paper 1 -2022 Flashcards
twin studies
nature
- Bouchard
- identical twins separated at birth and raised separately - reunited as adults
- Oskar - Germany and catholic faith
- jack - Caribbean and Jewish faith
- many similarities = likes and dislikes (fav foods) and personalities (mannerisms)
genie
nurture
girl that almost had no human contact for 13 years
shut in a room and strapped to a potty chair
father claim to do it to protect her as she was mentally retarded by it was unclear if this was a result of the isolation
found that she was able to make human attachments but never learnt how to speak fluently
stayed in intuitional care
nurture
upbringing and environment
genie
nature - what studies support
genes
twin studies
Hamar tribe
live in ethiopia
culture rich in ceremony ritual
male perform ceremony where they leap onto the backs of cattle and run across them
the women are whipped before this ceremony to prove their devotion to them
define culture
the norms and values that are expected within a society
define norms
are expected patterns of behavior that are based on the values of a culture.
define values
are the beliefs and ideas that are seen as important and accepted in society
define a subculture
is a culture enjoyed by a small group within a society that have distinct norms and values to the majority of society.
higher culture
- linked with the upper class and elite individual in society and those who have an ascribed status. they tend to operate with social closure
popular culture
refers to activities that are enjoyed and accessible to the masses.
- media creates popular culture
- popular culture takes from higher culture and popularises it
consumer culture
is the consumption of good and services made in society.
- used by individuals to form an acceptable identity
-a result of the increasing availability and the consumption of goods and services.
-excessive consumption and debt are regarded as acceptable and normal
-encouraged and reinforced by the media
conspicuous consumption - the consumption of branded good to construct an identity and gain status
global culture
when activities and trends become universal. therefore they are distinctive in different countries and made the world more interconnected
- also know as globilisation
cultural hybridity
cultural hybridity is when two or more cultures merge or cross over
e.g. brasians
cultural diversity
refers to the differences or variety found in societies.
can be seen both between cultures (intercultural diversity) and within Cultures (intracultural diversity)
define social control
a mechanism in which our behavior is controlled. These behaviors are reinforced with positive sanctions and discouraged with negative sanctions
define formal mechanisms of social control
- institutions that directly and explicitly control the behavior of the population, via passing and enforcing laws. - people are aware they are happening
example and effects of formal mechanisms of social control
education =legal requirement to attend and behavior codes
workplace = official discipline procedures and codes of conduct
sanctions - warning from police, sentences, dismissal from work and exclusion from school
police, court and criminal justice system, government and the military = passing and enforcing laws that directly and explicitly control the behavior
military - rarely used in UK, however military tactics used at time of civil unrest
religion - within families and communities, sanctions = public exclusion
informal mechanisms of social control
informal mechanisms = these control our behavior more subtly
eg. peer groups, media, education, religion, workplace and family
sanctions = social exclusion (peer group), disappointed reactions from parents, being passed over for a promotion at work, celebrities being criticised in magazines
Steve Taylor - socialisation, identity and culture
pick and mix identity
I.D. = endless shopping mall of values, norms and apperance.
not only consumption but family, media, peers etc. creating ID.
elements of a social construct
not fixed created by society different in different cultures - cultural relative laws define them temporally relative - change over time context dependent
Margret mead - culture, socialisation and identity
studied tribal cultures in Samoa and New Guinea
found different gender role expectations
Arapesh tribe = both genders were gentle and cooperative
Mundugumor tribe = both genders were violent and aggressive
Tchambuli tribe = opposite gender roles than in the US
Bourdieu - popular culture
argues that the distiniction between higher culture and popular culture is the power of the group who support and access them
higher culture is simply the culture of the higher economic classes
media is important in creating and spreading popular culture
nayak
white wannabes
Ali G - Eminem
Bourdieu - identity
class fractions-determined-varying degrees of
1. cultural capital - knowledge, attitudes, skills, education + advantages = higher status in society.
2.economic capital - economic resources
3. social capital - resources based on group membership, relationships, networks of influence and support
-ruling class has the power to shape what we value + are in a position to acquire + pass on capital
-all capitals interrelate - one type of capital allows you obtain the others
however cultural capital is consider more significant - ascribed + difficult to achieve higher levels without parents helping
Brasians
a hybrid identity - mix between Asian and British
traditional aspects of south Asian culture - religion, henna tattoos or bhangra music
British values, music and fashion
McLuhan
argued even in the 1960’s the world had become a smaller place.
we live in a global village
driven by multinational companies, travel, globally accessible media and the internet.
quinn - sexuality and identity
studied same sex relationships in tribal people
native American tribes celebrate same - sex marriages where one partner in male relationships would take on the ‘berdache’ role or in female relationships one would adopt the dominant ‘amazon’ female warrior.
sub-Saharan African people have man-boy marriage ceremonies
weeks - sexuality and identity
sexual identity is more significant for homosexuals than heterosexuals
sexual identification is complex - not all people who have had same-sex encounters, identify as homosexual
reiss - sexuality and identity
1961 study
found that young male prostitutes or rent boys, regarded themselves as heterosexual, despite having sex with men for money, and they actively despised the men as a way of neutralising their behaviour.
the kinsey report - sexuality and identity
37% men had a homosexual experience but less than 4% were exclusively homosexual
Mary Mclntosh - sexuality and identity
once a male has accepted the label of or identity of homosexual, he will start to fulfill these expectations. the label creates the behaviour.
plummer - sexuality and identity
The homosexual career
it is not the sexual attraction that creates the homosexual, but the internalisation of the identity of homosexual
rich - sexuality and identity
women are forced into heterosexuality by men to ensure they are available to men
Laud Humphries - tea room trade
studied sex in public restrooms between two men - observation and interview
behavior was consider illegal - so didn’t identify himself as a research but a watch queen
produced a detailed encounter of 50 events out of hundreds
found patterns in the events - little conversation and role assumed based on age
had 50 “cooperative participants” and used number plates and a different identity for the rest
interviewed on health survey a year later
compared 50 interviews with people outside the tearoom and found that they were similar
argue tearooms were a victimless crime and they should stop arresting them
childhood
- period of innocence, dependence and vulnerability in the UK but in other countries young children may be working or fighting as soldiers
- not a universal stage but a social construct that is relative
- media portrays children as vulnerable victims or delinquents
- some argue that children have to grow up faster today but until the mid 20th century, childhood was much shorter.
postman - what is youth
spread of literacy made adults better able to shield children from various aspects of adult life, like disease, death and issues of sexuality.
thus the innocent child was created.
he argues the emergence of the media has threatened childhood and caused it to ultimately disappear.
the disappearance of childhood
blames the media - expose children to adult world to young
so youth is starting younger and younger
but also ends later as people stay in education for longer and get married later
toxic childhood - sue palmer
increased media consumption among younger groups has blurred the boundaries between childhood and adulthood, meaning children can easily access adult content and their innocence therefore diminishes
youth
- associated with 12 to 25 year olds
- socially constructed as a period of transition from childhood to adulthood (varies between cultures and time )- hamar tribe (ceremony)
- time of resistance or rebellion
- biological changes
- involvement in education rather than work = lack of responsibilities
- importance of peer group
margaret mead - youth
argued that the storm and stress associated with youth is culturally specific and not found in all cultures,
however, her findings and methodology have been questioned
young adulthood and middle age
normally characterized by career and family.
most people form relationships, have children and establish their careers during this time, often moving into their own home and becoming independent from their parent.
tends to be associated with those in their 40-50’s
Bradley - middle age
argued it has higher status than youth or old age
as middle age people are running the country and hold power at work.
however, middle age is also seen as a negative time as youth is lost and old age comes closer. it is sometimes associated with negative ideas
such as mid-life crisis and empty nest syndrome.
hockey and james - Old age
growing up and growing old - infantilization
research in a retirement home showed old age being socially constructed in the same way as childhood
corner- old age
the media show the elderly as a burden
this has led to negative language being used to describe themselves
postmodernists on old age
people living and working longer, anti-ageing products and procedures and the extension of youth show how age is more fluid and less significant today
Featherstone and Hepworth
Featherstone and Hepworth
media images of age have been a source of negative stereotypes but as the population is now ageing these are set to improve.
retro fashions and comeback tours of bands from the past have blurred the boundaries between the life courses
define socialisation
is the process by which an individual learns the norms and values of society.
can be divided into primary and secondary socialization
continues throughout the individuals lifetime
primary socialisation
the first and most important stage of learning that happens in our early years of life (0-5)
agents = family
example of its affects = Oxanna and genie (feral children)
secondary socialisation
the continuation of socialization after the age of 5.
agents = peer groups, education, religion, media, workplace
family as an agent of primary socialization
children learn through imitation of the parents (learn norms + values)
parents are role model - so model their behaviour
able to learn what is acceptable or unacceptable through trail and error
parents apply sanctions to show what behaviours are desirable
positive sanctions = praise
negative sanctions = telling off (form of social control)
peer group - secondary socialization
similar age range - include friends
most important from 5 to 18 years old - most time spent with peers then
learn acceptable behavior - desire to fit in or conformity
more influential than parents within school years
often hierarchies - some leaders with a higher status than followers
source of rebellion - youth subcultures - resist norms and values
education - secondary socialisation
overlap with peer groups
formal curriculum - lessons
informal/hidden curriculum - sanctions teach obedience , authority is taught through school structure
teachers mainly pass on the norms and values in school but also learn our place in society
media - secondary socialisation
always growing - also argued to be the most important
influence stereotypes - Mulvey - male gaze
concerns of media influence on violence within society
influences culture e.g. consumer culture
Mulvey
use the concept - male gaze to describe how the camera in films eye up female characters
encourages viewers to assess their bodies and their attractiveness from a male perspective
religion - secondary socialization
on the decline as society has become more secular
however, can be argued that norms, values, laws, morals and customers are influenced by the Christian religion
multi-faith society - religion may influence some groups more than others
Modood and Berthoud - religion and ethnicity
surveyed young people 67% of pakistanis and bangladeshis saw religion as very important compared to 5% of white british youth individual raised Muslim, Hindu, Sikh saw religion as more important Christian congregations (uk) are made up of mainly African-Caribbean and eastern European - not universal influence
workplace - secondary socialisation
key agent for adults
considered resocialisation - new set of norms and values
formal = dress code, code of conduct - reinforced with sanctions
informal = colleagues resocialise sanction unacceptable behaviour and make expectations clear.
waddington
canteen culture = the set of norms and values that people who work in a particular origination will be socialized to accept , so that certain behavior, language and attitudes become the norm
e.g. racism with the police = individual police office start to think or behavior racist as they are socialized through the canteen culture.
define identity
is often defined as how you see yourself but our identity is both social and personal as it marks us out as different from other but also emphasizes our similarities.
Ghumann - religon
tradition, religion and family values played an important part in the upbringing of second generation Asians in the UK
also socialized into the extended family with an emphasis on duty, loyalty, honor and religious commitment
Gilroy - ethnicity and identity
Black Atlantic - used to describe the identity of young black people as their identity was not specifically rooted in the UK or in their country of origin.
also argued that the shared experience of racism and powerlessness can transcend different backgrounds and histories creating a black identity that black individuals in the UK and US can relate to.
teddy boy’s
1950's - London (to begin with) music = rock n roll, jump blues, r&b, and shuffle music issue = class inequalities, unemployment fashion = Edwardian era fashion, zoot suits, waistcoat, creepers, pocketknife, pompadour style hair
teddy boys rebellion
rebelled against American rock and roll
coursed moral panic as they were seen as the 1st teenage rebellion and antisocial group
rioted in cinema at the release of a bill Halsey
also know for racist views and attacking immigrants
punks
1970’s emerged - rapidly grow in 1980’s
fashion = DIY ethics/ upcycling - bin liners as clothes + safety pins as piercings
music = indie, heavy metal, rock and punk - used to emphasis the anger + aggression they felt
punks rebellion
anti-establishment views - individual freedom and anti-consumer culture
rebelled against social conditions of the 1970’s through confrontational and aggressive style and aesthetic
used their fashion to shock and offend the mainstream culture
new romantics
1980’s
music = punk rock, glam rock stars (David bowie)
fashion = theatrical clothing, influenced by Charles 3rd, girls suits boys lace, eyeliner and blazers with puffy sleeves
new romantics - rebellion
gender issues - cross dressing, embraced androgyny, also though sexuality should be ambiguous
criminal acts - didn’t commit crimes but their actions were very controversial - David bowie had very controversial political views as was pro-fascist
skinheads
1960’s
music - ska-punk (ghost town)
issues - extreme working class masculinity
fashion - manual worker clothes, rolled jeans, big bots with steel toe caps
skinheads rebellion
football hooliganism
focused on reclaiming territory
macho men
aggressive and racist view = linked Nazis
believed their working class identities were under threat due to economic conditions - over emphasis their status as a form of resistance
subcultures related to hybridity - hybridity in action - cashmore
cashmore - studied gangster Rap which is the ultimate hybridity of music. As it is in the top charts for Jamaica, New York and LA. this has coursed it to evolve and adapt between countries.
this hybridity supports the postmodernist idea of fluidity
subcultures related to hybridity - white wannabes
Nayak - white working class boys are adopting the style and language of black culture. listen to hip-hop and Rap. eg. ail g
Hewitt - ethnic identities
considered white backlash against multiculturalism policies designed to achieve equality - perceived as unfair to the white community. white working class person under economic pressure - anger at the positive discrimination in favor of ethnic minorities. feel like they need to defend their ethnic identity
spencer et al - ethnicity and identity
growing number of white ethnic minorities - origins from eastern Europe
suggested that eastern European migrants spend little time socializing with British people
found that they weren’t allowed in their circles - operate with social closure.
Dawney et al - ethnicity and identity
found evidence of racism against European migrants in the rural community
largely came from the perceived threat and fear of numbers that didn’t necessarily have a basis in reality
resistance or hybridity -sociologists
the response of those from ethnic minorities to rascism may be to find ways in which their ethnicity can be used as a form of protection.
- cashmore and troyna
- James
- Jacobson
Cashmore and troyna -ethnicity and identity
there will be a tendency for ethnic minorities to turn inwards.
to seek support support from within their own ethnic minority as a response to racism that they experience.
thus religion and culture may be strengthened, as they become key source of identity and support
Winston James - ethnicity and identity
the experience of racism unified the culture and identity of African- Caribbean’s in the UK.
cultural differences based on their island of origin and have been divided based on the darkest of skin , a hierarchy of color imposed by colonialism
however in the UK the common experience of racism have draw African Caribbean’s together.
organized around the black label - as a resistance to racism
Jacobson - ethnicity and identity
young Pakistanis are adopting a strong Islamic identity as a response to social exclusion from white British society.
young British Muslims face difficulties and problems and a strong Muslim identity give the a sense of stability and security
positively embrace the identity as a form of defense and resistance to marginalization and racism
not absorbed through the family but consciously constructed
hybrid not resistant identities
ethnic identities have become more hybrid
ethnic minorities and white British origins are all influenced by each others identities and by the media.
hybridity is not simply the mix between two cultures as studies have suggested it is a more complex process.
changing ethnic identities - sociologists
modood
postmodernism
back
brah
modood
a number of generational differences over the issue of identity
second generation ethic minorities from both African Caribbean and Asian backgrounds felt more British that their parents but still see their ethic origin as a key part of their identity
postmodernists on changing ethnic identities
that in a globalized and media saturated society
identity is all about choice - everyone can create their own identity
because of hybridity ethnicity is becoming less clear cut and less significant.
however some sociologist would disagree and suggest that ethnicity and race are still sources of discrimination and hugely affect identity
back - neighborhood nationalism and cultural hybridity
ethnographic study of 2 estates in London
found cultural hybridity but not just in black youths
white youth attracted to aspects of black culture
local youths from ethnic backgrounds - shared identity of neighborhood nationalism - feeling of solidarity and common identity with people in the area
cultural code switching - brah
young British Asians are skilled cultural code switchers - more appropriate way to see their identities than hybrid or a cross between cultures
clear cut and homogeneous between being British and Asian
experience conflict and culture clash
find ways to successfully negotiate their own identity
national identities
national identity - often considered in a wider as the identity of a whole country however an individual also had an national identity that may affect the way they see themselves
national identities identity is often expressed through supporting your national team in sport but also through pride in the anthem and flag, and through language.
national identities can be confusing for British people as often as English and British are often seen as synonymous but for someone from wales, Scotland or northern Ireland there is a clear distinction - as historically they have been positioned as subordinate
Anderson - nationality and identity
nation is an imagined community, in that members of a nation will never meet most of their fellow members, and so national identity is socially constructed through symbols such as flags and anthem, and rituals such as national holidays
was socially constructed when developments in printing technology led to mass circulation of newspapers and books - created a national language.
Kumar - nationality and identity
discussed the fact that, unlike the scots, the welsh and the Irish, the English find it difficult to say who they are and that English national identity is elusive
long history of English as an imperial people has developed a sense of missionary nationalism, which in the interest of unity and empire, has necessitated the repression of ordinary expressions of nationalism.
so he argues the quest to expand Britishness may have diluted Englishness
gender as a social construct
relates to nature nurture debate
some argue that there are biological differences between males and females.
but other argue gender is socially constructed
Wilson - gender as a social construct
biological view
the need to reproduce requires men to be more promiscuous
“spread the speed”
women however need to nurture one child so need to stay faithful to the father - to ensure his help in upbringing.
parsons - gender as a social construct
functionalist view
female = expressive role in the family - a natural childbearing role reinforced by socialization
males= instrumental role = breadwinner and protector - natural because of their physical strength but also reinforced through socialization.
weakness of parsons views on gender as a social construct
Tchambuli tribe and Margaret mead - suggest that gender identity is learnt rather than biologically determined
feminism - the social construction of gender identities
gender identities are socially constructed by patriarchy society
male - dominated society creates and reinforces stereotypes of how males and females should be
agencies of socialisation may also reinforce stereotypical expectations - family + others
for example, peer groups monitor and regulate acceptable behaviour for girls and boys from an early age
Hey - social construction of gender identities
feminist
studied friendship groups amongst teen age girls and looked at the power the female peer group has over girls’ behaviour and how the norms of female peer group are deeply rooted in the patriarchy and expectations of how girls should be.
Mac an Ghaill - the social construction of gender identities
feminism
how boys learn to be men in peer groups at school, policing their own and others sexuality.
gender power, based on hyper-masculinity, was the main source of identity for the macho-lads
valued the 3f’s - fighting, football and fucking
Oakley - Gender role socialisation in the family
gender roles are socially constructed through socialisation
children are socialised into the gender roles through the family
1. manipulation = encouraging behaviour that is socially expectable for that child’s gender and discourage behaviour that goes against the gender norm
2. canalisation = parents channeling their Childs interest into toys and activities that are considered the norm for the gender
3.verbal appellation - nicknames
3. different activities = encourage children to participate in activities around the home that reinforce stereotypes
Femininities - is there only one way of being feminine
range of feminine identities available in the contemporary UK - traditional to non-traditional
e.g. housewife and mothers but also breadwinners and single mothers
however even in today feminine identity is often related to submissive and passive roles and associated with a lack of self-confidence and ambition
recent campaigns relating to self-confidence in young girls
run like a girl campaigns - pharses like ‘you run or throw like girl’ are negatively used. - Procter and Gamble’s branded a campaign that aims to turn the phrases into positive ones and challenge the stereotypes underpinning them - research= 50% of girls experience a drop in confidence around puberty and that most consider like a girl to be a insult.
Ban bossy - American campaign recognising the knock to girls confidence based around the world bossy (when a boy asserts himself he is a leader when a girl does the same she is seen as bossy) these phrases send the message to girls to not raise their hand or speak up. by middle school girls are less interested in being leading than boys and the trend continues into adulthood
define laddishness
refers to a specific form of masculine behaviour
typically involving sportiness, hardness, hanging out and not being seen to be making an effort at school.
Jackson - ladette
found that some girls or ladettes also spent time drinking and smoking, swearing and disrupting lessons, for fear of doing otherwise and being considered unpopular and uncool
Denscombe - Ladettes
looked at the increase of female risk- taking behaviour, particularly smoking, as being related to a Ladette culture, where young women want to be seen as anything but the stereotype of a women
Connell - masculinities
has argued that there are a range of masculine identities available today but that hegemonic masculinity (macho, dominant, aggressive, breadwinner) is the most common and the one that is still reinforced most strongly
also identified: subordinate masculinity - links to homosexual masculinity
marginalised masculinity - links to unemployed men are present but not fully accepted as real masculinity
Mac an Ghaill - crisis of masculinity
used this term to refer to the insecurity felt by the working class men today. there has been a loss of the breadwinner identity with the decline of traditional male industries
Canaan - changing male identities
researched working class men in Wolverhampton - question the employed and the long term unemployed and found differences in their perceptions of masculinity.
what is the most important thing about being a man?
men with job - fighting, drinking and sexual conquests
men without jobs - having a job - felt emasculated due to their unemployment.
Faludi - crisis for female and male identity
looked at the reaction of working class males to the successes of feminism, coupled with the crisis of masculinity, particularly the decline in male jobs and breadwinner role
e.g. spur posse - a group of young males who gained brief notoriety in the US. had a game to sleep with as many girls as possible to gain points and then printed the number on a t-shirt - came to light that one of them raped a 12 year old girl - response was well she has a body.
concluded that their attitudes towards women and increases in domestic and sexual violence against women, can be seen as part of this masculinity issue - is their one remaining source of power.
a definition of class
a group who share a similar economic and social situation
is class significant in affecting identity
some may argue class is dead - postmodernists
significant aspect of identity - economic circumstances of an individuals upbringing and relate to issue such as housing, health and schooling.
also led to the social development of norms and values, cultures and lifestyles - affect how you see yourself and others
Bourdieu - social class and identity
class fractions are determined by varying degrees of social, economic and cultural capital
dominant class = power to shape which attributed are valued, in position to acquire and pass on capital to their children
- cultural capital: knowledge, attitudes, skills, education and advantages that a person has - higher status
- economic capital
- social capital: resources based on group memberships, networks or influence and support
all types of capital are interrelated - one high level capital leds to rest also being high
- cultural capital is most significant - parents provide children with cultural capital by transmitting knowledge and attitudes needed to succeed in the educational system and higher status situations
ruling class course others to be in unfair positions
judging social class - social class and identity
thing to consider when looking at someone’s class
- money/income
- possessions
- house
- lifestyle
- holidays
- dress/style
- accent / speech
- norms / values
- occupation
Mackintosh and Mooney - upper class
point out key feature = invisibility
operate with social closure - meaning their education, leisure time and daily lives are separate and partially invisible from the rest of the population
e.g. boarding schools, socialise in exclusive clubs, leisure activities that are not assessable to others - polo, opera
however it can be argued that this group is waning in numbers and power and that the super-rich based on achieved rather than ascribed status, are now much more significant.
who are the middle class ???
majority of the population = tony Blair - ‘ we are all middle class now’
- associated with professional and managerial careers
- university educated and have their own homes (the feactures now apply to more of the population)
- very diverse group - contain a wide variety of different with very different incomes, attitudes and lifestyles
Fox - middle class
discusses upper middles, middle middles and lower middles - highlight differences within the class. big difference between public sector professionals e.g. teacher and private sector professionals e.g. lawyer thus it is unlikely that everyone who see themselves as middle class shares a common experience or identity
Hutton - working class
used to be the majority but is shrinking + traditionally made up of manual workers
however, Hutton has argued that the decline in trade union memberships and the manufacturing sector, and the dispersal of working class communities, has eroded of W/C identity
Skeggs - the working class
W/C are often romanticised as hard-workers, straight-talking, salt-of-the-earth identity
Skeggs - studied w/c women who felt humiliated by the way in which others, such as teachers and DR, judge and dismissed them due to their w/c background.
as a result the women made a strenuous effort to show they were respectable, taking care in how they dressed, their leisure pursuit and home decorations
who are the underclass???
controversial term - people are unlikely to identify themselves with this class originally used by sociologists from conflict perspective to draw attention to social exclusion experienced by those at the bottom of society - lack of opportunities = education, health, earning
however, the term is often used in a negative way to describe those who rely on benefits and are blamed for their own situation due to the choices they have made. (Murray)
Murray - underclass
over-generous benefits encourage some people to develop a culture or a set of norms and values in which they do not take responsibility for their own actions and have an expectation that they will be looked after by the state
underclass and government/policy
government are concerned about this group and groups such as NEETs (young people not in education, employment or training)
targeted by various policies - raising of school leaving age
- this group are often portrayed in a negative way in the media - the Jeremy Kyle show or shameless
pakulski and waters - change in social class identity
postmodernists
suggest that there has been a shift from production to consumption in the definition of identities - as now defined by what we buy, not what we do.
offe - change in social class identities
postmodernist argues that in today's society, fewer and fewer individuals have share a common, unifying experience or full-time work - lack the experiences that shape the culture of social classes the days when people had a job for life have gone, and we are all able to create our own identities regardless of the social class of our families and the particular level of qualification or job we may have at any one time. additionally - contemporary UK gives choices and opportunities to everyone that use to be limited to the privileged few + media gives access to an endless range of information and cultural experiences = broken down class and social based barriers
counterpoint to Offe - social class and identity
however, not everyone would agree that todays society is as class-free as it seem social class background remains the most significant indicator of outcomes such as education, health and life expectancy lots of evidence suggesting a difference in culture and lifestyle between people from different social and economic backgrounds important to recognise that the ability to make choices and take opportunities depend on money and some sections of the UK population don't even have access to the internet and are more concerned with struggling to feed their family/
disability and identity
people without mental or physical impairments may not see the significant of this aspect of identity
but those who do see it as the most important part of their identity
improvement = Paralympics raising awareness of positive achievements and images in relation to disable people + discrimination act
the medical model - disability and identity
see disabilities as a medical problem
focus on the limitations caused by the impairment (prevent approach taken by society)
led to defining of a disabled person by their disability or impairments - this leds to a victim blaming mentality where the problem lies with the disabled individual rather than with a society that has not met their needs.
Shakespeare - medical model for disability and identity
socialised into this way of seeing themselves as victims
‘the person with impairment may have an investment in their own incapacity, because it can become the rationale for their own failure’
thus creating a victim mentality.
social model - disability and identity
focuses on the social and physical barriers to inclusion that may exist, such as the design of buildings and public spaces that deny access to those with mobility problems or discriminatory attitudes and practices against those with disabilities.
society = disabling factor.
disability as a social construct - rests on assumptions of what is normal or abnormal
campaigners argued against the use of the word disabled and for the word differently abled
Shakespeare - social model of disability and identity
there are major obstacles to forming a positive disability identity.
disabled people are often socialised to see themselves as inferior
disabled people are often isolated from one another, so forming a strong, collective identity is difficult.
also lack of positive role models in public life and the media, often even in immediate family
additionally disability or impairment in a largely able-bodied society often leads to reactions of pity, avoidance or awkwardness.
lee Ridley
comedian that suffers from cerebral palsy. ponders the question - 'does disability make you feel awkward' scope UK (disability charity) found that 2/3 of people felt awkward talking to a disabled person 43% of people don't know anyone with a disability; which is statically unlikely
stigma and master status - disability and identity
the label disabled carries a stigma that affects all interactions between the disabled person and others, (interactionists)master status.
this means that it transcends all other aspects of identity and becomes the defining characteristics by which the individual is judged.
this become a key issue for disabled people as their disability becomes the defining aspect of their identity.
carol gill - disability and identity
issue of master status may also be true for the individual themselves, as they learn to see themselves first and foremost in terms of their impairment.
carol Gill -reconciling your identity as a disabled person with previously held notions about what being disabled means is a common hurdle: ‘when you become a member of the group that you have previously felt fear or pity for, you cant help but turn those feeling on yourself’
Murugami - disability and identity
discusses the way in which many disabled people form their self-identity based on what they are able to do rather than in terms of their disability.
if their abilities are blocked by societal and barriers, such as poor access or lack of awareness, then the blame is directed at society rather than the impairment
= positive to form positive disability identities
Watson = illustrates this point, quoting a person with a disability who said; ‘I know this is going to sound strange to you, but I do not see myself as a disabled person’
Zola - disability and identity
disabled sociologist that writes
- The very vocabulary we use to describe ourselves is borrowed from discriminatory able bodied society
we are deformed, diseased, disabled, disordered, abnormal and most telling of all, called an in-valid
this can led to learned helplessness
learned helplessness - disability and identity
a concept that originates in psychology, describing the way that some disabled people may internalise the idea that they are incapable of changing a situation, and this fail to take action to help themselves.
low self-esteem and a highly structured life in which decisions are often made for disabled people can contributed to this.
it has be argued that policies such as segregated schooling actually encouraged learned helplessness, even if the intention were well-meaning
counterpoint to learned helplessness - disability and identity
Murugami
- argues that a disabled person has the ability to construct a self identity that accepts their impairments but independent of it.
so they see themselves as a person first, and see their disability as just one of their characteristics
define subcultures
is often defined as a culture within a culture, which has its own distinct norms and values, as well as being part of the wider culture.
youth subculture = distinct group of youths, who stand out in terms of their style, dress, music taste and attitudes. many distinct youth subcultures have been identified
spectacular youth subcultures
term used to describe highly visible subcultures of the 1950s - 1970s, such as teddy boys, mods, punks and skinheads.
- very flamboyant and instantly recognized styles and often had confrontational attitudes
- studied by CCCS
functionalism - youth subcultures
society based on consensus
- very important that individuals feel integrated into society
- if they will be isolated and face anomie
see youth as a transitional stage from childhood to adulthood
children = social integration through family - sense of belonging from peers
adulthood = create their own families, social integration through work - seek independence from their family
Parson - functionalism - youth subcultures
youth = a social category only emerged due to changes in the family associated with the development of capitalism
pre-capitalist society - transition was marked by an initiation or rite of passage e.g. Hamar tribe
less dramatic in western society e.g. child bearing or marriage - thus to an extent youth didn’t exist
capitalism = create divide between the role of the family and the specialised requirement for the workplace - period of training and socialisation (previously not required) that wouldn’t been taught in the family
leading to an expansion of the compulsory education and training filling the gap when previously people would have already embarked upon their adult life’s
Eisenstadt - functionalism - youth subcultures
saw youth culture as a way of bringing young people into society
during the isolation stage between childhood and adulthood where there could be a risk of feeling stress and anomie.
important = provide a share set of norms and values with peers and a sense of belonging. also provided a safe outlet for the tensions that the transition might bring, let out frustrations in acceptable way
period of rebellion = normal, and essential to growing up, society puts it down to hormones and high spirts
however, functionalists see it as a way of testing boundaries, experimentation, and reinforcing acceptable norms and values and thus it will contributed to social order
Abrams - functionalism - youth subcultures
argued the emergence of youth culture was linked to their emergence of youth culture was linked to their emergence as a distinct group with spending power who started to be targeted by business and the media.
believe youth culture was actually created by the media
evidence = 1950 distinct youth culture emerged at the same time as social conditions making the transition period more noticeable, and as media was developing, and a increase of job opportunities so consumerism was taking off
weakness of the functionalist theory of youth culture
generalising about youth culture as a whole and did not account for individual subcultural difference between youth. - found difference based around social class, race, gender for example, neo-Marxists focus on class impact and feminism focused on gender differences
most evidence used comes from white, middle class American males - ethnocentric and androcentric
Marxists compared to functionalism - youth subcultures
unlike functionalist Marxists see the youth as a spectacular youth subcultures.
Marxist are also a conflict theory (only look at subcultures)
challenge functionalists view as they take no consideration of social situation and class issue being faced by young people
CCCS - Neo-Marxists - youth subcultures
took influence from Gramsci and his concept of ‘hegemony’
= meant social authority or ideological dominance that the ruling class has over the subordinate class
they explain that youth subcultures form because of social class and economic situational factors.
they also explain that youth experience the same social conditions
Neo-Marxism - 1960’s to 70’s - youth subcultures
many social issues facing W/C youth
eg. unemployment
whereas at other times there were work opportunities
so the CCCS suggest different youth subcultures rise to resist the ruling class
weakness of the Marxists view of youth subcultures
- looking for meaning that didn’t exist = fashion or behaviour
- feminists challenge the CCCS for leaving out girls : McRobbie + Garber produced their own analysis
- middle class youths had their own subculture groups = hippies
- the majority of youth don’t belong to a subculture
- CCCS data is outdated by newly developed post modernist ideas.
feminism - youth subcultures
argued that girls were ignored
- McRobbie and Garber
McRobbie and Garber - youth subcultures
clearly absent from research and if they did appear it presented them as passive girlfriends and commented on their attractiveness
- this presents girls as uninteresting
believe this was because researcher didn’t from a Rapport with them and they had more close knit-relationships with male subgroups
- used the concept of the bedroom culture to explain why girls face restrictions = form of resistance to their teenage anxieties about teenage sexual interactions that led to tight knit friendship groups. becoming invisible on street corners
feminism evaluations - youth subcultures
- gender is less significant now and there is no current subcultures don’t have any gender distinctions
postmodernism - youth subcultures
youth subcultures have become increasingly fragmented and diverse and their style is more fluid
- a mix from different sources
MIPS - postmodernists - youth subcultures
research into club cultures in the 1980's and 90's they found that it was very diverse - no clear gender, class or ethnicity
Thornton - postmodernism - youth subcultures
argued that club culture is defined by a shared taste of music and dance but is made up of different subcultures
- was influence by Bourdieu leading to term subcultural capital meaning that club-culture us about gaining a status and distinguish themselves from the mainstream followers
Redhead - postmodernism - youth subcultures
states that authentic subcultures develop outside of media influence
- today’s youth are apart if a media driven reality, so suggest that Thornton’s view is more true to today.
Maffesoli - postmodernism - youth subcultures
uses the term neo-tribes instead of subcultures
refers to loosely organised groups with no commitments or fixed memberships
no longer form social line so individuals can move from tribe to tribe and don’t have any class or ethnicity ties
Bennett - postmodernism - youth subcultures
researched nightclubs in Newcastle and found neo-tribes based around fashion, music and lifestyle but had shared values
no longer define themselves to an individual group. so subcultures are ridged but neo-tribes are fluid
Polhemus - postmodernists - subcultures
develops upon fludity and writes about the supermarket of style in which youth pick identities from multiple cultures, fashions and lifestyles
- he argues that the youth today are not committed to one style and are reluctant to give themselves labels
weakness of the postmodernist view of youth subcultures
- still some distinct youth subcultures, with clear music and style allegiances e.g. goth + emo
- CCCS criticism of the original youth can apply = youth may have neo-tribes but are mainly influenced by the mainstream and corporate, so neo-tribes and club culture are artificial and media- driven
- neo-tribes and the idea of a fluid world make it seem as everyone is equal = is not true for many groups of young people who may still divide themselves clearly on gender or ethnicity lines.
Tony Jefferson = subcultures related to social class
affluent for working class but were still seen as having no future - spent a lot of money on clothes e.g. Teddy boys their clothes was seen as symbolizing their desire to be middle class but also wore some western clothes to be like cool role models e.g. cowboys
Dick Hebdige = Mods - subcultures related to social class
Mods were working class but were more affluent group that resisted against middle class
social class, deprivation and frustration - subcultures related to social class
feelings of deprivation and frustration have led to youth forming subcultures slightly different economic situations
Resistance - subcultures related to social class
CCCS viewed subcultures as a resistance to the capitalism system and to the class system
Thornton’s criticism of the CCCS - subcultures related to social class
youth are largely exempt from adult financial commitments, so enjoy disposable income and freedom from adult responsibilities despite is this they are unemployed and they all can take part in club culture
Brake - subcultures related to social class
thought that subcultures solutions were magical rather than practical
being in a subculture provides the youth with a collective identity and strength/ power leading to them feeling like they can fight back
- always will turn into adults that submit to society
Dick Hebdige - Punks - subcultures related to social class
used the term Bricolage to describe punk culture
- referring to how they repurposed and reusing ordinary objects and avoid mainstream fashion
this was seen as a resistance against the fashion industry and the mainstream media
- attracted W/C, disaffected youth and also college students e.g. bands like the sex pistols singing about poverty and smashing the system
CCCS also suggested that social class and frustrated youths led to subcultures resistance to the capitalist system and social deprivation
john Clarke - skinheads - subcultures related to social class
w/c boys resisting economic crisis
- Mac an Ghail = male crisis
focused on reclaiming territory and had racist views
McRobbie and Garber - girls subcultures - subcultures related to gender
critical of the CCCS of ignoring girls
- looked at subcultures that girls were present in e.g. Modgirls - this happened as mods were fairly androgynous
- however girls are redistricted by early marriage, less freedom and social control
- teenybopper subculture and bedroom culture (resistance) = coursing tight knit friendships groups free from scrutiny and resist to anxiety around sexual interactions
- make girls invisible in subcultures
McRobbie - subcultures related to gender
1991 = girls have become more active in consumer culture - magazines for girls although they critique them 1994 = considered the intersection of gender and ethnicity. Black ragga girls - danced sexually ridiculed sexism to reclaim their sexuality and assert their identity
Hollands ‘Friday night, Saturday night’ - subcultures related to gender
found a desire increase in the number of women going out at night
He also found women feel worse if redistricted from going out - quite suicidal
young male and female attitudes around clubbing differ
girls now operate in open spaces and are apart of binge drinking - no bedroom culture
Reddington - subcultures related to gender
there have been very active female members in spectacular subcultures - vivienne westwood and punk
Punks had influential women as they were based on a egalitarian ethos
- however female punk performers were not taken seriously
Bennett - subcultures related to gender
Postmodernist neo-tribes are less gendered and have less boundaries allowing girls to develop their own identities
changing roles for females in subcultures
the role of girls in more obvious in subcultures. as new subcultures are unisex although there are still are individual differences for the sex’s
even just girl subcultures e.g. riot girls and sk8ter girls
Thornton - subcultures related to gender
girls have less disposable income, get married earlier and earn less. so boys dominated the teenage market
girls and boys have different subcultural capital as a difference in their interest - girl = school
mainstream culture is looks down as once it is feminised e.g. rave culture = techno Tracey’s
less important once it is associated with females
Rastafarians and reggae - subcultures relating to ethnicity and hybridity
was less exclusive to youth than most
was associated with Jamaican and Caribbean culture - reggae, dreadlocks and red, green, gold
had religious belief that were rooted ibn Africa which included smoking marijuna to gain a new spiritual level
Hebdrige = resistance to white culture and racisms + political and spiritual movement
Brasian culture - subcultures relating to ethnicity and hybridity
a subculture that is a fusion of Asian and British culture
their music is a mixer of rap, dance and pop
e.g. Bhanagramuffins
they refuse to accept a subordinate place in society and wish to celebrate culture,
Johal - empowerment through difference and codeswitching
Resistance or hybridity - subcultures relating to ethnicity and hybridity
Rastafarians are an example of resistance to white racism
Brasian culture shows more hybridity
Mercer - hair within black culture and its symbolic meaning
afro and dreadlocks emphasis their black identity and resistance
straighten = hybridity
limitation = too simplistic
ethnocentric sociologists - subcultures relating to ethnicity and hybridity
criticised functionalism, CCS and feminism for not considering the impact of ethnicity and race
Hebdrige = clear relationship between urban subcultures and black culture.
so accuses sociologist of being ethnocentric
cultural exchange or cultural appropriation - subcultures relating to ethnicity and hybridity
Elvis Presley was critised for stealing black music leading subculture groups for the same thing
cultural exchange = positive and understanding
cultural appropriation = negative and stealing e.g. modern primitives: tattoos from Chinese culture
Hutnyk - power differentials at work as western culture stripes the symbolism. plus cultural exchange suggest it a two way process which is not true
examples of hybrid subcultures = modern primitives
found in the US and western Europe
are more of a neo-tribe as they have a very wide but loose membership focused on the individual.
they are characterised by body modifications and tattoos (seen as self expression) linked too a less complicated way of life
symbolism from primitive tribes, thus hybrid
vale and Juno - argue that body modifications are undertaken to gain power in a fast changing world
example of hybrid subcultures = white wannabes
Nayak - white wannabes
white W/C boys are adopting the style and language off black culture
listening to hiphop and rap
e.g. ali g
Rap - hybridity in action - subcultures relating to ethnicity and hybridity
cahsmore = studied gangsta rap which is the ultimate hybridity of music
top of the charts in Jamaica, new York ad LA
this has coursed it to evolve and adapt between countries
this hybridity supports the postmodernist ideas of fluidity
ethnic influence of music and fashion
many ethnic influences affect the music choice - rock and roll, reggae and ska
Hebdige argues that British subcultures are a succession of differential responses to black immigrant presence in Britain
Nayak - white wannabes
Jacobson et al - pattern and trends in deviant youth subculture - social class
found out that of 200 children who were in custody 1/4 lived in deprived households and 1/4 had absent fathers
Farrington - pattern and trends in deviant youth subculture - social class
longitudinal self-report study of 400 young people found that socio-economic deprivation was a key predictor for future criminality
Graham and Bowling - pattern and trends in deviant youth subculture - social class
middle class children just as likely to be involved in crime as working class children
Coles - pattern and trends in deviant youth subculture - social class
if a person is poor they are more likely to commit a crime
gender - pattern and trends in deviant youth subculture
- criminality and deviance are overwhelmingly male activities (police, victim surveys)
- young males aged 10 to 17 were found to be responsible for 20% of police recorded crime (women = 4%)
- some evidence suggests that female crime is increasing compared to male
- between 1994 to 2004 the number of women in prison increased by 150% - however Muncie argues that a small rises in recorded crime creates a moral panic about females (imprisonment=over reaction)
gender - pattern and trends in deviant youth subculture
- criminality and deviance are overwhelmingly male activities (police, victim surveys)
- young males aged 10 to 17 were found to be responsible for 20% of police recorded crime (women = 4%)
- some evidence suggests that female crime is increasing compared to male
- between 1994 to 2004 the number of women in prison increased by 150% - however Muncie argues that a small rises in recorded crime creates a moral panic about females (imprisonment=over reaction)
- ONS crime data suggest that the peak age for female offending is 15, younger than the peak age for males which is 18
pattern and trends in deviant youth subculture - ethnicity
- majority of crime deviance is committed by youth from white British backgrounds
- Black ethnic groups are accounted for 21% of young people in custody in 2012
- black males are more likely to be stopped b police on suspicion of committing a crime
- black people were searched 7x more than white people in 2010
- difference in the way black and white young offenders are dealt with that are just related to the crime
- young and lea = intra-racial crime occurs the most within ethnic communities
functionalism - deviant subcultures
focus on the norms and values found in subcultures
- shared with mainstream and parent culture
- fulfilled in a deviant way
Merton - functionalism - deviant subcultures
individuals may experience a strain between the goals or values of society and what they are able to achieve
leading to deviant responses to this problem
1. innovation
2. ritualism
3. retreatism
Cohen, Cloward and Ohlin
developed Merton ideas to apply to subcultures
a lack of educational opportunities leading to delinquent behaviour
Cohen - functionalism - deviant subcultures
teen boys desire status
- w/c boys aware of mainstream values and cling to this value system
- sees himself as inferior to middle class boys = status frustration
- delinquent subcultures value aggression as it removes status frustration so have delinquent values
Cloward and Ohlin - functionalism - deviant subcultures
deviance is a reaction to problem gaining values of mainstream culture
- so innovate using deviant means to gain them
- some people experience blocked opportunities so have to use deviance to gain the values
1. criminal subcultures - hierarchy of crime
2. conflict subcultures - gangs are used to defend
3, retreatist subcultures - retreat from society values
miller - functionalism - deviant subcultures
argues the value consensus isn't shared by all - working class boys don't try to gain academic success ( middle class value) working class values are simply different = focal concerns: macho, tough, fighting - they value freedom and excitement
weaknesses of the functionalism view of deviant subcultures
functionalists present a view of working class culture that is a sweeping generalisations - w/c subcultures are subjective to reginal, ethnic and individual variations = not al the same
Cohen assumes that w/c boys are reaction to their failure to achieve mainstream values but miller disagrees and suggests that they are achieve their own values
Based on Murray’s ideas - New rights - deviant subcultures
deviant subcultures weren't appropriate socialised into the value consensus - have a deviant set of norms and values based on dependency, criminality and laziness Murray see the underclass as a whole deviant subculture as they don't want to work and are dependent on welfare
gangs and anti-school groups arise from single mom raising young boys and also explains an increased rates of crime for boys in socially deprived areas
Sunday times - New rights - deviant subcultures
Article ‘the advantage of social apartheid’ by Murray
- argued that single parent families are damaging and indicate criminality
girls without fathers are emotional damaged = teen pregnancy’s
boys without father are unsocialized = further the cycle
Murray concluded that these trends will be disastrous for Britain. but like the US the public will become less tolerant of the underclass and politicians will be more willing to toughen them up = cutting benefits and using the criminal system more harshly
weakness of the new right view of deviant subcultures
- mac Donald = the underclass aren’t dependent as they feel embarrassed by their lack of jobs and affected by society instead of being lazy.
Marxist and neo Marxists - deviant subculture
neo-Marxists from CCCS saw deviance behaviour by young males in subcultures as a form of resistance against society’s control and a reaction to their identity being threatened
- related to territory, identity and control
lea and young - Marxist and neo Marxists - deviant subculture
3 explanations for crime and deviance
- relative deprivation = deprived when compared to others
- media course it through spread of information
- applies to youth as they feel deprived compared to adults - marginalisation = youth have a lack of power and respect
- subcultures = relative deprivation and marginalisation led to youth forming subcultures to deal with their feelings of frustration
weaknesses of the Marxist and neo Marxists view of deviant subculture
- CCCS - ignores gender. also generalised about youth and not all deviance is the rituals of subcultures
- CCCS ideas are outdated = neo-tribes
strength of the Marxist and neo Marxists view of deviant subculture
+ left realist ideas are more up to date (than neo-Marxists and pervious) and explain various types of youth crime.
material crimes = relative deprivation
violent crimes = marginalisation
risk-taking behaviour = subcultures
interactionism - deviant subculture
interactionalism sees deviance as a social construct as mainstream society has defined certain behaviours and people as deviant e.g. young working class males by the police, media and public this affects how they treat themselves and others treat them
Becker - interactionism - deviant subculture
argues that labelling relates to power as people in power could make labels stick
e.g. a label given by the police will led to a change in behaviour towards young people i.e. getting searched by the police more
this may led to a self fulling prophecy as people may start accepting their label and start living up to the deviant label
cicourel - interactionism - deviant subculture
observed the police and criminal justice system in two US cities and found 3 stage to dealing with potential deviance
1. stop and interrogate
2. arrest
3. see if they fit the profile of a typical delinquent
each stage has an effect on individuals and is linked to class and is described as negotiated process
weakness of the interactionism view of deviant subculture
by using the concept of labelling and self-fulfilling prophecy to explain youth deviance, assumes that the label comes first.
so doesn’t explain why some youth commit deviant acts before they have been labelled and others don’t
Nightingale - ethnicity and deviant subcultures
(delinquent subcultures and gangs)
studied young black males and gangs in Philadelphia
consumed mainstream US culture through media = shared values
excluded racially and economically from achieving them
as a result = turn to violence and crime to achieve these goal
Bourgeois - ethnicity and deviant subculture
(delinquent subcultures and gangs)
studied Latino and African American drug dealer in new York
struggled growing up poor in the richest city
argued that this creates an inner city street culture - where deviant practices become the norm
therefore turn to drug dealing as a way of surviving
Mac an Ghail - ethnicity and deviant subcultures
(anti-school subcultures and ethnicity)
studied inner city black youth’s schools
anti-school subcultures = a response from ethnic minorities about racism, from the educational system
- social class, gender intersect with racism and racial stereotypes create different response with youth
- African-Caribbean boys created youth subcultures based on very masculine image - fighting
Mizra - ethnicity and deviant subcultures
anti-school subcultures and ethnicity
studied pro-education amongst African Caribbean girls.
hated the labels teachers gave them, racism and the expectation of failing
adopted strategic rationalisation of what they perceived as wasteful and unproductive lesson time
adopted strategies to maximise their chances of education success
e.g. head down, back of the class and get on with work = avoid confrontation
teachers use patronizing strategies = inappropriate career advise and enter in fewer subjects
- girls seek advise from other sources, avoid subjects with racist teachers, support each other
saw as a form of resistance but as a rationale response to their negative experience.
Archer - ethnicity and deviant subcultures
(anti-school subcultures and ethnicity)
Muslim boys and how they demonstrated their masculine and religious identity in peer groups
against a back drop of islamophobia and how they are demonstrated in the media
saw identity as Muslim instead of Pakistani
also conscious of the protecting members of their subcultures gave them against other racial groups and potential racists bulling
strand and Winston - ethnicity and deviant subcultures
(anti-school subcultures and ethnicity)
found that negative peer relationships were a particularly significant issue in underachievement of African-Caribbean boys
whereas for white boys underachievement was linked to low self-esteem and lack of parental aspiration.
Asian and African boys = positive peer support = surprised at the question would your peer laugh at you for working to hard
thus anti-school attitudes seem to develop more amongst ethnic groups than others and intersect with other factors contributing to underachievement
young = criminal subcultures and gangs
(social class)
developed ideas from functionalists and used subcultures to explain underclass youth criminality
= sociology of vindictiveness
bulimic society = worship money, status, success leading to ‘intensity of exclusion’ for the underclass and economic insecurity and incorporating resentment.
youth deviance is an emotional response to social exclusion
Harding = criminal subcultures and gangs
(social class)
ethnographic study of local residents, professionals and gangs in south london
gangs struggle for distinction, status position and survival = street capital
Bourdieu’s idea of cultural/ social capital - casino chips that they played in a high stake game e.g. gang deviance
Decker and van winkle = gang membership and social deprivation
(social class)
reasons for joining youth gangs consist of both pulls and pushes.
pull = the attractiveness of gangs e.g. provide status, excitement and money making opportunities
pushes = from social, economic and cultural disadvantages e.g. feelings of exclusion and marginalisation
for youths from dysfunctional families the clear hierarchy and closeness of relationships that gangs offer may provide a the sense of safety and support missing from their life.
fear of violence and a desire of protection may also push them towards a gang.
white = gang membership and social deprivation
(social class) observes that gangs tend to be linked to the underclass conditions, of poverty and social exclusion, and that they arise wherever and whenever these become evident gangs = sense of social inclusion, support and security for vulnerable groups of young people, providing a mechanism for deprived young people to cope with their oppressive environment and chronic marginalisation
Messerschmitt = delinquent boys
argued that the gangs acts as a location for doing masculinity which has to be accomplished and approved
Harding = delinquent boys
developed on Messerschmitt’s ideas suggesting that how masculinity is made or accomplished depends on social field a young male himself in.
those without access to paid employment, a traditional source hegemonic masculinity will find others ways to achieve their masculinity
Campbell = delinquent boys
argues that the abandonment of certain communities, the states has unleashed the most extreme forms of masculinity. denying men access to legitimate masculine status through academic success or employment and the breadwinner role.
deviance, violence and anti-school behaviour = key means by which young men in such areas express such their masculinity
Connell = delinquent boys
media outcry in Sydney after a mixed martial arts fighter Shaun McNeil was accused of killing a teenage girl with a single punch. sparked a debate about male violence in which alcohol was blamed
Connell = in response, raises and rejects several common sense explanations for male violence
1.circumstance around drinking needs to be examined rather than drinking itself
2. biological and psychological = bed time story
consider the images in the media as a possible explanation
Heidensohn = delinquent girls
feminist explanation for the lower incidence of female deviance.
suggest that girls are subject to much more control in term of their behaviour e.g. control in the peer groups through reputation
later on = lure of criminality as a way to demonstrate masculinity clearly does apply to girls and they to do risk becoming deviant and it will be seen as double deviance
- going against femininity into which they have been socialised as well as against laws and norms
Klein = delinquent girls
studies of girls in gangs in the US suggest a significant involvement female youths in gangs
e.g. female only gangs and mixed sex gangs
suggests that female gangs members commit equally violent acts as their male counterparts.
define a moral panic
is an over-exaggerated reaction amongst the public to a social issue which has usually been created by the media
Pearson - hooligans
(media and youth deviance)
19th century, social concerns about the rowdy youth/hooligans led to sensationalist newspapers headlines and campaigns led to denouncing the behaviour as alien and un-British
even blaming the hot weather of the bank holiday when the trouble flared up claiming they are acting like hot blooded foreigners
stories continue to appear in the following year, most seemly to fill space and kept the outrage alive
youth then were seen calling themselves a hooligan and using Hooligan tags
Cohen - mods and rockers
(media and youth deviance)
following an initial altercation between mods + Rockers on a bank holiday
the media predicted more at other resorts during summer and went to resorts in force to cover the anticipated trouble. - cover was disproportionate to the event
interviews of Mods and rockers found a very different report of the night = no different from evening brawls between youths
media = moral panic mods/rockers = scapegoats/ folk devils
agents of social control amplified deviance
Brown - rave
(media and youth deviance)
negotiation of reality
late 1980’s, reports of rave culture often focused on drug consumption particularly ecstasy
pointed out that the behaviour is often exaggerated/ distorted and rave culture was connected to wider concerns about youth and culture decline in UK
Tabloids often ran stories about taking ecstasy companied with photos of youth and title about youth consumption
it can be argued that this media attention led to deviance amplification since it raised awareness of rave culture and number of people attending raves escalated.
Fawbert = hoodies
(media and youth deviance)
hoodies covered in the media = some malls had already banned them, but when Bluewater mall banned hoodies it coursed a moral panic driven by the media
hoodie became an stigmatizing label and the media vocabulary was sensationalized as journalists attempted to outdo each other.
former metropolitan police commissioner called for a longer sentence for thugs wearing hoods. leading to public believe their was a raise in youth crime which was not true
what are anti- school subcultures
a group of working-class male pupils (“the Lads”) subverted the values of the school: for them academic success was frowned upon while “mucking about” was rewarded.
identified by the Marxist sociologist Paul Willis in his famous study “Learning to Labour
johal
Johal studied second and third generation British Asians and found that they adapted dual identities because they inherit an Asian identity which is ascribed, and they adopt a British ones. He describes how Asian youth adopt a white mask so that they can fit in with white people at school and college but they can show they are culturally different when necessary.
support bruh codeswitching
sardar - national identities change
the world is in the middle of a global crisis as globalisation becomes the norm
this because British people are become aware of different cultures and are traveling more and many choose to live abroad.
consequently, everyday life is less likely to be influenced by British identities but more likely to be shaped by global influences
