(I Want Some) Demystification: Deconstructing Punk

What does ‘punk scholarship’ mean in practice? This is a question that many of us wrangle with on a personal as well as a critical, academic level. How can punk be academicized? What is gained – and what is lost – in that process? Why does punk need to be studied? In relation to which fields of enquiry, which bodies of knowledge could, or should, it be examined? What kinds of people undertake such study, and what motivates them to do it? What is their connection to the subculture itself, as observers, analysts or contributors? What constitutes a critical study of punk in any case – many punk followers are interested in the history of the subculture, sometimes to the tiniest detail, but does that make them ‘scholars’ or merely active participants (or punk nerds)?

Access to this article is restricted because of copyright constraints. Contact UAL Research Online for more information.