1.1 Age & Identity Flashcards
sociologists look at age as being what?
socially constructed
as age is socially constructed what are there expected of people in an age group?
certain norms of behaviour
what 4 age groupings are there in society?
childhood
youth
middle age
old age
(criticisms) some argue youth culture is just what?
a media creation
(criticisms) as opposed to being rebellious as they are portrayed, what are most youths?
conformists who get along with their parents
(support) old age is a homogenous category associated with what?
dependency and loneliness
(support) youth is a time associated with what?
growing up
rebelling
fun
excitement
(criticisms) what is most powerful for all groups as sources of identity?
class, gender, ethnicity above age
childhood is what?
socially constructed
in the UK how is childhood seen?
time of innocence and dependence
(childhood) in some countries what will children be doing at age 12/13?
working, fighting as soldiers or getting married
(childhood) how does the UK have a contradictory view of children?
portrayed as little angels but little devils
Gardner et al parents are choosing to do what now compared to 25 years ago?
spend more time with their children
Gardner et al - what are parents increasingly concerned about? and how are they reacting?
perceived risks their kids are exposed to
responding with increased monitoring and control
Frank Furedi refers to parents increased monitoring as what?
paranoid parenting
(youth subcultures) Functionalists think youth subcultures help young people, how?
offering collective support of a peer group while trying to find themselves
(youth subcultures) clothes, music and hair styles become what in youth subcultures?
symbols of resistance
(youth subcultures) Marxists argue youth subcultures express deviant behaviour as a form of what?
resistance and rebellion against wider society
(youth subcultures) what does Jefferson say youth subcultures are a way of?
hitting back at society
(youth subcultures) postmodernists look at what regarding youth identities?
increasing diversity
(youth subcultures) Postmodernists say old youth identities are fading and young people follow lifestyles based on what?
their individual taste and choices
(youth subcultures) what do youths have the option of choosing from according to postmodernist, polhemus?
a supermarket of style
Postmodernists admit there are still some recognisable subcultures e.g goths, but what do they say about them?
Short lived
Postmodernists say most young people chose what type of approach to style?
Pick n mix
(Youth identity) Sewell found African-Caribbean boys formed their youth identity where?
In school
(Youth identity) Sewell found a minority of boys formed what type of identity?
Rebel identity resistant to school and wider society
(Youth identity) Sewell- what did the rebels project an image of?
Aggressive masculinity
(Youth identity) Sewell - the Rebels drew on what culture and how was this expressed?
Black street culture
Arriving at school with patterns in their hair
(Youth identity) Sewell- how did the schools respond to the hairstyles of the rebels?
Banned patterns but still allowed white boys to wear ponytails
(Youth identity) Sewell - what was the banning of patterns seen as? What did it lead to?
Lack of respect
Aggressive response from rebels
(Youth identity) how are youths presents in the media?
Deviant and troublesome
(Youth identity) what are the media largely responsible for?
Creation of youth culture and identity
(Youth identity) through the media e.g music, adverts what association has been made?
Style and youth
(Youth identity) Cohen says young people are demonised by the media how?
They try to create moral panics about activities of young people
(Youth identity) peer group - what does mcrobbie argue about girls subcultures?
Less obviously rebellious than boys
(Youth identity) peer group - why does mcrobbie describe girls as having a bedroom subculture?
Involves girls spending time in their rooms with friends as opposed to out on the street - listening to music, doing makeup
(Youth identity) what is a criticism of mcrobbies peer group study?
Outdated - gender identities have changed
(old age identity) how do old people have a stigmatised identity?
ageism - old people are seen as past it and are negatively labelled
(old age identity) society encourages us to celebrate youth, whilst making old age be seen as what?
something to be pitied or feared
(old age identity) Sontag suggests there is a double standard of ageing, how?
women are required to stay young but men are allowed to visibly age e.g. silver fox
(old age identity) Featherstone & Hepworth say many old people are forced to wear what?
the mask of old age
(old age identity) Featherstone & Hepworth - what is the mask of old age?
expected to act like the stereotypes e.g. middle aged grandparents may be under pressure to take on the role of elderly grandparents e.g. knitting
(old age identity) Featherstone & Hepworth say increasing numbers of old people are refusing to do what?
act in accord with the stereotypes they go on exotic holidays and enjoy extreme sports
(old age identity) how are Britain’s pensioners split into 2 nations?
working class - old age means poverty middle class have good pensions and can continue their leisure pursuits in old age to reject stereotypes
