This review article elucidates and systematises existing research and theories of the de/politicisation of youth music subcultures. It examines the political dimension within the interdisciplinary field of subcultural studies in two main steps.
First, it identifies and discusses five key dimensions of researching politicisation: politicisation through style and how style is read and through repressive power, the politicisation of everyday life and internal dynamics, and politicisation in the direction of organised activity. Second, these dimensions are presented and compared in a summarising table from two main perspectives: according to the research focus and according to the dynamics of de/politicisation being observed.
The article also briefly outlines several possible directions of future research on the politicisation of youth music subcultures.