‘Different people with different views but the same overall goals’: Divisions and unities within the contemporary British DIY punk subcultural movement

This article will explore the divided yet unified nature of contemporary Do-It-Yourself (DIY) punk in Britain. It identifies the emergence of anarcho-punk in the 1980s as being pivotal in the polarization of punk into two distinct camps: politicized and non-politicized punk. Tensions and complexities between the two camps are made clear when long-standing contradictions concerning race, patriotism, gender and sexuality are considered. The article will also reveal tension within the politicized punk camp. Finally, it will show that despite such tensions, participants from both punk camps are unified by certain values, notably the DIY ethic.