Don’t tell anyone, but I’m a closet anthropologist. Dave, you don’t even know what that big word means!?! I do. I think. It’s got something to do with studying people. I find it fascinating to study people, cultures, subcultures and generational distinctives. Anthropologists and sociologists often make generalisations, that’s okay. Understanding people enables a greater ability to minister to people in different contexts.
SMH had an interesting article in January on the youth subcultures of Sydney. Are you involved in ministry to youth and young adults? Go read it. It might give you some insights into the people you work with.
The author wrote a similar article in 1998 and this update compares then with now. “For the young, tribalism is rife, thanks to a complicated network of groups defined by clothes, music, slang and outlook. This network, it turns out, has become more complicated than ever.” He suggests 8 key youth subcultures/tribes found in Sydney (these are in the order of the line up in the above picture) –
- The Emo
- The Supergeek
- The Jock Dolly
- The Gangsta
- The Punk Lite
- The Glamazon
- The Hipster
- The Techno Boho and Techno Bobo
Read the article for an explanation on each
What do you think? Has he got it right? Which do you most identify with? Do you think there are others that deserve to be on the list? Will these observations better help you to reach young crew with the good news of Jesus?