Ethnographic Perspectives on Community and Networking in the Central Florida Punk Rock Scene
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University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020- 2020 Stage Dives and Shared Mics: Ethnographic Perspectives on Community and Networking in the Central Florida Punk Rock Scene Lauren Friedman University of Central Florida Part of the Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2020 University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020- by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Friedman, Lauren, "Stage Dives and Shared Mics: Ethnographic Perspectives on Community and Networking in the Central Florida Punk Rock Scene" (2020). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-. 45. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2020/45 STAGE DIVES AND SHARED MICS: ETHNOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVES ON COMMUNITY AND NETWORKING IN THE CENTRAL FLORIDA PUNK ROCK SCENE by LAUREN FRIEDMAN B.A. Florida Atlantic University, 2017 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the Department of Anthropology in the College of Sciences at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term 2020 © 2020 Lauren Yvonne Friedman ii ABSTRACT Music remains an important aspect of culture and society, proven by copious academic studies exploring how humans create, experience, and utilize it. The emergence of punk rock as a music genre and scene of interconnected individuals in the mid-to-late 1970s provides significant insight into social and political attitudes of the time. Punk rock’s continued existence in the present day reflects similar themes to its first incarnation besides forging new directions for the genre and the scene. In this study I examine social factors within the current Central Florida punk rock scene that contribute to its evolution and longevity. I used participant observation and semi-structured interviews to obtain ethnographic data from punk rock scene members and understand their experiences in the scene. I found two prevailing themes in the Central Florida punk scene, community and networking, which serve to unite scene members and ensure punk rock as a DIY, underground scene remains relevant at present time. Based on this, I conclude that the current punk rock scene exists as a critique to contemporary societal norms around the world as well as an example of mixed-mode complex social networking and information sharing. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First, I would like to thank my 22 participants, who each so willingly gave me their time as well as their diverse and enlightening perspectives. It was very punk rock, indeed, to be so candid and patient with me as I asked countless strange and sometimes useless questions. It was a pleasure speaking with each of you. Without your interest and participation, this research would not have been possible. (The discovery of nearly every local coffee spot would also not have been possible without you. Many thanks!) I would also like to thank a few friends: Alison, for continually reminding me that I am stronger than I admit; Joey, for your much-needed editing and outside opinion; Rachael, for the patience, guidance, support, wisdom, and wit; Vanessa, for reminding me that watching Bob’s Burgers and having a beer once in a while is both necessary and stress-relieving. I love and appreciate all of you. In addition, I would like to thank my father and mother: thank you for your unwavering love and belief in me, as well as your desire to see me succeed—it kept me going through some very tough nights. A large thank you goes to my advisor, Dr. Ty Matejowsky, for his assistance and support in navigating academia and the thesis process. I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr. Vance Geiger and Dr. Lana Williams, for agreeing to work with me and for their direction and diverse perspectives. A special thank you also goes to Dr. Joanna Mishtal, who took interest in my work and helped give me the confidence I needed to stand in front of others and share what I found. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................................... x CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................. 4 Punk ............................................................................................................................................ 6 Community ............................................................................................................................... 12 Communitas .......................................................................................................................... 15 Sociality .................................................................................................................................... 15 Resistance ................................................................................................................................. 18 Addressing the Gap in Literature .............................................................................................. 20 CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH SETTING AND METHODS ................................................ 22 Research Timeline .................................................................................................................... 22 Insider Status and Reflexivity ................................................................................................... 22 Ethnographic Methods .............................................................................................................. 24 Participant Observation ......................................................................................................... 24 Interviews .............................................................................................................................. 25 Research Setting........................................................................................................................ 28 Small Venue: Uncle Lou’s Entertainment Hall, Orlando, Florida ....................................... 28 v Medium Venue: Soundbar., Orlando, Florida ...................................................................... 29 Large Venue: The House of Blues, Lake Buena Vista, Florida ............................................ 30 Orlando Punk Rock Flea Market 2019 Will’s Pub, Orlando, Florida .................................. 31 Recruitment and Sampling ........................................................................................................ 32 Analysis..................................................................................................................................... 33 CHAPTER FOUR PUNK IS DEAD: LONG LIVE PUNK ......................................................... 34 Visual Divergence ..................................................................................................................... 35 Sonic and Spatial Divergence ................................................................................................... 36 Ideological and Definitional Divergence .................................................................................. 38 From the Outside....................................................................................................................... 40 Identity in Punk ..................................................................................................................... 42 Inclusivity in Punk ................................................................................................................ 44 Family in Punk ...................................................................................................................... 47 On the Inside ............................................................................................................................. 48 Accessibility in Punk ............................................................................................................ 49 Ethics and Social Issues in Punk ........................................................................................... 50 Politics in Punk ..................................................................................................................... 60 Live Performance in Punk .................................................................................................... 61 DIY in Punk .......................................................................................................................... 66 vi CHAPTER FIVE “A HOBO NETWORK” ................................................................................. 74 What is the Network and Why Does it Exist? .......................................................................... 74 Who is Included and Who Benefits? ........................................................................................ 78 When and How is it Utilized? ................................................................................................... 81 Touring