Punk and Hardcore – an Introduction

Abstract

A popular image that most people think of while talking about punk, is the one of a reckless young drunk with torn clothes and a colored hair-dress. Obviously, this picture is inaccurate for a cultural field that has evolved over the past 35 years and which is composed of a wide range of cultural production, idiosyncratic practice, and a set of attitudes and values. To impart a better understanding of the punk culture, this chapter gives a brief overview over the history of punk before the specifics of the culture will be discussed with recourse to popular literature on punk and hardcore. Also, academic authors who contributed to the discussion on punk will be taken into account in the subsequent chapter. A particular emphasis will be put on the global entanglement of the punk and hardcore culture before the discussion ends with the conclusions that are relevant for this work.