Date of Award

5-1-2024

Language

English

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

College/School/Department

College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Michael D Young

Committee Members

Stephen J Coulthart, Xiaojun Yuan

Keywords

dissent, forecasting, language, punk, semiotics, subculture

Subject Categories

Library and Information Science

Abstract

Punk, originating from the economic turmoil of 1970s Britain, has transitioned into the digital realm, shedding its traditional symbols of rebellion while posing questions about contemporary dissent, such as: Are Punk ideals still addressing societal issues and challenging the status quo, or are they becoming more superficial or commercialized? Or are expressions of dissent genuine and rooted in lived experiences, or are they being appropriated for commercial gain? This study delves into the language of the shifting subcultures of Punk, silently thriving online through Cyberpunks, Cypherpunks, Anarchists, Anarcho-capitalists, and Cryptopunks. Each subgroup expresses rebellion uniquely: Cyberpunks through hacking, Cypherpunks through encryption, Anarchists through institutional distrust, Anarcho-capitalists through self-ownership, and Cryptopunks through decentralized technologies. Investigating the linguistic trends within these online communities is crucial for grasping the current landscape of rebellion and its potential future implications. The current language found in the subreddits of each of the named subcultures of Punk was compared against the language within three seminal works of Original Punk: A Clockwork Orange (1962), The Basketball Diaries (1978), and Blood and Guts in High School (1984). scenarioDNA’s Culture Mapping method was used to establish four classifications for language: residual, dominant, emergent, and disruptive. Provalis’s WordStat was used to build out an existing dictionary rooted in masculinity. It was also used as a content analysis tool to gauge the frequency of the signifying words used and the percentage of each classification. Prior, the linguistic coding of scenarioDNA’s Culture Mapping was conducted manually. The research reveals a schism, but not a watering down of dissent, in Contemporary Punk discourse. By aggregating the diverging patterns seen across the subreddits, two Contemporary Punk paths emerge: an Individualist Punk and an Influencer Punk. "Individualist" describes the singular focus of Cypherpunk and Anarcho-capitalist Punk ideologies. “Influencer” describes the popularity, reach, and affective behavior found across Cryptopunks, Cyberpunks, and Anarchists.

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