The term “subculture” is defined in the dictionary as “a culture within a broader mainstream culture, with its own separate values, practices, and beliefs.” Studying subculture in the perspective of a sociologist, is to understand and comprehend a specific culture. In today’s modern society of America, there are many variety of subcultures that a sociologist can examine from the past or in today’s society. For this paper, the chosen subculture to be investigated is the greaser subculture. Greasers are defined as “a working-class youth subculture that originated in the 1950s among teenagers in northeastern and southern United States.” The paper will discuss the specifics on the origin of the greaser subculture in America along with other factors that came along with it in history. The origin of the term “greaser” was originally a derogatory name taken from the Greaser Act of 1855. The Act was passed in California meant to deride workers or laborers of Mexican background in the middle of the 19th century. It was also applied to Mexican with disdain due to their jobs at greasing wagon carts. The name for a greaser in the fifties was given due to the unique hairstyle applied with hair wax and slicked back. How the subculture of greasers came to be in America was that in the late 1940’s after the end of World War, the male soldiers were either being discharged or sent back home. Most them were suffering from what was known as shell shock or battle fatigue from the battlefields.
Greasers subculture is no different from the rude boys and the skinheads. It is a youth culture that promotes violence and hate by committing crimes and laws.
“I am a greaser. I am a JD and a hood. I blacken the name of our fair city. I beat up people. I rob gas stations. I am a menace to society. Man do I have fun!” exclaimed Ponyboy. The Greasers play the role of the unlawful “hoodlums” in their community. They are considered wild and unruly. When a Soc sees a Greaser, they assume they are dirty troublemakers and white trash. The Greasers were
I am a greaser because they stick together and don’t pick on other kids. Greasers may be poor but they stay as a family. The difference between greasers and socs is that the socs pick on greasers, they are rich, and they are very rude. The greasers, on the other hand, are nice, poor, and they try and hide from socs. The greasers have long hair that is greasy and they are the middle class. The socs are the upper class and they have really nice cars.
The Greasers felt like outsiders around the Socs because the Socs were the upper class. Socs were always in advanced classes so when Ponyboy (a greaser) was in biology class filled with Socs , he felt like an outsider. When Ponyboy had to dissect a warm and the razor wouldn’t cut, he took out a switchblade. The girl beside him was a Socs and she sad “They are right, you are a hood” (Doc B). So, when Ponyboy was in an advanced class filled with Socs and when
Words have different meanings in neighborhoods. Two compliments in their neighborhoods are tough and tuff. Tough meaning the same as rough and tuff meaning cool or sharp. In kids today they get labeled because of the way they dress or the music they listen to. There are the skaters, the nerds, the ghetto people, the preppys, etc." Our hair labeled us greasers, too-it was our trademark. The only thing we were proud of" (64). Some groups are considered worse than the others, some have other problems then the others." You sure you want to go back? Us greasers get it worse than anyone else" (78). In The Outsiders Greasers had this tough appeal. They were boys, but needed to be more manly. "...I wanted to cry, but greasers don't cry in front of strangers, some of us never cry at all..." (91).
One of the main vs man conflict in the Outsiders is the rival between the greasers and the socs. The greasers are the east side boys who " steal things and drive old souped-up cars and hold up gas stations". The greasers, due to their family background and physical appearance, are being stereotyped as individuals who are poor and are provided with fewer opportunities than others. On the other hand, the socs, are " the west-side rich kids" who come from affluent backgrounds and" likes to jump greasers and throw beer blasts for kicks". In the eyes of the public, the Socs are the social elites whereas the greasers are considered the less privileged, second-class citizens.
Greasers are the main stereotype in the book but also there is a small part played by the Socs. Although the book is about the life and times of a Greaser there is also a ‘Socs Story’ in there, as throughout the book you learn more and more about the Socs and how they live. But this all changes. When Bob dies Cherry and Randy, the main Socs characters, begin to see that there is no difference between Socs and Greasers. Randy, when he talks to Ponyboy in private doesn’t call
To explain, the greasers were defined as Outsiders because they were poor and treated like outcasts.
First of all, some Greasers have problems because of the involvement of gangs and the unbiased law towards them. In the article “The Allure of Gangs”, the text states “kids who join gangs feel alienated by their parents...want to feel like they are part of some kind of family”(“The Allure of Gangs” on page 40). This is important because the deprivation of parenting caused the joining of gangs. This shows that Greasers are more emotional and just want to be cared. In addition, the author writes “That's why people don't ever think to blame the Socs and are always ready to jump on us. We look hoody and they look decent. It could be just the other
Do you really know the truth about greasers? Stereotypes are everywhere even if they are wrong. Socs are seen at sweet and the innocent ones. When you turn your backs, the socs are the ones who are attacking the greasers. When the greasers fight it is usually is for self defense. Greasers are mainly good, but society highlights their ”hoodlum acts”. Greasers are misunderstood, and stereotyped because of misconception.
The difference between the Greasers and Socs in the society is the Greasers treated unequally and criticized for being poor. The Socs are bullying, criticizing, and intimidating the Greasers based on the economic level. Greasers have unequal lifestyles, attitudes, and financial situations, but still live in the same world, beneath the same sun as the Socs (Hinton 18), but repeat the same actions toward the Socs in a way of fighting back and sticking together.
Both Socs and greasers all have a bad reputation with stereotypes when are looked at. Ponyboy shouted, "Greasers cant walk alone too much or they'll get jumped, or someone will come by and scream "Greaser!" and that doesn’t make you too hot if you know what I mean." (Hinton Pg #) This paragraph shows us that people who have never met a greaser, are looking at them in a bad way. Before stereotypes have a chance to know them, they don’t realize how hard a greasers' life is. Randy stated, "They give us a little money and the world hates us." (Hinton pg #) This shows that Socs have it rough.
The Greasers were really poor people that can’t afford anything in their life so they do bad things. “We’re poor than the Socs and the middle class.”(pg.3). The Greasers were poorer than the middle class, which means they are very poor. Greasers almost can’t afford anything because they describe themselves poorer than the middle class. “Greasers are almost like the hoods; we steal things and drive up old souped-up cars and hold up gas stations…”(pg..3). The Greasers would even rob stores just to get money. The Greasers describe the hoods like themselves that is why people think they are
The greasers are stereotyped as negative people who are poor and stupid in the story.
There is something about the ideology of a subculture that sparks an interest in me. Maybe it is intriguing due to its members’ originality, courage to stand up for beliefs, or freely expressing their own self- identity. A subculture forms by individuals taking a risk, separating themselves from the mainstream, and forming their own distinctive norms, not caring what the “normal” members of the mainstream society think of them. Or do they care? Maybe that is the exact statement a subculture is making. Maybe these individuals are forming these groups so that people will care. Maybe their rebellious attitude is a final, somewhat desperate approach to getting that response. The images being portrayed in most subcultures are