The Subculture of Nerds and Their Rise to Stardom Research Paper

The Subculture of Nerds and Their Rise to Stardom - Research Paper Example Cultural divisions between nerds and popular culture a) The fact that there is certain music, movies, and other interests that are viewed as being solely for nerds. The Treatment of Nerds 1. Bullying Nerds a) The lack of effectiveness in the solutions for picking on nerds that the educational system ash offered and reasons why their actions continue to ineffective. The Nerds’ Status Change 1. Cause of the increased popularity of nerds a) The appearance of the sexy, rich nerd and explanations for the growth in popularity of the nerd subculture Conclusion The Subculture of Nerds and Their Rise to Stardom Introduction Subcultures define the state of high school society. While the identification with a set subculture often fades from a person’s definition of themselves after high school, some people stay members of their groups. Subcultures themselves have a continuation past the school years and emerge in mainstream society. While for some subcultures there is no particula r judgment of being good or bad, there are many subcultures to which many would hesitantly subscribe because of the negative way people in that group are perceived. Nerds, in particular, are a subculture to which the members often have been assigned without their choosing. On the opposite side of judgment stands the popular crowd. Usually, it is the popular subculture that is responsible for the many social ills from which those deemed nerds suffer. Being considered good, they judge against all that are not like them. It is members of this group that give labels to the others. Many who are called nerds would rather not be called thusly. Nerd has been a term used in teasing and still persists in modern bullying. Yet, even with all the persecution that those who are considered nerds must bear, this subculture has received some promotion in today’s society. Being once only a group to be despised, the nerds have actually won fans and there are some who now enjoy being members of this subculture, proudly wearing the label that they have been ascribed. An investigation into the nerds as a subculture cannot effectively be completed without defining just what a nerd is. There are actually many different meanings of the word. For some, a nerd is a special group which is set apart from others whose members display a greater than normal intelligence. Yet, for others it is a name that can be used interchangeably with others. In explaining the stereotype of the nerd, it has been said, â€Å"The stock character nerd is typically depicted as a white male with glasses and large sets of obscure data committed to memory† (Stauffer, 2009). Indeed, media would depict a nerd the same. The controversy lies in making the distinction between the nerds and a similar subculture called ‘geeks’. For many it seems ridiculous to make a distinction between a geek and a nerd, as it has been stated, â€Å"They are called â€Å"nerds,† â€Å"dweebs,† à ¢â‚¬Å"dorks,† â€Å"geeks,† â€Å"brainiacs,† and â€Å"computer jocks† (Kinney, 1993: p.21). All of these names are generally meant to imply someone who is socially inapt and has an above average interest in things like science, math, science fiction, computers, and the like. However, there has been some distinction made. For example, from an interview performed it was quoted, " 'Nerd' is a stickier term that is applied to people in a more negative way," Kendall said. â€Å"