I am a huge fan of “The Lord of the Rings” books and movies, so when I would see and hear of people who dress up as elves or hobbits and speak “Elvish,” I used to think that they were just hard-core fans. However Sociology taught me about sub-cultures and how some people really believe in these fantasy worlds and actually make it their reality.
Literature and Film are popular media cultures today. They both influence the creation of sub-cultures, such as “Witches and Wizards,” “Goths,” and “Vampires.” J.R.R Tolkien’s creation, however, of “The Lord of the Rings” transformed sub-culture and created a new fictional world, fully equipped with a dictionary, maps, languages, appendices, family trees, and histories of each people (elves, men, hobbits, etc.).
“The Lord of the Rings” sub-culture contains various aspects that people adapt into their lives. Whether it is on a daily basis or occasionally, these people enjoy dressing up in costume and partaking in Live Action Role Play, where they reenact scenes from the book or movie and actually take the time to learn “Elvish” to converse with each other.
People who form sub-cultures share common interests, values, symbols and material culture. Some examples of material culture within “The Lord of the Rings” include props from the movies, the books, as references to the dictionary, appendices and various scenes, and costumes. These material components symbolize what this sub-culture values. Being able to relate to other people in a fun, creative way is not only way of life, but also a means of escaping from reality.
Within “The Lord of the Rings” there are different cultures, languages and values. There is also an aspect of socialization within the books. The way in which different races of people interact with each other and the idea of diversity through intermarriage can potentially influence followers of the sub-culture to behave in a similar way.
Apart from fan-clubs, Live Action Role-playing and gatherings for the followers of "The Lord of the Rings" sub-culture, there are many websites that have been dedicated to J.R.R Tolkien and the books and movies. These websites have many activities, events, and forums for followers of J.R.R Tolkien's works. This shows how the Internet plays an active role as an agent of socialization in bringing sub-cultures together, where they can interact and express their views and beliefs quite openly.
“The Lord of the Rings” sub-culture is also viewed as a counter-culture, as it opposes and deviates from the norms of a larger culture. Many religions reject the idea of sub-cultures as it goes against their beliefs and values. The idea of magic, sorcery and a different world is firmly rejected by various religions, such as Christianity.
I like the idea and concept of a sub-culture, particularly because it’s what a group of people who share similar interests enjoy doing. Sub-cultures are very distinct. The ones that are based on fiction and fantasy are very interesting because many people wonder how a group of people can adapt to these imaginative worlds and actually make it a part of their reality.
