Ethics and practices in American DIY spaces

Woods, Peter

Abstract

The history of punk and its subgenres is, in part, a history of DIY spaces and the influences these spaces have on punk and the DIY scene at large. A better understanding of the ethical guidelines of DIY venue organizers would provide insight into the practices of these venues by providing a glimpse into the motivating factors behind these actions. To approach these issues, this article utilizes existing research to examine current DIY practices and their relation to punk culture, as well as defining the primary ethical guidelines in the DIY scene, followed by new research into these issues. In this study, I spoke with eleven different organizers of long running DIY spaces around the United States. These interviews revealed an overwhelming drive to construct DIY venues as inclusive spaces that provide resources for a variety of communities. In practice, however, the heightened sense of alignment between organizations and artists reported by the participants alludes to a lack of diversity amongst the viewpoints of those within these communities.

Citation

Woods, P. (2017). Ethics and practices in American DIY spaces. Punk and Post Punk, 6(1), 63-80. https://doi.org/10.1386/punk.6.1.63_1

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Mar 1, 2017
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2017
• Deposit Date: Mar 13, 2023
• Journal: Punk & Post Punk
• Print ISSN: 2044-1983
• Electronic ISSN: 2044-3706
• Publisher: Intellect
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 63-80
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1386/punk.6.1.63_1
• Keywords: Alignment; American DIY; current practice; DIY spaces; ethics; punk community
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/18237174
• Publisher URL: https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/punk.6.1.63_1