Clash, 1979.
Don’t Sell Out!
!   Authentic Punk versus Poser
My politics don’t sell clothes, and rights don’t sell my songs. If I vote for something, it’s
something I can see – Politics, The Damned, 1977.
His name is "captain anarchy”, But only in his mind…So punk that he's a poser and
he'll be one till he dies! – Captain Anarchy, Anti-Flag, 1999.
How can you ask me to just forget? All the sick lines, And the words you said. How can
you ask me to just forget? Deny the promises you've made, The things you said, That you
hold dear. Behind your empty words, You hide and wait, Until that you fall in the clear Sometimes Selling Out is Giving Up, Rise Against, 2001.
I'm gonna need you to try to follow along. I did the best that I could to try to write you
songs. Now go tell them we sold out, like we're the ones who changed. I write what I feel,
I say what I mean. You can't buy sincerity. I sold my soul to the open road. I'll live my
life alone! - The Downfall of Us All, A Day To Remember, 2011.
Thank You
Questions and Comments are Welcome
Please Contact: Craig Talmage (ctalmage@asu.edu)