2022.10.11
Relay Column: The "Dancing Sociologist" Born Between "Straight-Laced" & "Delinquent" (Akihiro Arikuni)
PROFILE
Akihiro Arikuni
Graduate School of Letters, Osaka City University, Postgraduate Doctoral Program / Part-time Lecturer at Various Universities. Specializes in sociology and cultural studies. Major works include "学校で踊る若者は『不良』か？−ストリートダンスはどのようにして学校文化に定着したか" in "新社会学研究" No. 5 (Shinyosha, 2021), "スニーカーにふれる" in "ふれる社会学" (2019), "メディアをまとい闘うBガール" in "ガールズ・メディア・スタディーズ" (2021) (both published by Hokuju Shuppan), and "ストリートファッション" in "クリティカル・ワード ファッションスタディーズ" (2022, Film Art) among others.
I am a researcher studying street dance from the perspective of sociology. I began street dancing in college, and as my knowledge of street dance culture, along with the inseparable hip-hop culture, deepened, I also began to understand the cultural background of hip-hop, which originated in the slums of New York, USA.
Hip-hop（1） is deeply related to issues such as racism, poverty caused by unemployment, and crime and drug problems arising from gang control of the area, which ethnic minorities living there confront. It was used as a means of resistance against such difficult circumstances through the power of art such as music and dance. I became increasingly immersed in this extremely complex and fascinating culture that contains both its "delinquent" and anti-social aspects and its social movement aspect.
As I experienced while engaging in street dance myself, young people involved in street dance often occupy streets and urban spaces, dancing while making noise at night, which may lead some to perceive their activities as troublesome and label them as "delinquents."
In the past, young people immersed in street cultures like street dance, skateboarding, and rap were also labeled as "outsiders" who could not adapt to school, leading to their exclusion from educational institutions.（2）
The Reason Why I'm So into Sneakers & THE NORTH FACE
As I immersed myself in the culture of street dance, I began to dress in street fashion that mirrored that of the groups of dancers and hip-hop artists I often saw in the media.There are many items and styles symbolizing street fashion, and rather, the true essence of street fashion lies in the freedom of choice in items and outfits（3）; however, the central components of my fashion and coordination were the products of "sneakers" and "THE NORTH FACE" (hereafter TNF).
Sneakers, which are indispensable items symbolizing hip-hop culture, have become a passion for me, as I am now a sneakerhead collecting styles like NIKE's "Air Jordan" and "Air Max."
Due to my passion, I had the opportunity to write a thesis presenting sociological viewpoints using sneakers in a sociology textbook ("ふれる社会学," Hokuju Shuppan, 2019), and I include sneakers as case studies in my university courses on sociology and fashion research.
While TNF is known as an outdoor brand, it has also become a symbolic presence within hip-hop culture.
One of the TNF mountain jackets made for climbing has a large figure-eight-shaped pocket between the chest and waist, allowing for maximum use of pockets even while securing a mountaineering backpack with a belt.
Graffiti, which is a form of expression in hip-hop culture that involves using spray cans to paint on walls in public spaces, is illegal as it is considered vandalism; however, this pocket is perfectly sized to hold spray cans.
Thus, if the act of graffiti is discovered and chased by the police, one can conceal the evidence of the spray can in the pocket, and the rainproof hood of the jacket also helps to cover one's face while escaping.
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