In order to understand and categorise subculture groups, American Sociologist Robert Merton explores this concept in his five types of adaptation.Believing that when societal norms can either prompt the individual to conform or become apart of a deviant subculture to achieve the goals of society in another way.Robert Merton's aids to identify the several ways subcultures choose to adapt to society's requirements. To further explore this idea, Australian subcultures that prevailed during the past will be applied to Merton’s theory. These include the ‘Surfers’ surfers that created their own subculture surrounding the popularised sport of surfing, 5T an Australian-Vietnamese gang and the ‘Sharpies’ a youth movement. Robert Merton's paradigm of
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Surfing culture in Australia first became popular during the 1960’s commencing the rise of a new youth subculture.However, the popularisation of a sport does not automatically classify it as a subculture.Stephen Hull, a sociologist who through his studies of the culture of surfing discovered that surfing had characteristics that constitute a subculture.He found that the sport of surfing explores conflict as well as cultural changes that emerged from the subculture of the surfies (ref). Concluding that “surfing has established stable, stratified patterns of interaction, a specialised culture in the form of language, material symbols, knowledge, norms and values" (Hull 1976). Due to the geographical state of Australia, the beach is readily available to numerous Australians. This rise of surfing attracted adolescents as it involved speed, danger and required skill, giving a sense new sense of identity freedom and rebellion (Duffy,2015).Concerning Merton's paradigm of deviant behaviour, the majority of ‘Surfies’ would be categorised as conformists. Although ‘Surfies’ identify as counterculture, they accept the cultural goals and means of achieving them.Unlike the Sharpies or 5T, the surfies lack the principles to engage in violent crimes that a rebel would participate. Instead living on the ‘fringe of society’, preferring to “ stay
Surfing culture in Australia first became popular during the 1960’s commencing the rise of a new youth subculture.However, the popularisation of a sport does not automatically classify it as a subculture.Stephen Hull, a sociologist who through his studies of the culture of surfing discovered that surfing had characteristics that constitute a subculture.He found that the sport of surfing explores conflict as well as cultural changes that emerged from the subculture of the surfies (ref). Concluding that “surfing has established stable, stratified patterns of interaction, a specialised culture in the form of language, material symbols, knowledge, norms and values" (Hull 1976). Due to the geographical state of Australia, the beach is readily available to numerous Australians. This rise of surfing attracted adolescents as it involved speed, danger and required skill, giving a sense new sense of identity freedom and rebellion (Duffy,2015).Concerning Merton's paradigm of deviant behaviour, the majority of ‘Surfies’ would be categorised as conformists. Although ‘Surfies’ identify as counterculture, they accept the cultural goals and means of achieving them.Unlike the Sharpies or 5T, the surfies lack the principles to engage in violent crimes that a rebel would participate. Instead living on the ‘fringe of society’, preferring to “ stay