Functionalist Theories Of Youth Culture

Question 1

Parsons

Answer 1

Suggests that in traditional societies young people used to go through a ‘rite of passage’ - a ceremony marking the move between child hood and adulthood - no claims that this has been replaced with youth culture

• youth culture extends over years - acting as a bridge and a transition from childhood to adulthood
• young people need to find a way to move from the secure, cosy world of the family to the competitive adult working world
• youth culture enables young people to detach from parents and create their own sense of self - smoothing path between the conflicting values of home (childhood) and work (adulthood)

Question 2

Eisenstadt

Answer 2

Suggests that youths need to go from an ascribed status (child) to an achieved status (adult)

Breaking away from family home is difficult and emotionally stressful

Suggests that youth culture is inherently binding - shared interests with peers creates a sense of community

Question 3

Rosak

Answer 3

Developed functionalist arguments and said there was a generation gap emerging due to differences between adults and adolescents in relation to norms, values and style - youths really stand out as different

Divisions of class, gender and race were less important than those based on age and young people have a distinctive set of norms and values which distinguished them from others and binds them together