May 8, 2018
Dr. Francis Stewart completed her doctoral thesis on punk
rock as a surrogate for religion, with a particular emphasis on
Straight Edge punk, in 2011 at the University of
Stirling.
Within the thesis, Stewart examined the notions of community,
authenticity, integrity, DIY, and salvation. She also engaged with
the connections between music and the expression of emotions,
particularly those emotions which are deemed socially 'undesirable'
or 'negative'. She also engaged with the question of what do we
mean by the terms 'religious', 'spiritual' and 'faith'.
Her book, "Punk Rock is My Religion: Straight Edge Punk and 'Religious' Identity" is out now from Routledge.
Follow Stewart on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dr_F_Stewart