Date of Award
Summer 8-23-2025
Document Type
Masters Thesis
Degree Name
M.A. in Anthropology
Organizational Unit
College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Anthropology
First Advisor
Esteban Gomez
Second Advisor
Kelly Fayard
Third Advisor
Jack Sheinbaum
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
All Rights Reserved.
Keywords
Anthropology, Catharsis, Ethnography, Hardcore, Mosh pits, Punk
Abstract
This research looks at “moshing,” an aggressive style of dancing that occurs primarily at hardcore/punk concerts. Moshing involves people at a concert throwing their bodies, swinging their limbs, running into people, and hitting one another. I aim to explore how mosh pits and hardcore/punk culture provide participants with an emotional release through catharsis. Catharsis looks at releasing emotion to help alleviate pent-up stress physically and emotionally. A cathartic release can temporarily offer peace of mind, clarity, and joy that overrides the feelings of negative emotions and stress. I will examine the process people go through to reach this cathartic release via catharsis theory and the frameworks of kinship, capitalism, and colonization. These theories frame the different unfolding aspects of moshing and hardcore/punk culture that enhance the chances of a cathartic release. This project was an ethnographic research project that used participant observation and semi-structured interviews for data collection. This research helps expand anthropological research in hardcore/punk culture, particularly looking at moshing and catharsis as a result of participating in hardcore/punk spaces. This research explores the cultural aspects of hardcore/punk that facilitate a cathartic release in participants. Catharsis does not have an extensive dialogue within anthropological research, so this helps expand anthropological knowledge of the subject.
Copyright Date
8-2025
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Rights Holder
Clayton Kempf
Provenance
Received from ProQuest
File Format
application/pdf
Language
English (eng)
Extent
199 pgs
File Size
2.1 MB
Recommended Citation
Kempf, Clayton, "Exploring the Meaning of Moshing: An Ethnographic Study of the Relationship Between Hardcore/Punk Culture and Catharsis" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2636.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/2636