Conclusion

Abstract

In this last chapter I want to recapitulate my argument throughout this book by pointing to four interrelated contributions to subcultural theory in particular and to cultural sociology in general. The first of these refers to a methodological strategy of actively pursuing subcultural heterogeneities; the second to the theoretical refinement of the subcultural through assessing the sub and the cultural properties of the subcultural; the third to the disenthrallment of the mainstream from having an inherent meaning as “the outside,” “the dominant,” or “the commercial,” but also from having a single meaning; and the fourth contribution refers to the convex–concave model as a comprehensive and transparent model for understanding plural subcultural authentications, by focusing on structures of meaning rather than individual participants or a presumed resistance. Lastly, I will briefly comment on the applicability of the convex–concave model beyond this particular study.