Lan (subculture)
Encyclopedia
Lan is the name attributed to a subculture
and its followers in Germany
. Lan subculture was created by Turkish
young men in early 1990s and it was adopted by young men of various Middle East
ern origins.
The word lan (short for ulan) is a Turkish
word of interjection or address that is considered to be vulgar and unconstrained. The word came to mean "guy", "dude", etc. in Germany
. Its contemporary usage in German
is seen as pejorative and offensive.
Lan subculture draws many similarities with pimp
life-style of hip-hop
. A stereotypical lan is characterised by his physical appearance (extravagant hair and beard styling, bodybuilding
, sunbed
tan, etc.), display of symbols of status (expensive automobiles
, golden bling-bling
s, trademark clothing, trendy mobile phones, etc.), and use of the sociolect
.
Lan subculture is often criticised by broader German public for its polarising aspects. First of all, showing aggressive behaviour is perceived to be a part of group identity. Lans also usually have a macho
attitude towards young women ("protective" for Turkish girls, "seductive" for German girls), often misogynist in tone. Another point of criticism is their alleged feelings of "distrust" and "disrespect" for German people and culture.
Lans share many aesthetic characteristics with the British chav
subculture.
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 :...
and its followers in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Lan subculture was created by Turkish
German Turks
Turks in Germany are people of Turkish ethnicity living in Germany who form the largest ethnic group after Germans...
young men in early 1990s and it was adopted by young men of various Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
ern origins.
The word lan (short for ulan) is a Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
word of interjection or address that is considered to be vulgar and unconstrained. The word came to mean "guy", "dude", etc. in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Its contemporary usage in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
is seen as pejorative and offensive.
Lan subculture draws many similarities with pimp
Pimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
life-style of hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
. A stereotypical lan is characterised by his physical appearance (extravagant hair and beard styling, bodybuilding
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
, sunbed
Sunbed
A sunbed , tanning bed or sun tanning bed is a device which emits ultraviolet radiation to produce a cosmetic tan. Regular tanning beds use several fluorescent lamps that have phosphor blends designed to emit UV in a spectrum that is somewhat similar to the sun...
tan, etc.), display of symbols of status (expensive automobiles
BMW 3 Series
The BMW 3 Series is a compact executive car manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. Successor to the BMW New Class, it has been produced in five different generations and in no less than five different body styles. It is BMW's best-selling model, accounting for around 30% of the...
, golden 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....
s, trademark clothing, trendy mobile phones, etc.), and use of the sociolect
Kanak Sprak
Kanak Sprak is a German sociolect created by Turkish male youth in Germany in late 1980s. The sociolect is named almost uniformally this way after the book Kanak Sprak by German Turkish author Feridun Zaimoğlu. Its name means roughly "Kanake-talk", referring to the word Kanake, which is used...
.
Lan subculture is often criticised by broader German public for its polarising aspects. First of all, showing aggressive behaviour is perceived to be a part of group identity. Lans also usually have a macho
Macho
Macho typically refers to machismo. Other uses include:*Macho , a short-lived disco group in the late 1970s*Pique macho, Bolivian dish*Macho Man , a 1978 disco song performed by the Village People...
attitude towards young women ("protective" for Turkish girls, "seductive" for German girls), often misogynist in tone. Another point of criticism is their alleged feelings of "distrust" and "disrespect" for German people and culture.
Lans share many aesthetic characteristics with the British 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:...
subculture.