Geek culture in the culturological context

Culturological approach (in the aggregate of structural-functional, evolutionary, systemic methods) defines geek culture as an innovative superculture because it integrates a lot of society movements, subordinated to the normal rhythm of the subculture development (mass, youth, conformist, consumer, counter-and other subcultures). The definition of the term "geek" has evolved from original geek (a man addicted to computers: a programmer, obsessed with his work, a hacker, a gamer) to a broader interpretation of the word in early XX century for 3 decades. First of all, the term lost its negative connotations: being a geek becomes popular because of such successful "technogeeks" as B. Gates, S. Jobs, M. Zuckerberg, E. Musk and others. Secondly, the substantive field of this term acquires semantic polyfunctionality and the breadth of the filling. Geek culture is characterized by specificity of its unique communications; by the enormous pace of development; by low-barriers of the entry into geek-community; by endless possibilities of the IT-technologies of "informational capitalism"; by the high potential of commercialization. Geek culture has specific evolving and close connection to cultural mainstream: from opposition to superposition and back to opposition in nearest future. Geek culture is already becoming a common phenomenon, reflecting the technical, dynamic civilization of consumption, and therefore overcoming its original "insulation". The evolution of geek culture passes 3 stages: (80-90's, 2000's and 2010's). At the same time geek culture can have different modifications on different emotional soils. The differences are primarily related to the thematics and heroics of geek preferences as a reflection of the axiological picture of the world of a particular national culture; as well as the trajectory and tempo-dynamics of the genesis of the geek culture in different cultures. The development of geek culture in Russia was inhomogene-ous: the first decade - "calm"; "power-law" entering the world trends in the 2000s and "explosive" pace in the 2010's. The reasons: technical-technological (late computerization and internetization), and also spiritual and value (strong "interweaving" of classical forms of Russian culture in the fabric of the mass consciousness of Russians), etc. From the point of view of the system-synergetic approach, geek culture can be classified as a unique phenomenon with superior strength of self-organizing processes. Geek culture is not generated by any official structures; it is not actualized by state institutions; it is not hierarchical, except by the theme of fandom interests. The geek culture "marks" the dualistic nature of modern man: the geek is both creator and consumer; both object and subject; and personalized, and anonymously-collective author. In this harmony of contradictions lies the unique specific essence of the geek culture and its adherents.

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