Page 613 - Sociology and You

Chapter 17 Social Change and Collective Behavior
by pointing out what has supposedly happened to others who did what we might be tempted to try. Like rumors, urban legends permit us to play out some of our hidden fears and guilt feelings by being shocked and horrified at others’ misfortune.
Are fads long lasting? A fad is an unusual behavior pattern that spreads rapidly, is embraced zealously, and then disappears after a short time. The widespread popularity of a fad rests largely on its novelty. Students in the early 1970s introduced the “streaking” fad—running naked across col- lege grounds or through occupied classrooms. More recent fads include body piercing, tattoos, retro-swing dancing, and snowboarding.
What are fashions? Fads are adopted by a particular group; fashions are much more widespread. A fashion is a behavior pattern that is widely approved but is expected to change periodically. In the United States today, the “in” fashions for clothing are introduced seasonally and usually involve changes in such features as skirt length and lapel width. High school stu- dents wishing to be fashionable wear the labels of Tommy Hilfiger, FUBU, Abercrombie & Fitch, Gap, and Nike.
Fashion changes show up most often in items that involve personal ap- pearance such as clothing, jewelry, and hairstyles; but automobile design, home decorating, architecture, and politics are also subject to fashion. Slang is a language-based fashion. Slang terms go in and out of favor very quickly (Lofland, 1993). Cool, the cat’s pajamas, groovy, tubular, neat, tough, fine, awesome, rad, bad, phat, and sick are all slang terms of approval that were popu- lar among young people of various
decades.
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fad
an unusual behavior pattern that spreads rapidly and disappears quickly
fashion
a widely accepted behavior pattern that changes periodically
Fashion in dress is constantly changing. Can you identify each of these styles with a decade between 1960–2000?