British-to-Translocal Super-Club Culture (1991 – 2023): An Interpretation of a Life-World
The conceptualisation of the term ‘life-world’ (Lebenswelt) as devised by the German philosopher Edmund Husserl and father of transcendental phenomenology is a model for interpreting the subjective-to-intersubjective experiences of social life through the themes of empathy, intuition, temporality and geography. As an incomplete work its original intent has since been advanced within twentieth century critiques of society but overlooked in a broadening focus on popular culture as a multidisciplinary subject within the humanities and social sciences that has enabled us to understand phenomena and relationships. In this context, the term ‘life-world’ has entered the contemporary discipline of American and European sociology as a ‘phrasal verb’ used to describe social life in studies of popular music and in particular EDMC (electronic dance music culture) scholarship. This thesis is therefore the first dedicated study that applies the original themes of the ‘life-world’ model to an interpretation of that which I refer to as British-to-translocal ‘super-club culture’ from 1991 onwards as an aspect of EDM club cultures. With this in view, the thesis focuses on the subjective experiences of those who I call ‘super-club’ experients. First I offer an overview of scholarship including theoretical models in relation to studies of EDMC. At the same time, I also provide the groundwork for my own conceptual interpretation of the ‘life-world’ model that is explored throughout this study. Second I use an ethnographic data gathering process where I apply a ‘multi-sited’ and ‘self-reflexive’ approach to a study of ‘super-club culture’ and its experients through a ‘semi-structured interview’, ‘virtual interactive observation’ and ‘participant observation’ processes. During the course of three case study chapters (Chapters 4 – 6) I then frame the subjective experiences of ‘super-club’ experients through the concepts of the ‘pre-event’, ‘event’ and ‘post-event’ stages of sociality. In the final chapter, I present a reflective summary and conclusion, which serve to substantiate the ‘life-world’ model posited in this thesis.
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