The feral subculture is a counter-cultural
social movement originating in the latter part of the 20th century, mainly centred in
Australia. The movement reached its heyday in the mid 1990s, in parallel with
other similar movements in Europe and elsewhere. In common with those movements, the feral phenomenon can be seen as part of the wider
counterculture
A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Hou ...
.
In Australia, the ferals are often seen as an amalgam of the
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
and
hippie subcultures, with a radical environmental philosophy. The movement, during the 1990s, was the subject of national attention,
[Murray ibid; and W Gibbs, "Feral Aussie families: they live in trees and eat wattle seeds", ''Woman’s Day'', 13 February 1995, pp 12-13.] and as a phenomenon has been the subject of anthropological attention as a characteristically Australian "
alternative lifestyle".
''Going Tribal'', a documentary by Light Source Films, examined the subculture in 1995.
The feral movement is strongly associated with
radical environmentalism and a
communal lifestyle, with many members residing on
multiple occupancy properties. In common with the
hippies before them, many members of the feral movement rely on a system of
crash pads,
squats
Squat, squatter or squatting may refer to:
Body position
* Squatting position, a sitting position where one's knees are folded with heels touching one's buttocks or back of the thighs
* Squat (exercise), a lower-body exercise in strength and co ...
, and extended networks of "friends of friends" throughout Australia to travel with a minimum of financial outlay. Although the itinerant lifestyle and environmental beliefs most associated with the feral movement are akin to those of the earlier hippie movement, the ferals adopted a confrontational, politically charged style of dress, music, and philosophy more often associated with the punk movement.
See also
*
Gutter punk
A gutter punk is a homeless or transient individual who displays a variety of specific lifestyle traits and characteristics that often, but not always, are associated with the punk subculture. Attributes may include unkempt dreadlocks, nose rings ...
*
Crust punk
Crust punk (also known as crust or stenchcore) is a form of music influenced by English punk rock and extreme metal. The style, which evolved in the early 1980s in England, often has songs with dark and pessimistic lyrics that linger on politic ...
*
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...
*
Hardline (subculture)
*
Straight edge
References
Further reading
*
External links
St John, G Dr. 2000, ''Alternative Cultural Heterotopia:ConFest as Australia's Marginal Centre'', School of Sociology, Politics and Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.St John, G. 1999. Ferality: A Life of Grime. The UTS Review - Cultural Studies and New Writing, 5(2): 101-13.St John G. ''Ferals: Terra-ism and Radical Ecologism in Australia''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Feral (Subculture)
Pejorative terms for people
Social class subcultures
Counterculture
Australian fringe and underground culture
Australian English
Communalism
Australian youth culture