Raggare

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Raggare in Sweden at the Power Big Meet
ditto, 2005

Raggare is a subculture originating from Sweden , which to a lesser extent also exists in other northern and central European countries. Driving American road cruisers from the 1950s and 60s is central . Music, clothing and habit are based on rockabilly . Typical identifiers are accordingly pomaded quiff hair, whiskers, checked shirts, leather jackets and jeans . It is particularly widespread among the working class and in small towns.

development

Raggare was created in the 1950s based on the model of the Greaser in the USA, inspired by the success of films such as The Wild with Marlon Brando or Jailhouse Rock . The word 'raggare' is derived from the slang expression 'ragga', which means something like “tear up (girl)”. The majority of society saw them as a threat or identified them with hooliganism , comparable to the so-called youngsters in German-speaking countries. The cars (raggarbilar) were used for self-portrayal, as a moving living room and music club and for taking along girls who were looking for a ride. This aspect was perceived as particularly threatening by many Swedes, because they feared for the safety and honor of their daughters. In response, the so-called “Raggare Paragraph” was passed in 1963, which allowed the police to take underage girls - if necessary by force - out of the Raggare's cars and hand them over to the authorities. Raggarbrudar (“Raggar Brides”) were labeled as promiscuous, coercive measures for their “moral” and “health protection” extended to sterilization . The original Raggare generation ended in the 1970s when most of their protagonists turned to a middle-class life.

However, other generations continued the subculture. At the end of the 1970s, they were considered the typical opponents of the punkers and raggare gangs regularly fought against punks. In this context, the punk band Rude Kids wrote the song "Raggare is a Bunch of Motherfuckers" in 1979. Nowadays, raggare are no longer causing a sensation or horror, but are rather mocked by the majority society, identified with “ proletarianism ” and “ white trash ”. B. in the Swedish television series "Ronny & Ragge" from the early 1990s. Raggare is no longer just a youthful subculture, but is also cultivated by middle-aged people who already have families. Raggare has become such a well-known element of Swedish culture that in 1996 the Swedish Post issued a 12-crown postage stamp with a raggare motif.

A typical symbol of the Raggare is the flag of the Confederate States of America , which is supposed to express fascination for the culture of the American southern states, rock'n'roll and rebellion.

See also

  • Power Big Meet , the biggest festival for American classic cars in Sweden

literature

  • Tom O'Dell: Raggare and the Panic of Mobility. Modernity and Hybridity in Sweden . In: Daniel Miller (Ed.): Car Cultures. Berg, Oxford 2001, pp. 105-132
  • Scott Holmquist: Hot Cars and Cool Media. The Swedish Raggare Subculture. In Ray B. Browne, Marshall W. Fishwick (Eds.): The global village. Dead or alive? Bowling Green State University Popular Press, Bowling Green (OH) 199, pp. 181-206.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Conor Creighton: Raggare - the Swedish rock'n'roll cult comes of age. In: The Guardian (Online), October 1, 2009.
  2. ↑ Tom O'Dell: A Path of its Own: The American car and the pyramid of dreams. In Daniel Miller: Consumption. Volume IV, Objects, Subjects and Mediations in Consumption. Routledge, London / New York 2001, pp. 138–158, at p. 145.
  3. ↑ a b c Milène Larsson: Raggare Love Hot Rods and Rock 'n' Roll. (Interview with Svempa Bergendahl). In: Vice , February 21, 2013.
  4. ↑ Marc Vobker: Automotive and gender. Exploratory analyzes beyond stereotypical attributions. Springer VS, Wiesbaden 2016, pp. 86–87.
  5. ^ Scott Holmquist: Hot Cars and Cool Media. 1999, p. 204.
  6. ↑ Tom O'Dell: A Path of its Own: The American car and the pyramid of dreams. In Daniel Miller: Consumption. Volume IV, Objects, Subjects and Mediations in Consumption. Routledge, London / New York 2001, pp. 138–158, at p. 155.
  7. ↑ Michael Ballaban: Your Guide To Europe's Weirdest Car Culture - Raggare. In: Jalopnik , June 8, 2013.
  8. ↑ Vegas Tenold: Detroit Love, Swedish Style. In: New York Times (Online), August 1, 2014.

Web links

Commons : Raggare  - collection of images, videos and audio files