Anarchy in the UK? British History through a Punk Lens, 1976–84

This paper examines a critical moment of British history, using punk as a lens to examine the proposed 'crises' of the 1970s and the advent of Thatcherism. Using a range of archival and material sources, and borrowing concepts developed by Raymond Williams, the paper explores how punk's style, sounds and sensibilities reflected and informed 'structures of feeling' still resonant of a period recognised for enabling profound socio-economic and political change. To do this, punk will be considered as a cultural critique; as a form of social realism; as an expression of teenage angst; as a form of political activism; as an expression of personal politics; and as a portent of dystopian futures. The premise is that in different ways - and to different extents - punk provided a cultural process of critical engagement for young people to express themselves, their anxieties, and their place in the world around them.