Abstract
Rock and roll has attained canonical status in America by providing a soundtrack for the expression of individualism for the past 60 years. Its current state of stability differs from its first two decades, where novelty and possibility fueled its popularity (Cooper, 2013). In Chiang Mai, Thailand, an influx of American rock and roll has combined with local Thai culture to yield a hybrid music culture. This hybrid rock and roll culture provides the space for the possibilities of collective rebellion through a community that is uniquely Chiang Mai. This study deploys the lens of hybridity to the participant data gathered over the course of 10 months in an ethnographic process. It examines the new hybrid culture of "rock and roll-ness" constructed around the intersection of local Thai and Farang (Westerner) cultures in a shared space. This "rock and roll-ness" favors aural signifiers instead of visual ones, promotes collectivism over individualism, removes the boundary between musician and audience, and ultimately provides a marketable spectacle.
Journal Title
Iowa Journal of Communication
Volume
47
Issue
1
First Page
28
Last Page
49
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Walus, Scott M. and Furstenau, Nathan E.
(2015)
"The Spectacle of Rock and Roll Hybridity in Chiang Mai: An Ethnographic Study of Rock and Roll-ness in Thailand,"
Iowa Journal of Communication: Vol. 47:
No.
1, Article 5.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/ijc/vol47/iss1/5
Copyright
©2015 Iowa Communication Association
