Self Bildung and new forms of sociality: the technorave as example
One of the most significant traits of late modernity is increasing individualization. This article deals with the question of what this radical individualization does to forms of sociality by analyzing individualization as self Bildung or formation of the self. The concept of Bildung is interesting in this regard, since the central conception is that personality and sociality are created in the same process. The Danish social analyst Lars Henrik Schmidt uses the concept of post traditional Bildung or simply self Bildung and outlines how Bildung may be conceived under late modern conditions. For him it is a type of Bildung that takes place on the individual’s terms. The article uses this concept of self Bildung as a point of departure to propose an interpretation of how to conceive sociality under these conditions. Finally as an example of such a form of sociality the articles analyses technorave (this kind of music and dance culture). It concludes that the new forms of sociality tend to resemble sociability in its pure form. The technorave is a form of controlled dionysiac sociality that is oriented towards experiencing union with others. Finally these forms of sociality are characterized by being orient-ed more by tunings than by reasons and interests. Therefore they can be described as a type of sociality that is less articulated but ‘broader’ than traditional forms of sociality.
