Marxism and YC Flashcards
Who by?
Based off work of a German economist and sociologist Karl Marks
A _____ theory
Conflict
Between?
Bourgeoise VS proletariat (owners vs workers) and the exploitation
Type of theory?
Structural (macro)
What does Karl Marks want?
Wants communism
What is Marxism and capitalism?
1) We live in a capitalist society
2) Capitalism is about having material goods
3) Some people have more material goods than others (inequality)
4) The working class are most affected by this inequality
5) Marxists therefore believe that a capitalist society must be overthrown and replaced with a fairer society (communism)
What are the differences between Marxism and Functionalism?
Functionalism was the dominant social theory (1970) but sociologists rejected functionalism because it did not explain social conflict or the spectacular youth cultures at the time
Explain Youth Culture
- Marxists believe youth subcultures share similar characteristics
- Form of resistance working against capitalism
- Exaggerate working class values
- Examples of traditional working-class values
- Community are close together (living in urban housing)
- Strong and tough (jobs were in factories or mines)
- Do not value education (Paul willis ‘learning to labour’, no effort at school because they knew they would get manual, working jobs
Young people are more likely to rebel as they don’t have?
- Kids
- Responsibility
- Ruling class = least control over this group
Wh are the Marxist CCCS group?
- Marxist viewpoint changed in the 70’s when sociologists tried to explain the changes in youth culture
- CCCS argued that social class differences between groups of young people explain the emergence / direction of youth subcultures
What does CCCS stand for?
Centre
Contemporary
Culture
Studies
What research did the CCCS do?
- The CCCS did research into the spectacular youth cultures
- Considered extreme and highly visible
Examples: Punks / Skinheads
What did Hebdige write about?
- Dick Hebdige: Wrote ‘Subculture: The meaning of style’
- It suggested youth subculture developed as a resistance to capitalism
- Youth culture was a deliberate resistance to capitalist ideology and became known as ‘resistance theory’
What is ‘Bricolage’?
- Hebdige devised the theory on ‘bricolage’ when studying punks
- Punks chose ordinary objects/concepts and made them part of their style, giving these objects new meanings
- Main goal of punks was to go against convention and capitalist society
E.g. they used safety pins as jewellery through the cheeks or lip (removing them from their contextual use)
Hall & Jefferson
UNABLE TO ARTICULATE
- Thought young people were reacting against ‘the crisis of capitalism’
- Unable to show through a formal way - articulate
- Through their subculture
- Express freedom / experiment
- Bricolage (safety pin)
Clarke
SKINHEADS
- Focused on skinhead gangs
- Working class, masculine backgrounds
- Capitalist UK, middle class values were taking over
- Distinct style of manual workers clothing
Corrigan
SMASH STREET KIDS
- Studied aggressive working-class males
- they were looking for excitement and were bored in school
- Low value placed on society
- Thus violence and delinquency was a way of expressing frustration with capitalism
E.g. randomly smashing milk bottles
According to Brake what problems did working class youths face?
- Low wages
- Unemployment
- Urban decay
What are Magical solutions?
- Subcultures provides magical solutions to these problems (e.g. provide a sense of belonging and a way of rebelling against problems)
- Belonging to a subculture allows the youth to believe they will be different from their parents generation
What is incorporation?
- Marxists argue that this rebellion and resistance is short lived
- Eventually society stops seeing it as a threat and finds a way to profit
- Youth subcultures decline and are replaced by a new one
- Youth subculture’s influence mainstream culture and are incorporated into popular culture
- E.g. peace sign
What points did the CCCS writers make about youth subculture’s in society?
- They arise / form to show resistance
- They provide an outlet for some people who feel oppressed
- They are based on exaggerated forms of working-class identities
- They offer magical solutions to problems young people face
What are weaknesses of the Marxist approach to Youth Cultures?
- Feminists would say that the research is male stream (male perspective by males)
- Marxism overlooks the conformity of the majority of young people (functionalist)
- Not all youth subcultures were aggressive / working-class
- E.g. goths were a non-aggressive intellectual group (Hodkinson) = Middle class art students
- Len Barton (2006): the CCCS romanticised unpleasant, racist and homophobic subcultures (not recognised resistance to capitalism)
- The CCCS do not look at ethnicity (focus on typically while subcultures)
- Postmodernists think people pick and choose
- Come from a range of backgrounds
- Class is irrelevant
- Maybe people join subcultures for fun
