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The Everyday Bogans: Identity and Community amongst Heavy Metal Fans A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Dave Snell The University of Waikato Te Whare W ānanga o Waikato 2012 ii iii ABSTRACT Since the mid-twentieth century some social psychologists have demarcated communities as static entities; conceptual and physical boundaries were placed around communities to facilitate scholarly analysis. This theoretical and methodological bias is contrasted against the consideration of the dynamic flow of communities and, by association, identity formation. The application of social interactionism provides one method through which to remedy the partiality of preferred approaches to community as practised in contemporary social psychology. Opening up analysis to the consideration of processes of communing exposes the interconnection of identity and community, symbiosis that develops through social interactions across places via the creative use of music and material objects. Evidence collected through auto-ethnographic engagement with New Zealand Heavy Metal fans clarifies the complex associations that shape and maintain individual identity and community associations. Social ties are negotiated and maintained across online and offline spaces, through personal interactions and shared experiences, via object recognition, and threshold maintenance. Social psychological research needs to return to early works of psychology and symbolic interactionism to account more fully for the complex and emplaced nature of identity and community. iv v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS While wanting to avoid cheesy metaphors of journeys, rollercoasters, or even onion layers, this thesis has been a difficult process. As with anything I do, or have done, I owe a great deal to a great many for their support. I am very grateful and would like to thank them all. In particular I would like to thank: My supervisors, particularly Darrin, whose continued support in this thesis, and my career, have been greatly appreciated. Darrin’s support in all aspects of this study and my career has been nothing short of amazing. Also thank you to Colin for his insightful feedback on my drafts and resources on issues of a musical and geographic nature. Thanks also to Peter Gibbons, for his sage advice during the final stages of this project. I am also grateful to my colleagues: Amanda Young-Hauser, Hannah Merdian, Shiloh Groot, and Wen Li for their comments and support during this research. This thesis would also not be possible without the financial support of the Tertiary Education Commission. I would also like to thank my family. We have been through a great deal and their unconditional love has always been a source of strength. Thank you to my Mum, Olwyn, for her ability to put up with my rants, to my sister Marie for her continued support, and particularly to my Dad, Rex, for putting that first AC/DC tape into the car stereo when I was 12 years old – I hope you realise you are ultimately responsible (to blame?) for all of this. This thesis is also dedicated to Stella “Jonesy” Snell for her love and support. “We did it” To my partner Nina for her encouragement, tolerance, and for keeping me sane – thank you. You’ve done so much for me and you do not even realise it. Thanks also to my friends for never letting me give up the 12 year old boy’s mentality of air guitar and singing in front of a mirror. vi This study is also dedicated to my research participants: Architect, Chopper, Death, Drummer, Filf, Flash Medallion, H.O.B., Misery, Miss Raven, Nail, Ripper, Space Ghost, and Slayer Fan. Without your help, support, and encouragement none of this would have been possible. Also thank you to those who provided additional comments and photographs. Finally, to anyone who has ever thought that drinking beer, growing a mullet, and listening to Metal was a good idea – this one’s for you! We don't need their laws together we destroy And I won't let them ruin the one thing I enjoy Tonight's the night we finally get to rip this place apart And this is how we turn your boring party into art! Taken from the song “The Art of Partying” by Municipal Waste (2007) vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................... v LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................... ix LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................... 1 A symbolic context for the research: Bogans, the media, and moral panics ............. 3 Contestations of meaning: The case for Heavy Metal ............................................ 19 Conceptualising identity and community ................................................................ 23 Identities, subcultures, and fans: From interactions to shared social identities. 28 A shift to fluid, identity based communities. ..................................................... 34 Performing identity and community: Practices, objects, bodies, and places ........... 39 Thesis structure ..................................................................................................... 48 CHAPTER TWO: METHOD .................................................................................... 53 Symbolic interactionism and an ethnographically inspired project .......................... 54 Participant recruitment, research procedure, and social networking sites .............. 60 Participants ............................................................................................................ 65 The researcher ...................................................................................................... 71 Analysis ................................................................................................................. 76 CHAPTER THREE: IDENTITY, EMBODIMENT, AND THE NEGOTIATION OF COMMUNITY ......................................................................................................... 81 Adapting a social identity ....................................................................................... 84 Material objects and stylisation .............................................................................. 89 Embodiment through tattoos .................................................................................100 Valuing bodies and distinctions .............................................................................107 Chapter discussion ...............................................................................................123 viii CHAPTER FOUR: IDENTITY AND COMMUNITY ACROSS OFFLINE AND ONLINE PLACES ............................................................................................................... 131 Concerts as places for intense experiences of Metaller identity and community ... 134 Shared practices in more local settings: The bar and the home ........................... 142 Taking identity and community online .................................................................. 150 Spanning the online and offline in everyday life .................................................... 159 Chapter discussion .............................................................................................. 169 CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................ 175 The inter-related nature of identity and community ............................................... 179 The physical and material nature of identity and community ................................ 182 The interconnected and overlapping fabric of everyday life .................................. 188 Everyday life: Reflections on bringing it all together ............................................. 192 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................... 199 APPENDIX A: INTERVIEW THEMES ................................................................... 231 APPENDIX B: INTRODUCTION LETTER ............................................................. 233 APPENDIX C: CONSENT FORM ......................................................................... 235 ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. New Zealand Bogans ................................................................................. 6 Figure 2. Miss Raven (on the right) and friend, circa 1995 ...................................... 91 Figure 3. Filf’s Wacken ticket .................................................................................