History 476

Devine

Spring 2007

Study Questions for Kevin Mattson, “Did Punk Matter?”

1. According to Mattson, how have the mass media described the punk movement? How have academics treated the movement? In Mattson’s view, what is wrong with these treatments, including academic theories of subcultures? What is Mattson's approach to the punk youth subculture?

2. According to Mattson, what are the bases, primary participants, and common features of the punk rebellion?

3. How are the punk subculture and the mainstream political culture of the Reagan Era related? Is one a response to the other? Do they have certain similarities?

4. What role did politics play in the punk subculture?

5. Which are the general ideas shared by those who embrace the punk subculture?

6. What are the limits of the punk youth rebellion? How does Mattson explain its demise?