Resignifying Marginality: Appropriation of the “Flaite” by Chilean Youth in Urban Music

Abstract

Historically, the adjective flaite has carried a pejorative connotation, as it refers to young people from a low social class who are morally suspicious and are associated with the stereotype of delinquency. This article proposes that urban music is altering this definition and providing new evaluations. Without completely breaking with a certain negative image associated with violence, other attributes such as loyalty, solidarity, commitment and effort are rescued. To verify this hypothesis, a tour of the harmful aspects of the nickname is carried out. Subsequently, an analysis of some lyrics of urban music songs from the last five years is carried out to reveal these new qualities. The third part includes a pedagogical proposal to work with secondary education students. The idea of ??this exercise is to question the stigmas that weigh on youth identity and redefine them based on a language that is their own, such as the music they regularly consume.