Beyond the patch: When the brotherhood fails.

By Kira Harris

“confessing he ‘started to have a conscience’ and feel uncomfortable with the tasks he was being asked to do.”

“they think just because they’ve got a patch on their back they’ve got a little bit of power”

“how am I supposed to have this passion for this club when I don’t even like half the people in it?”

The rebellious events in Hollister in 1947 forged a bond among unemployed war veterans who took pleasure in their underdog status from the American Motorcycle Association’s exclusionary statement which presented 1% of motorcyclists as ‘outlaws’ who did not integrate well into society. Revelling in the image, the 1% patch became the symbol of non-conformity and distinction in a new defined subculture within the motorcycle society. Unique in their overt display of symbols and the acceptance of social stigma, clubs found amusement in their marginalised identity and emphasised the social milieu of their club as the only outlet providing sanctuary – ensuring mutual support and reinforcement for cultural norms.

The cohesive nature of the brotherhood

Australia’s history with the 1% has been heavily influenced by the American culture with descriptions from the 1980’s and beforehand emphasizing the biker subculture as an outgrowth of lower class cultural values opposing western middle-class norms; however, members of the modern era are more likely to be conforming to the values of capitalism and consumerism. Lasting through this cultural shift is the fundamental ideological premise of the ‘brotherhood of bikers’. The bond between members is forged through intense and exclusive membership that emphasises moral, emotional and material interdependence, and reinforces the self-image of social pariahs.

This fusion of dependence leads to the ‘spiralling of commitment’, where investments and organisational pressures serve to entwine the club and member’s identity, and ensure the development of extreme loyalty to each other and the club – promoting the ‘all on one, one on all’ mentality. Furthermore, three fundamental elements of commitment identified in fundamentalist organisations that operate to reinforce membership as an intrinsic part of the self-identity serve true to the 1% community; (1) ensuring member’s behaviour requires socio-psychological investments, (2) decisions reinforcing investments are advocated as the only feasible option, and (3) any efforts to avoid investments only serve to consolidate the psychological investment of the member. This dedication, with great emphasis on loyalty and exclusivity, promotes a sect-like devotion to the club and the belief that membership is for life. Under certain conditions a member’s commitment to the club can be threatened to the extent where significant sacrifices will be made in order to leave the club.

Clubs under pressure

This article will focus on some of the conditions which threaten the fabric of the 1% motorcycle club identity, primarily focusing on those which jeopardise the ideological foundation; the brotherhood. Examples are taken from interviews with former members and partners of 1% clubs. All former members interviewed expressed a great sense of power achieved through their involvement: the status of others knowing who you are, of being somebody, and knowing your ‘brothers’ had your back; thus challenges to these aspect of the biker identity appear to be significant motivators in the decision to leave.

Patch-overs

Formally, ‘patch-overs’ occur when the members of a smaller club are congruent with the assuming clubs persona and meet the required membership standards. In reality, clubs commit patch-overs as a method of asserting power and/or acquiring territory and regional strength during inter-club conflict, and the members of the subjugated club are required to hand-over their colours, and usually, re-prospect for the bigger club.

‘Patch-overs’ threaten the distinct identity of each club by removing inter-club boundaries. In some instances, members can assume the new collective identity; however, the loss of status and negative interaction can exacerbate intergroup conflict and reduce member identification. This becomes a time where members of the smaller club can be disillusioned by the internalised collective loss and cultural processes. The suppression causes the loss of esteem experienced during the patch-over, with members knowing they are now controlled by another club, especially when their symbolic patch is displayed on the ‘colours curtain’ as a trophy.

The reduced status from patched member to prospect motivates questioning of the members’ identity and creates negative morale. Jack* describes this experience as ‘going from the top, to the bottom’ and turning up did not bring the same level of enjoyment as ‘they didn’t know you’. The lack of inclusiveness and camaraderie lead to the decline in the perceived brotherhood and resulted in the questioning of commitment and sacrifice for club activities. The doubts continued across to the club’s violent methods confessing he ‘started to have a conscience’ and feel uncomfortable with the tasks he was being asked to do.

Part 2 of Beyond the Patch discusses police pressure, group dynamics, external relationships and leaving the club

About the Author

 

Kira Harris is a researcher at Edith Cowan University with interests in the cultural aspects of 1% motorcycle clubs and currently completing a PhD in the disengagement from ideological social groups. For more information contact kira.harris@ecu.edu.au