Sociology
Ryan Moore:
1. What does Moore mean by the distinction between a Fordist and Post-Fordist economy?
2. What does Moore mean by “embedded liberalism” and neo-liberalism?
3. How is “youth” a socially constructed idea/category and what is the social context of the development of youth subcultures?
4. What does the “crisis of representation” and the waning of affect refer to in post-modern theory?
5. How does Moore distinguish between rhythm and noise in the structure of feeling?
6. Clearly explain the concept of “scenes” in the context of youth subcultures?
7. What is the “counter-aesthetic” of punk reacting to and what distinctions does Moore discuss within punk music in Britain and the United States?
8. How did punk evolve in California?
9. Clearly explain the reaction to punk represented in DIY and Straightedge subcultures.
10. What are the origins of heavy metal, and what does the concept of reification refer to?
11. Clearly explain three ways that heavy metal reifies power in society.
12. How did the metal-punk crossover and glam metal challenge but ultimately reproduce social relations in society?
13. Explain the relationship of alternative subcultures and music to the Post-Fordist Capitalism of the 1990s.
14. What is the significance of ‘authenticity” in the riot girrrl and grunge subcultures?
15. Clearly explain the concept of subcultural capital and how Moore applies it to youth subcultures.
16. What does “retro” subculture refer to (also consider the ideas of simulacra and pastiche), and how does Moore distinguish it from a) nostalgia, b) revival, c) camp?
17. According to Moore, how is retro related to literary theories of the epic and novel, and what is the dialogic theory of Mikhail Bakhtin and George Lipsitz?
18. What are the possibilities and contradictory impulses of retro culture according to Moore?
19. Clearly explain the key differences between the theories of Walter Benjamin and Theodore Adorno regarding popular culture? What are the main critiques of their perspectives?
20. What is Moore’s argument regarding a) the cultural and political significance of rock n’ roll, b) the fragmentation of youth subcultures and music, and c) the quest for authenticity of youth.