Aluba and ‘high’ culture: adolescent male peer culture in play

Abstract

Aluba is a campus activity popular among adolescent males in Taiwan in which four boys lift up another boy by his arms and legs and make a show of pushing or rubbing his genitals against a pole-shaped object. The 'alubaee', nearly always a willing participant, is expected to put up a show of resistance for the satisfaction of all involved. It is a type of play for males that promotes closeness as well as competition. This study combines interviews, photographs and video materials with experiential descriptions to describe the aluba process, and analyses the fluidity of participant roles, the subtleties of the interaction among males, and the specific meaning of 'high' culture of adolescent males as reflected in the process of aluba.

Masculinity in Ambiguity: Constructing Taiwanese Masculine Identities Between Great Powers

“…We use mixed methods to explore diverse social fi elds. Aluba and doing-soldier studies mainly come from in-depth interviews and participatory observation respectively conducted by Bih and Huang ( 2012 ) and Kao ( 2006 ), supported by analysis on secondary data (e.g., newspapers, journals, photos, video, and online materials). The fl ower-drinking case is derived from secondary analysis of the studies by Hwang ( 2003 ), Hwang ( 2011a , b ), andChen ( 2006 ).…”

“…(4) Unlike team sports, aluba does not require a high level of skill, and the conditions required (e.g., access to a fl agpole) are easily fulfi lled. The above-mentioned characteristics make aluba a popular impromptu activity in Taiwan (Bih and Huang 2012 ).…”