The rhizome concept in the interpretation of subcultures: from decentralization to network worldview

Abstract

The article explores the concept of the rhizome as a methodological paradigm for analyzing subcultural phenomena within the context of postmodern cultural reality. Drawing on the ideas of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, the rhizome is understood as a decentralized and nonlinear structure that allows for multiple points of entry, the absence of hierarchy, and constant transformation. The author emphasizes the networked nature of subcultures, their metastructural connections, fragmentation, hybridity, performativity, plasticity, and capacity for self-organization. The study focuses on the examples of such subcultural communities as goths, role-players, transhumanists, and cyberpunk groups, whose identities are formed through dynamic interactions, symbolic codes, and performative practices. The epistemological function of subcultures is analyzed, revealing alternative forms of knowledge and perception that oppose institutional rationality, universalist frameworks, and normative categories. Particular attention is paid to the temporality of subcultural existence, based on event-driven actualization, local activity rhythms, and semantic density. The article draws on the latest Russian-language research in cultural studies, postmodern philosophy, semiotics, and sociology, offering a relevant theoretical tool for interpreting contemporary cultural processes and unstable forms of identity in the digital age.

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