Temporal Perspectives

As steampunk is a culture that is still relatively new, it is important to consider the fact that it is constantly growing and developing. Considering the "newness" of steampunk, it is important to consider the ongoing nature of the culture and the time from which examples are drawn.

The clip from "The Guild" that I discuss is from 2011. While this is not exactly outdated, it is important to note that two years have passed between the time that the episode was released and the writing of this website. On this page, I will look at a few forum posts I discovered that discuss the issue of elitism as it has developed in a more recent context, suggesting a growth or change in the community.

In discussing the development of steampunk over time, cosplay.com user Mangochutney explains how steampunk has become gradually more entwined with other cultures:

Mangochutney suggests that the issue of steampunk elitism - at least in the cosplay community - is one that is becoming less significant over time, as "you'd be hard pressed to find somebody who's exclusively steampunk these days." His post argues that, as steampunk has gained in popularity, its members have begun to add other cultures into their approaches to steampunk to the point where it has become a sort of "hybrid" culture with most members engaging in steampunk alongside other interests, rather than exclusively engaging in steampunk.
Mangochutney's suggestion that the majority of steampunkers have merged with other cultures seems a bit extreme, especially considering that there are still conventions that are exclusively "steamcons" that appeal purely to steampunk attendees, and a large number of zines and other publications that are purely interested in steampunk. However, while the hybridization of steampunk may not be as widespread as he suggests, it is still something that could be seen as happening on a smaller scale. As steampunk increases in popularity, the number of people who combine it with other cultures or pursue it alongside other interests could be seen as increasing as well.
This discussion ties into elitism because a decrease in "pure" steampunkers would also therefore suggest a decrease in the subcultures of steampunk that pursue an exclusionary, elitist attitude. As other cultures are integrated into steampunk over time, it will be increasingly difficult for Jeterists and prescriptivists to exclude these cultures, as it is difficult to exclude something that is becoming absorbed into one's own culture.

While I strongly disagree with Mangochutney's suggestion that steampunk is no longer something that exists as an independent culture, as there is still ample evidence of exclusively steampunk works, it is still useful in highlighting a degree of hybridity in steampunk culture that has begun to emerge as some members of the steampunk community have begun to "absorb" elements of other cultures.

By looking at steampunk as a culture that is still constantly growing and developing, it becomes apparent that elitism may be a decreasing issue as members become more willing to accept others into their community. Therefore, rather than looking at elitism in steampunk as something static and unchanging, it is important to recognize it as an ongoing issue that may be decreasing as steampunk develops.

Sources:
http://www.cosplay.com/showthread.php?p=4793980#post4793980