Autonomous Cultural Participation

The values and practices of a subcultural space at the Hässäkkä-Päivät festival

Authors

• Sauli Okker Jyväskylän yliopisto / Vieraileva tutkija CUPORE https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0379-905X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23991/ef.146576

Keywords:

subculture, space, punk, participation, values, practices

Abstract

This article examines subcultural participation in the context of Hässäkkä-Päivät, a punk music festival held at Tukikohta, a subcultural space in Oulu, Finland. It integrates ethnographic research with a theoretical framework drawing on the concept of subculture (Williams 2011) and Michel Foucault’s (1986) notion of heterotopia—an “other space” distinct from its surroundings. The analysis explores the values embedded in this space and the social practices adopted to sustain these values. The research material is based on participant observation conducted as a festival volunteer in summer 2023.
The findings suggest that the subcultural space is structured around a shared commitment to inclusivity and independence, rooted in autonomous (omaehtoinen in Finnish) cultural participation. These values are upheld through the presence of anti-harassment contact persons, safer space policies, and communal voluntary work. Adopting these practices demonstrates a clear commitment to the values and articulates the space’s oppositional stance—one actively demanded by the participants.