The Subcultural Imagination by Shane Blackman Michelle Kempson

Author:Shane Blackman, Michelle Kempson [Shane Blackman, Michelle Kempson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781317549710
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Published: 2016-06-17T00:00:00+00:00

Research context: the Chicago School, the night-time economy and subculture

This research was an ethnographic study into young adults’ (18–34) alcohol consumption in a city-centre pub, known herewith as The Mitre, in Canterbury, south-east England. Chatterton and Hollands (2002: 95) describe cities as:

sites of entertainment and pleasure seeking [where] a central focus of recent rebranding has been the promotion of the night-time economy, much of which is characterised by the ritual descent of young adults into city-centre bars, pubs and clubs especially during the weekend.

The Mitre was located within the city-walls, which encircle the centre; it operated weekly from Monday to Saturday with a late licence of 1 a.m. for the serving of alcohol. These hours of trade meant that it occupied a central position within the late-night pub drinking culture of the Canterbury night-time economy. The research correlates with Measham and Moore (2009: 438) who argue: “The expansion of the British night-time economy has led to a growing body of research focused on drinking, alcohol-related crime and broader cultural and criminological aspects of the alcohol-focused licensed leisure industry.” Several subcultural drinking groups prevalent within the Canterbury night-time economy frequented the pub, with the research focusing upon students and workers from around the city. Blackman (2005: 2) states: “The concept of subculture at its base is concerned with agency and action belonging to a subset or social group that is distinct from but related to the dominant culture.” Identification was made of a hard-drinking/hard-grafting subculture of young adult men drinking outside of the manual-workplace, who described themselves as the “rock ’n’ roll builders”.

The position of bartender at The Mitre was secured after a spell of fieldwork familiarisation was undertaken within Canterbury city-centre drinking spaces. Having spent time socialising with acquaintances in a range of pubs within the night-time economy, including licensees, bar staff and door staff, I was offered the position of bartender at The Mitre by its licensee Andrew (aged 52). The positioning of the researcher as bartender corresponded with the research into young adult’s culture at the Chicago School as outlined by Park (1915) in The City: Suggestions for the Study of Human Nature in the Urban Environment. This research plan was subsequently undertaken by Thrasher in The Gang (1927), and Cressey in Taxi-Dance Hall (1932). Thrasher and Cressey each immersed themselves within fieldwork settings regarding previously unstudied urban groups within society; each also subsequently reflected upon their methodological practices and processes of immersion (Thrasher, 1928; Cressey, 1927/1983). The role of bartender allowed an extension of space and time within the research context to spend a pre-planned variety of hours and days immersed within the social institution of the pub, and to learn about the biographical lives of participants within the night-time economy through the access this role extended. This strategic immersion supported the researcher’s intention to “set-up a scenario” with potentially willing participants, and the position of Merrill and West (2009: 107) who state: “One person who volunteers willingly to tell their life story can be preferable to any number who are reluctant.

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