Towards a field theory of punk

This article draws on a growing number of studies of punk that use Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus and field. It is argued that this approach has considerable advantages over the concept of subculture because of its emphasis on the diversity of punk practices. The concept of subculture tends to assume a shared culture and a consensus about punk values. The article argues that punk should be considered as practice within a field. This research strategy is illustrated by interviews with two contemporary bands.