Rave Culture and Resistance

Brian Wilson describes the rave subculture as a form of symbolic “purposeful-tactical” resistance. In sub cultural groups; youth culture and counter culture, bodies offer prime sites for resistance, often through the use of clothing. Resistance in fashion, as defined by French historian and philosopher Michel Foucault, is the subverting of normalized dress and the ability for bodies to transcend subordination through dress. Ravers can be described as symbolically, subtly and purposefully resisting mainstream value systems and culture through their dress.