Research Of The Localization Of Subculture

Chinese rock music comes from the Western society and is a result of the globalization of subcultures. Its progress of localization began in the 80s of the last century when it just appeared, and the localization is getting more and more notable along with the progress of the globalization of subcultures. Resisting dominant culture is one of reasons that the localization occurred. But the most important reason is Chinese rock music's striving for the power and a higher station in subculture groups all over the world. Chinese traditional cultures and folk cultures are the resources that it constructs a particular style which enables it to gain a subculture identity and then to confront the western rock music which dominates the whole rock subculture in the world. The rock music which contains obvious symbols of traditional culture and folk culture is called"rock music with'Chinese characteristics'"by Chinese rock fans. The extent of the localization of the rock music works which with'Chinese characteristics'is various. The more localized, the higher its station in the rock subculture group. Some of them even gained the admiration of mainstream society. On the other hand, however, its aesthetic style will be closer to traditional aesthetic standard and father away from the spirit of avant-garde. That weakens the"poignant rebelliousness"and decreases the subcultural characteristics. So the result of the localization of Chinese rock music is ambivalent.This thesis investigates the representations, reasons and results of localization of the rock music with"Chinese characteristics"in a context of subcultural globalization based on the theories of traditional subculture studies and"post-subculture studies". The first chapter generalizes and enumerates the representations of localization of Chinese rock music by the aspects of music, text and image; the second chapter researches why the localization of Chinese rock music occurs, and advances the notion of"subculture identity", argues that the drive of subculture identity is the critic reason of this localization; the last chapter proves the ambivalent effects"empowerment"and"disinvestment"of the localization on the Chinese rock music with numerous phenomena and avant-garde aesthetic theory.