"Scene" can refer to a specific youth subculture or movement, generally used by individuals who identify with that subculture, however it is sometimes used in a pejorative sense by non-members. Scenes are distinguished from the general culture through fashion, identification with specific (at times obscure or experimental) musical genres or political perspectives and a strong in-group or "tribal" group identity. The term can also be used to describe specific subsets of a subculture, usually geographical, as in "the American drum and bass scene" or "the London goth scene". Not all youth subcultures are necessarily labeled as scenes.

Will Straw describes a music scene, rather than a music community, as "that cultural space in which a range of musical practices coexist, interacting with each other within a variety of processes of differentiation, and according to widely varying trajectories of change and cross-fertilization." Rather than forming from a class, group, or community of people a scene is formed through various "coalitions" and "alliances" that must be maintained.

Some scenes tend to be volatile, reactive to trends and changes (see keeping up with the Joneses) with some participants either acting arrogant and elitist towards those considered to be less fashionable, or in opposition to the general culture, although others do provide mutual support in marginalized groups.

Socially, scenes are often close-knit with members sometimes using instant messaging or social networking websites such as Faceparty, LiveJournal, DeviantART, Bebo and MySpace to communicate. This in-group behaviour can at times elicit external opposition; participants may be derided by outsiders, the terms scene kids and scenesters are not used as self references but most commonly by outsiders, and serves as either a pejorative or a compliment depending on the context in which it is used.

Specifically, the term "scene" has been used to refer to segments of various subcultures including the rave, punk, goth, cyber, etc, and the terms scene kids and scenesters are also used in reference to people aged 12-18 and over-18 respectively, involved in the more popular stereotypical aspects of hardcore, metalcore, electroclash, indie rock and emo music scenes.

See also

• Adolescence
• Hipster
• Subculture
  • List of subcultures
  • List of youth subcultures
• Youth culture
• Emo
• Fashioncore

External links

• Subculture Magazine
• What the heck *is* emo, anyway?, a basic FAQ and primer on emo, one of the many youth scenes

Subcultures | Emo | Hardcore punk | Metalcore