Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Zabriskie, Queen

Area of Concentration

Media and Cultural Studies

Abstract

This thesis is an analysis of the boundaries of Juggalos, the subcultural following of the rap group Insane Clown Posse. Analyzing lyrics, documentaries, Juggalo media and qualitative data collected at the 18th annual music festival The Gathering of the Juggalos, I explore the ways in which the subculture utilizes subcultural capital and “badges of dignity” to negotiate with boundaries of class identity. I focus on three major themes: the function of the carnivalesque and horror in creating a subcultural identity, the liberatory bonds of community and chosen-kin networks in Juggalo “family,” and the ways in which these two themes work to formulate Juggalo identity in relation to class. This project works to shift the dialogue regarding white lower class culture and to redefine mainstream analysis of this much-maligned group. Ultimately, Juggalo subculture is a community through which lower class individuals can attempt to subvert status hierarchy while participating in a world-making process of their own.

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