Cohesion and Dissolution: Friendship in the Globalized Punk and Hardcore Scene of Buenos Aires

366 Pages·2014·89.23 MB·English

by  Ingo Rohrer (auth.)

Cohesion and Dissolution
Ingo Rohrer
Cohesion
and Dissolution
Friendship in the Globalized Punk
and Hardcore Scene of Buenos Aires
Ingo Rohrer
Freiburg, G ermany
ISBN 978-3-658-04359-9 ISBN 978-3-658-04360-5 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-658-04360-5
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Acknowledgements
I experienced the last three years of providing fieldwork in a foreign country,
analyzing the gathered data, and finally writing down the findings and
considerations as a wonderful and stimulating time in my life. I am deeply
grateful to have had the opportunity, the financial security, and the time to bring
this dissertation 10 paper.
First and foremost, I therefore offer my sincerest gratitode 10 my supervisor
Prof. Dr. Judith Schlehe, who encouraged me to start this project and who has
been supportive ever since. Tbroughout the whole process of investigating and
writing her advice, her constructive criticism and her empathy have been of
indispensable help for the developrnent and completion of this work.
Tbe dissertation would not have been possible without the help and support
of the DFG Graduiertenkollege 1288 Freunde, Gönner, Getreue and I want 10
thank all the associated professors, post-docs, visiting fellows, and scholarship
holders, who have been incredibly helpful throughout the years. In particular I
want 10 thank Prof. Dr. Ronald G. Asch, Prof. Dr. Wolfang Eßbach, Prof. Dr.
Gisela Rieseher, Dr. Sharon Adams, Dr. Albert Joosse, Dr. Jeanne Reresant
Menares, Dr. Emmanuel C. Bourbouhakis, Michael Strauß, and the colleagues
with whom I shared not only an office, but a very good time.
I furthermore want 10 thank the colleagues of the departrnent of social and
cultural anthropology of the uuiversity of Freiburg for giving me valuable
advice, literature tips, and a sympathetic ear whenever it was needed. In
particnlar I want 10 thank Prof. Dr. Gregor Dober, Prof. Dr. Stefan Seitz, Dr.
Andreas Volz, Dr. Reike Drothbohm, and all PhD candidates who actively
contributed in improving this dissertation in our colloquium sessions.
Despite all this fabnlous supervision and help I reached several times
moments of exhaustion, confusion, and doubt, which I only was able to endure
thanks 10 the support and patience of my beloved partner Solange De Sousa
Barros. I am convinced !hat this work would not be what it is, ifI would not have
been able 10 count on the understanding and the emotional support ofmypartner.
Also my family and a multitude of friends have been of essential help in the
whole process of investigating, reading, and writing. I want to thank in particular
Nina Pietschmann, and Fabian Appel for their corrections, inspiration, and
6 Acknowledgements
advice. Furthennore I want to thank my assistants during the fieldwork:, who
transcrihed the recorded material.
Last hut not least I want to express my gratitude to all the punk and hardcore
fans in Buenos Aires, Montevideo, and Santiago de Chile who welcomed me
with such openness, helpfulness, and wannth and made !bis research the
unforgettahle experlence !hat it was. Thanks a lot!
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements. .............................................................................................. 5
1 Introduction. ................................................................................................... 13
2 Punk and Hardcore - an Introduction• ••••••••............••••••••••••..........•••••...•••... 21
2.1 An Overview of the Development of Punk and Hardcore ....................... 21
2.2 Myth and Memories - Retrospective Aeeounts ...................................... 22
2.3 Aeademie Approaches ............................................................................. 27
2.4 Global Aspects ........................................................................................ .31
2.5 ConclusioDS ............................................................................................ .34
3 Anthropology and yonth. ........••••••••••..........••••••••••..........••••••••••.........•••...•••.. 37
3.1 Classie Anthropology and its Perspective on Youth ............................... 37
3.2 Tbe Sociologieal Perspective. .................................................................. 40
3.3 Post-subcu1tural Studies ......................................................................... .41
3.4 Tb. Global Perspeetive ........................................................................... .44
3.5 ConelusioDS ............................................................................................ .45
4 Theorizing Friendship• ••••••.........••••••••••........•••••••••••..........••••••••••.........•••••••••. 47
4.1 ABrief Comment on Role Conflict in the Field. ................................... .48
4.2 Ideas ofFriendship in Philosophy, Politieal Seienee, and Soeiology .... .48
4.2.1 Tbe Historieal Development ofFriendship Coneepts .................... .49
4.2.2 Sociologieal Perspeetives 00 Friendship. ...................................... .51
4.3 Anthropology and Friendship .................................................................. 57
4.3.1 Friendship. A Universal Social Relationship? ............................... 57
4.3.2 Semantie Differenees ...................................................................... 58
4.3.3 Diverse Practiees ............................................................................. 59
4.3.4 Distinetion From Other Social RelatioDS ........................................ 60
4.3.4.1 Friendship and Kinship .......................................................... 61
4.3.4.2 Friendship and Clientelism. .................................................... 62
4.3.5 Dyadie Friendship and Group Relations ......................................... 64
4.3.6 Private vs Publie? ........................................................................... 65
4.4 Interim Cooelusions ................................................................................. 66
4.4.1 Globalization and Cross-cu1tural Friendship .................................. 67
4.4.2 Generalizatioo ofFriendship. .......................................................... 69
4.4.3 Soeial Categories - Homophily ofValue or Status? ..................... 70
4.4.3.1 Age ......................................................................................... 70
4.4.3.2 Gender and Sexuality. ............................................................ 72
4.4.3.3 Soeial Class ............................................................................ 74
8 Table of Contents
4.4.3.4 Etbnicity and Religion. ........................................................... 75
4.5 Conclusions. ............................................................................................ 76
5 Ritual, Communitas, Performance. .............................................................. 77
5.1 Van Gennep, Les Rites de Passage .......................................................... 78
5.2 Turners Development ofvan Gennep's Schema. .................................... 79
5.2.1 Structure and Anti-Structure ........................................................... 80
5.2.2 Liminality and Communitas ........................................................... 81
5.2.3 Liminoid Phase and Tbree Types of COmmunitas .......................... 84
5.2.4 Social Drama and Perfonnance ...................................................... 85
5.3 Turners Influence on Performance Studies and Practical Tbeory. ......... 87
5.4 Critical Responses to Turner's Concepts ................................................. 89
5.5 Tbe Challenge ofUsing Turner's Concepts in this Work. ....................... 91
6 Bringing All Together. ................................................................................... 93
7 Methodology. .................................................................................................. 99
7.1 Research Approach. ................................................................................. 99
7.2 Exploringthe Field. ............................................................................... IOI
7.3 Sampie Criteria. ..................................................................................... 10 2
7.4 Choice ofResidence. ............................................................................. IO5
7.5 Methods ................................................................................................. 106
7.5.1 Qualitative Interviews ................................................................... I 06
7.5.2 Informal Conversation .................................................................. 10 9
7.5.3 Participant Dbservation ................................................................. li 0
7.5.4 Internet Forum Research ............................................................... I 12
7.5.5 Dnline-Chat as a Source ................................................................ 114
7.5.6 Analysis ofMusic, Texts, and Visual Media. ............................... I 15
7.5.7 Dther Methods .............................................................................. 117
7.6 Recording and Data Management.. ....................................................... 119
7.7 Evaluation. ............................................................................................. 119
7.8 Anonymization. ..................................................................................... 120
7.9 Ethics. .................................................................................................... 121
7.10 Self-Retlections ................................................................................... 122
7.10.1 Inside and Outside, Closeness and Distance in Field Research .. 122
7.10.2 Intimacy and Professionalism, Friendship in the Field ............... 126
7.1 0.3 Critical Reflections Ou My Position in the Field. ....................... 130
7.11 Conclusions ......................................................................................... 131
Table of Contents 9
Camino Por Delante - Road Ahead• .........•••••••••.........•••••••••••.........••••••••••••...• 133
8 Argentina: HistoricaI, Politieal, Economic and Social Context• •...•••..•.•.• 135
8.1 Argentina - A Historical and Social Introduction. ................................ 135
8.2 Tbe Recent History of Argentina. .......................................................... 138
8.2.1 Turbulentyears. ........................................................................... 138
8.2.2 Post-Dictatorsbip and Democratization. ....................................... 140
8.2.3 Tbe Neo-Liberal Turn under Menem ............................................ 141
8.2.4 On the Wayto AnotherCrisis ....................................................... 143
8.2.5 Tbe Current Political Setting. ....................................................... 145
8.3 Conc\usions. .......................................................................................... 146
9 The Development or Punk and Hardcore in Buenos Aires. ...................... 149
9.1 Roots ofthe scene .................................................................................. 149
9.2 Tbe 90s and the Rise of Hardcore ......................................................... 154
9.3 Tbe Economic Collapse and its Effects on the Scene ........................... 157
9.4 Tbe Next Blow: Tbe Catastrophe ofCromaii6n. ................................... 160
9.5 Conc\usions. .......................................................................................... 163
Noches agitadas - restless nights. .................................................................... 165
10 Identifying with the Punk and Hardcore Scene. ..................................... 167
10.1 Identification and Identity. .................................................................. 167
10.2 Appearance and Style .......................................................................... 171
10.3 Tbe Body. ............................................................................................ 179
10.4 Activities and Participation. ................................................................ 180
10.5 Conc\usions ......................................................................................... 182
11 Forming and Performing Communitas. ................................................... 185
11.1 Experienced Communitas .................................................................... 185
11.2 Normative Communitas ....................................................................... 196
11.3 ldeological COmmunitas ...................................................................... 199
11.4 Imagined Communitas ......................................................................... 20 1
11.5 Conc\usions ......................................................................................... 202
12 Three Spheres or Friend.hip. ....................................................................2 05
12.1 Bamo. .................................................................................................. 206
12.1.1 Family. ........................................................................................ 207
12.1.2 Neighbors and Neighborhood. .................................................... 211
12.1.3 Buddies and Friends .................................................................... 213
10 Table of Contents
12.1.4 Class Structure and Football Fanaticism ..................................... 215
12.1.5 Practices ofFriendship in the Barrio .......................................... 219
12.1.6 Concepts ofFriendship in the Barrio .......................................... 221
12.2 Local Scene .......................................................................................... 221
12.2.1 Meeting Points, Concerts and Events ......................................... 222
12.2.2 Tbe Virtual Space. ...................................................................... 225
12.2.3 Practices ofFriendship in the Local Scene ................................. 226
12.2.4 Concepts ofFriendship in the Local Scene. ................................ 230
12.3 Transnational Scene. ............................................................................ 231
12.3.1 Mediated Contacts ...................................................................... 232
12.3.2 Contacts in Person ....................................................................... 236
12.3.2.1 Short-term Stays ................................................................. 237
12.3.2.1.1 Tourism. ..................................................................... 237
12.3.2.1.2 Band Tours ................................................................ 239
12.3.2.2 Long-term Stays ................................................................. 241
12.3.2.2.1 Students ..................................................................... 241
12.3.2.2.2 Migration. .................................................................. 242
12.3.3 Practices ofFriendship in the Global Scene ............................... 244
12.3.4 Concepts ofFriendship in the Transnational Scene .................... 247
12.4 Conclusions ......................................................................................... 248
13 The Impact of Socia! Differen.es on the S.ene. .......................................2 49
13.1 Age ....................................................................................................... 249
13.2 Gender Roles and Machismo ............................................................... 252
13.3 Social Class ......................................................................................... 256
13.4 Religion ............................................................................................... 258
13.5 Ethnicity. .............................................................................................. 260
13.6 Conclusions ......................................................................................... 264
Volviendo a Ca.a - Going Home. ...................................................................2 65
14 Dis.olving Friend.hip. ...............................................................................2 67
14.1 Different Reasons to End a Friendship ................................................ 267
14.2 Reasons that Undermine the Practice ofFriendship ............................ 270
14.2.1 Experiences ................................................................................. 270
14.2.2 Contemplations ........................................................................... 276
14.3 Reasons that Challenge the Idea ofFriendship. .................................. 277
14.3.1 Dyadic Relations ......................................................................... 279
14.3.1.1 Money. ................................................................................ 280