The fundamental role of worldview in subcultures

Syui Xuchen Teacher, Department of Regional Studies, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Regional Studies, Lomonosov Moscow State University 119991, Russia, Moscow, Leninskie Gory str., 1, p. 13 syuichen@yandex.ru

The worldview of a subculture is not only firmly linked to its structure, but also plays a key role in shaping its identity, values and goals. It is a set of beliefs, values and ideas that permeates all aspects of the group's life and defines its views on the world and itself. A detailed examination of this ideological core of the subculture makes it possible to better understand its internal dynamics and influence on the socio-cultural environment.

This aspect becomes especially important in the analysis of subcultures, since the worldview determines not only the internal norms and values of the group, but also its interaction with other socio-cultural subjects. Considering this core helps to understand how subcultural groups interact with society as a whole and what changes they can bring to the wider cultural environment.

At the most basic level, the subculture's worldview consists of alternative ideas and images that act as a kind of foundation that defines the values and attitudes of the group. These ideas and images are formed under the influence of various factors, including historical, socio-cultural, economic and even psychological aspects ^{[15, pp. 104-105]}.

It is important to note that the ideological core is not a static element ^{[3, p. 221]}. On the contrary, it is dynamic and subject to change depending on external and internal factors, such as changes in the socio-cultural environment, the evolution of ideologies, etc.

The key aspect of the ideological core is its influence on the other elements of the subculture structure. It is through this prism that configurations of worldview levels are formed, which determine which ideas and values will prevail in a given subculture, as well as which subject-effective forms of embodiment will be used to express this worldview ^{[8, p. 391]}.

Moreover, the worldview of the subculture not only affects the internal dynamics of the group, but also its interaction with the external socio-cultural environment. It defines intermediate zones of interaction, including both distancing from certain segments of the dominant culture and accepting other segments that correspond to the worldview of the subculture.

Thus, the worldview of a subculture is the basis on which the entire structure of a subculture is built, and plays a key role in its formation, development and interaction with the outside world.

A more detailed study of the interaction of these components within the framework of the analysis of the ideological core reveals a close relationship with the rest of the elements of the subculture structure, which significantly affects the nature of this relationship.

The main attention is paid to the consideration of the relationship between the ideological core and the forms of its expression in the practice of subculture. In this context, two opposite scenarios are possible, differing in the peculiarities of the connection between these elements and the configuration of the subculture's worldview. It should be borne in mind that these scenarios represent extreme positions, and the real situation is most likely at an intermediate level.

The first scenario is characterized by a deep integration of religious, philosophical and mythological aspects into the ideological core of the subculture. As a result, a complex system of concepts and images is formed, but this core remains far from a direct reflection of sociocultural reality ^{[13, pp. 10-11]}. Most members of the subculture have limited access to these aspects, which is carried out through symbolic and artistic manifestations, while the deeper aspects of the worldview remain either inaccessible or accessible only to a limited circle of initiates.

In the second scenario, a different organization of this system is observed. Here, the ideological core is formed on the basis of everyday aspects closely related to reality, and includes mainly emotional and figurative levels. This content of the worldview is widely known and accepted by the majority of participants in the subculture, playing a key role in joining it ^{[9, p. 71]}. Unlike the previous scenario, musical and artistic interests, as well as appearance, do not play a dominant role in this system.

Let's consider the relationship between the intermediate zones of interaction with the socio-cultural environment and other structural elements. In general, this interaction can be considered as a degree of integration into a subcultural community. There may be subcultures that function separately from the general socio-cultural environment. In such cases, belonging to a subculture is most often determined through specific forms of expression ^{[7, p. 234]}. In other cases, there is a fusion of subcultural and everyday spaces, while the worldview acts as an organizing and unifying factor.

Combining the configurations of the ideological core of the subculture and the ways of its expression through subject-effective forms allows us to identify differences in the nature of self-expression. Usually subcultures, applying a playful approach, adhere to a theatrical style in their self-presentation in order to attract attention. However, there is a difference between the localization zones of such behavior. In some cases, this manifests itself in limited environments, such as closed meetings, which only participants have access to, and is primarily aimed at self-expression. In other cases, the self-expression of the subculture has a disjointed character, the demonstrative aspect is strongly expressed and manifests itself in the form of a challenge ^{[14, pp. 425-426]}.

Next, let us turn to the analysis of the content of the ideological foundation of the subculture - alternative ideas and images expressed in the configuration of the worldview, as well as to the development of methods for determining the composition of the ideological core and its specific configuration for selected subcultures. S. L. Frank ^[12] suggests the following categories for comparison.

1. Comparison with already established types, such as empiricism and rationalism, makes it clear that the alternative worldview studied in the context of subcultures does not correspond to any of them. Although it contains elements of both rational and empirical types, it is rather irrational and represents a special set of views that differ from traditional paradigms. We also analyze the worldview from the point of view of another dichotomy - realism and idealism. Based on empirical data on the ideological characteristics of subcultures, we assume that idealism reflects the desire to understand and experience the world, while realism is more related to emotional and sensual aspects.

2. Correlation of the worldview with the theory of knowledge. The structure of the cognitive process characteristic of participants in a certain subculture largely corresponds to the structure of cognition defined by the basic philosophical and ideological paradigm prevailing in this society. This is due to the fact that such a structure is usually one of the most persistent and little amenable to change.

3. When analyzing the worldview, taking into account the comparison with other structures such as art, religion, philosophy, morality and everyday life, it is necessary to pay special attention to the characteristics that distinguish subculture from other cultural forms. This will reveal the connection of these characteristics with a certain structure listed above.

When considering the ideological aspects of the subculture, for example, the Goths, its features are revealed, primarily in the context of religious beliefs, where interest is shown in alternative interpretations of Christianity, such as the cult of veneration of dark spirits, including demons, vampires and witches ^{[5, p. 98]}. These aspects also have a philosophical dimension and influence moral attitudes, including rethinking the concepts of murder and suicide. In the context of the subculture of role-playing reconstructors, the features are expressed rather in the organizational aspects of everyday life and the structuring of activities that affect other areas of subcultural activity.

4. When considering the ideological aspects of subcultures, it is necessary to take into account their relationship with collective and individual types of worldview. In this context, the study of the collective worldview is of particular interest, since it reflects the general value orientations and attitudes of the subculture. It is also important to take into account the influence of individual ideological features, however, in the analysis of subcultures it is preferable to use a collective approach, given its relative stability and preservation over time. Empirical observation of the dynamics of subcultures provides indirect data on the relationship between collective and individual worldviews within a subcultural environment.

5. When analyzing the ideological features of subcultures, it is justified to draw a parallel between national and subcultural worldviews, as Frank W. Beck does, criticizes nationalism and the limitations of the national worldview ^{[1, p. 5-10]}, which raises the question of the degree of breadth or limitation of the subcultural worldview.

The comparison allows us to pay attention to the diversity of perspectives on the perception of the world within various subcultures, such as the Gothic subculture, role-playing culture, skinheads, anime fans, etc. Unlike the national worldview, the subcultural worldview does not always include direct opposition to other subcultural views and stereotypes. The boundaries of subcultural worldviews are flexible and can be moved, and sometimes even intersect on purpose ^{[6, p. 205]}. For example, the subculture of role-playing reenactors periodically includes representatives of other subcultures, such as fans of Tolkien's work or anime, which affects changes in worldviews both within and between subcultures ^{[11, pp. 9-12]}. What follows is a comparison with social time, which is a separate category distinct from historical time. It is characterized by discontinuity and unexpected jumps, in contrast to the more uniform and measured movement of history ^{[2, p. 12]}.

In anthropology, there is a method of synchronous and diachronic analysis of cultures. Since subcultures are much smaller formations than cultures, that is, the assumption that diachronic for them is not a long, century—old existence in the context of history, but a kind of temporary "leap" into the past or future, which, combined with the axiological field (one of the main characteristics of social time) causes one or another form of isolation of subculture as a special phenomenon. Theoretically, there should be nine such forms:

Table 1. Forms of subcultures.

Note: These tables are based on a study by A. Y. Pavlova ^{[10, pp. 100-101]}

Based on the algorithm for identifying ideological features in subcultures and their internal connections, we can identify four types of worldview representation in these subcultures:

· Ignoring (structural components are not expressed or hidden from external observers and participants);

· Peripheral position (structural components of the worldview are of secondary importance in comparison with other characteristics of the subculture) ^{[4, p. 98]};

· Declaration (worldview is a symbol separated and isolated from other characteristics);

· Dominance (The worldview is at the forefront and determines the direction of subculture development, representatives accept it consciously).

In conclusion, it is worth noting that the worldview is an integral part of the structure of the subculture, defining its features and orientation. This is shaped by various factors and consists of alternative ideas and images that establish the values of the group. In addition, the worldview of a subculture is dynamic and subject to changes depending on external and internal factors, such as the socio-cultural environment and the evolution of ideologies. This influence also extends to other elements of the subculture structure, defining the prevailing ideas, values and forms of their expression. The interaction of the subculture's worldview with the external socio-cultural environment determines its integration or isolation.

An equally important aspect is the classification of worldview representation in subcultures, which allows for a better understanding of their dynamics, environmental impact and self-expression strategies. A deep analysis of these types of representation reveals the diversity of the subcultural worldview and its manifestations.

Thus, the study of worldview in the context of subcultural analysis is important for understanding socio-cultural processes and can be useful both in scientific research and in practical applications aimed at the formation and development of subcultural communities.