Flaite
Encyclopedia
Flaite (ˈflaite) is a classist
Chilean Spanish
slang
used to define urban
youth of low-socioeconomic background by linking them to vulgar habits and crime. The stereotype of the flaite is that they come from a low socioeconomic background, tend to be a delinquent
, travel in groups, and like chav
s, have a distinct style of dress.
The flaite stereotype
wear sneakers such as Nike Dunks and other basketball shoes. They usually have short haircuts (called "sopaipilla
", because it looks like that fried pastry) accompanied by jockey caps. They enjoy wearing flashy accessories, known as bling-bling
. Jeans are usually worn baggy.' Some youth from middle to upper socioeconomic backgrounds follow the fashion style of the flaites ', which is believed by some to be evolving into a subcultural
group'.
Air Flight shoe produced for basketball player Michael Jordan
. Because of the shoe's popularity in Chile and the flaites limited means to obtain it, it was counterfeited. It is the preferred style of shoe by flaites who began to call the shoes Flighters; in Spanish, the pronunciation of the English name evolved into "flaites". People wearing the shoes came to be called flaites.
Classism
Classism is prejudice or discrimination on the basis of social class. It includes individual attitudes and behaviors, systems of policies and practices that are set up to benefit the upper classes at the expense of the lower classes...
Chilean Spanish
Chilean Spanish
Chilean Spanish is the variety of Spanish spoken in most of Chile. Though still entirely mutually intelligible with standard Spanish, Chilean Spanish has distinctive pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and slang usage...
slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
used to define urban
Urban culture
Urban culture is the culture of towns and cities. In the United States, Urban culture may also sometimes be used as a euphemistic reference to contemporary African American culture.- African American culture :...
youth of low-socioeconomic background by linking them to vulgar habits and crime. The stereotype of the flaite is that they come from a low socioeconomic background, tend to be a delinquent
Juvenile delinquency
Juvenile delinquency is participation in illegal behavior by minors who fall under a statutory age limit. Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers. There are a multitude of different theories on the causes of crime, most if not...
, travel in groups, and like chav
Chav
A chav is a term that is used in the United Kingdom to describe a stereotype of teenagers and young adults from an underclass background.-Etymology:...
s, have a distinct style of dress.
The flaite stereotype
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
wear sneakers such as Nike Dunks and other basketball shoes. They usually have short haircuts (called "sopaipilla
Sopaipilla
A sopaipilla, sopapilla, sopaipa, or cachanga is a kind of fried pastry and a type of quick bread served in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, northern Mexico, New Mexico, Peru, Texas, and Uruguay. The word sopaipilla is the diminutive of sopaipa, a word that entered Spanish from the Mozarabic language of...
", because it looks like that fried pastry) accompanied by jockey caps. They enjoy wearing flashy accessories, known as bling-bling
Bling-bling
Bling is a slang term popularized in hip hop culture, referring to flashy, ostentatious or elaborate jewelry and ornamented accessories that are carried, worn or installed, such as cell phones or tooth caps....
. Jeans are usually worn baggy.' Some youth from middle to upper socioeconomic backgrounds follow the fashion style of the flaites ', which is believed by some to be evolving into a subcultural
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
group'.
Etymology
The origin of the word is uncertain. One theory is that it is derived from the NikeNike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
Air Flight shoe produced for basketball player Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
. Because of the shoe's popularity in Chile and the flaites limited means to obtain it, it was counterfeited. It is the preferred style of shoe by flaites who began to call the shoes Flighters; in Spanish, the pronunciation of the English name evolved into "flaites". People wearing the shoes came to be called flaites.
Popular culture
- Radio Carolina, a radio station from Santiago, ChileSantiago, ChileSantiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
initiated a humorous campaign called Piteate un Flaite which means to shun anyone pertaining to the stereotype of a flaite. Due to criticism of social discrimination, the station decided to end the campaign which was meant as a joke.' - The cuicos flaite is term used to describe youth of upper-middle to upper socio-economic backgrounds (cuico) who mimicks flaite-associated fashion or behaviour. They are considered "posers" by their cohorts', whom have dubbed them "pokeflaites" and "pokecuicos"' Sociologist Rodrigo Larraín believes the privileged youth who participate in this lifestyle do so because they fear failure of the standards in their own socio-economic group.'
- Italian fashion firm BenettonBenetton GroupBenetton Group S.p.A. is a global luxury fashion brand, based in Treviso, Italy. The name comes from the Benetton family who founded the company in 1965. Benetton Group is listed in Milan....
published an article in their September 2009 issue of Colors titled "Colors 76 Features Teenagers from 28 Countries Across the Globe"' in which they featured flaites'.
See also
- BoganBoganThe term bogan is Australian slang, usually pejorative or self-deprecating, for an individual who is recognised to be from a lower class background or someone whose limited education, speech, clothing, attitude and behaviour exemplifies such a background....
(Australia and New Zealand) - DresDresDres or dresiarz is a term used in Poland to describe a specific subculture or class of young males. Dresiarze stereotypically live in urban tower blocks or tenement houses. They are usually portrayed as undereducated, unemployed, aggressive and anti-social. The dresiarz phenomenon was first...
(Poland) - GopnikGopnikGopnik is a stereotypical class of young males up to 30 years old found in Russia and post-Soviet countries, similar to a Chav or Ned in Great Britain, characterized by aggressive behavior, specifically towards the weak, predilection to the criminal subculture, abuse of alcohol beverages and...
(Russia) - ChavChavA chav is a term that is used in the United Kingdom to describe a stereotype of teenagers and young adults from an underclass background.-Etymology:...
(UK) - Low cultureLow cultureLow culture is a term for some forms of popular culture. Its opposite is high culture. It has been said by culture theorists that both high culture and low culture are subcultures....