Ethnicity and deviant subcultures

Question 1

What does Bourgois say about ethnicity and youth deviance?

Criminal/delinquent subcultures and gangs

Answer 1

• Studied Latino and American drug dealers within New York
• ‘Anguish of growing up poor’- deviance was the norm to cope with the pain and suffering of growing up poor
• Drug dealing was a means of survival and achieving respect

Question 2

What does Alexander say about ethnicity and youth deviance?

Criminal/delinquent subcultures and gangs

Answer 2

• Bengali youths were often involved in fighting
• There was a time of moral panic, due to the Asian gang
• Membership was shifting and the gang was becoming fragile and tenuous

Question 3

What does Nightingale say about ethnicity and youth deviance?

Criminal/delinquent subcultures and gangs

Answer 3

• Young black males in the US are excluded (racially and economically) from participating in mainstream culture
• So they turned to illegitimate means to achieve these goals
• (Paradox of inclusion)

Question 4

What does Sewell say about ethnicity and youth deviance?

Anti-school subcultures

Answer 4

• There are 4 reactions yo school amongst African-Carribean boys:
  1) Conformists (pro-education, pro-school)
  2) Innovators (pro-eductaion but anti-school, seek alternative ways to achieve)
  3) Retreatists (reject values of eductaion/ school, drop-outs)
  4) Rebels (form own alternative subcultures)

Question 5

What does Mac an Ghaill say about ethnicity and youth deviance?

Anti-school subcultures

Answer 5

• African Carribean males developed subcultures based on masculine images and as a response to teachers’ labelling and racism
• Rasta Heads (confrontational African Carribean boys)
• Warriors (covert resistance- male Asians)
• Black sisters (pro-education but open defiance- Asian and African Carribean girls)

Question 6

What does Mirza say about ethnicity and youth deviance?

Anti-school subcultures

Answer 6

• African Carribean girls resented labels and racism but adopted a ‘strategic rationalisation’ of what they perceived as wasteful and unproductive
• Maximised their chances of educational success
• Rational response to a negative school experience

Question 7

What does Archer say about ethnicity and youth deviance?

Anti-school subcultures

Answer 7

• Muslim boys adopted both masuline and religious identities within their peer groups
• Identity was Muslim but consciousness of protecting their subculture protected them from racist bullying

Question 8

What does Strand and Winston say about ethnicity and youth deviance?

Anti-school subcultures

Answer 8

• African Carribean boys saw negative peer relationships as important in their underachievement
• White young boys had low self esteem and a lack of parental aspirations