Rock music fans’ subculture in Tehran

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to the investigate the rock music, and in particular the genre known as heavy metal, subculture in Iran and identify its relationship to social responsibility. Design/methodology/approach – The research was conducted qualitatively through in-depth interview with more than 100 rock music fans who identify themselves as belonging to the particular subculture under investigation. It also investigates the history of such music within the country to explain that it is marginalized and forbidden in a way which is not generally understood in Western countries. Findings – The findings of the paper show that the fans of the music identify themselves as a particular subculture within the society and share not just an interest in the music but also in social concerns, politics and religion. Social implications – This paper shows that subcultures are interrelated with social responsibility and that this is dependent upon the nature of the society in which the subculture resides. This is important in understanding the dynamics of change within a country. Originality/value – This is one of the very few papers which looks at the link between subcultures and social responsibility and, therefore, is important in showing that social responsibility can develop independently of any organization while not being bounded by the nature of the society which spawns it.

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