Soc of youth Term list Flashcards
Youth Studies
A multidisciplinary field within the humanities and social sciences which seeks to understand the lives of young people Begin with the dominant view of youth. Defining youth within a historical, social, political, economic, and cultural context
youth
youth is a made up category, youth changes over time
Sociological imagination (4 dimensions)
Historical - how the past shapes , using past to understand present. How psychology shapes ideas of youth. Dominant discourses( terminologies) “Millennials” not positive term.
Cultural - immigration- differences in experiences and cultures of youth. (iraq age of marriage 9yrs old). Global north vs global south. Ethnocentrism( not accepting cultural differences. Social media, pop culture
Structural- how social institutions shape our lives. The right time to get married, have kids, buy a house. Peer group structural dimensions. Economic choices… shame for living in parents basement but economy shapes that, social policy, work shapes this
Critical dimension or gaze- taken for granted assumption, intersectionality. Our generation is “lazy” and we don’t want to get a job. Might not hire our generation because of assumptions. “This is what your supposed to do
Youth as a social construction
Youth does not exist; it’s a made up concept since 1904. We give it power. It is malleable, its not a biological category, it’s social. Difference between child and adult but do we need youth?
Age shapes our understanding of youth
“Youth therefore is political in nature” (p. 6)
Because we are in a neoliberalism time and it shapes our values and ideas of youth. Vs an individualist society. Old people making decisions for young people
Marriage as an exampleAge of marriage laws?
Youth transitions
‘Becoming an adult’
Single to married, non voter to voter, renter to homeowner
Transition in the becoming, what does it look like to become and adult
Jewish faith bar/bat mitzvah
In Canada we don’t have those transitions
Subculture
A group of people within larger culture that have something in common ex highschool cliques, athletes… used to be
Textbook examples of subculture
Counterculture
React against the dominant culture.. Ex hippies,
Taste culture
preference of a group for a particular product…
Neo-tribes
ways in which groups of people come together in a shared interest…
scenes
spaces that bring people together based on musical taste. Ex cochella
critical consumption
refers to the practice of making informed, ethical, and socially conscious choices about the goods and media one consumes. It involves questioning the origins, production processes, and social impacts of products, services, and information rather than accepting them at face value.
In the sociology of youth, critical consumption is relevant as young people increasingly engage with social movements, sustainability, and digital media literacy.
intersectionality
most research on youth is done in the global north, about the global north…
“One of the major issues for youth sociology is to recognize that knowledge is not neutral and value free: there is not ‘view from nowhere’. (p.39).
We are a product of our time and space. And its hard not to apply that.
generations
The Greatest Generation Born 1901–1927
The Silent Generation Born 1928–1945
Baby Boom Generation Born 1946–1964
Generation X Born 1965–1980
Millennial Generation or Generation Y Born 1981–1996
Generation Z or iGen Born 1997–2010
Generation Alpha Born 2010-2024
Generation Beta Born 2025-2039
bounded agency
I have the ability to make my choices but they are so bound by the structures in place my choices are limited based on the structures in place.
Adolescent
any person between ages of 10-19, rise of self sufficiency, separation from parents, psychology deems this as an unstable time. We root it in hormones, risk, lack of control, young men more likely to die, some cultures have coming of age rituals, is marriage the problem
Emerging adulthood
JEFFREY ARNETT (2000)- this is not young adulthood, its not adolescence, a period between adolescence and adulthood. 18-29… focused on young adults in the global north or those who are rich in the global south. Young people who dont have children, dont own homes, have not become financially independent,
Roleless role
period of exploration in love, work, worldviews, its about preparing yourself for adulthood
5 characteristics
1. Age of identity exploration- finding out who you are, what you want to be, find where you fit, work school , love sexuality
2. Age of instability- exploring different possibilities. Your loves are insecure, depending on your family. Period of instability.
3. Age of self focus- personal growth, figure out who you are and what you want. You dont have others around so u can afford to do this
4. Age of feeling in between- your adultish, adulting, your in between adult, you cant do it all still need assistance
5. Age of possibilities- free to explore options,
Youth as an institution
Structural functionalism( talcott parsons.. Society as an organism, each institution plays a role in the functioning of society) how does youth play a role in function of society
Society needs systems to help them get into adult roles.
Learn your role, goffman- becoming something, becoming the husband.. Complying to the rules that define a role
Parsons believed youth deviance is youth not fitting in a defined role
Training state
..
Cultural capital
social assets you’re given for your culture. KNOWING THE CULTURE. The symbols, ideas , tastes and preferences that can be strategically used as resources in social capital. Ex how to act, interview, dinner table
Social capital
social networks people gain over time
Habitus
Collection of someones skills. LEARNING HOW TO BEHAVE FOR THAT GROUP. What is normal for that group. Acquired through exposure to particular social conditions. What you’re accustomed to.
Biological determinism
The idea that young people’s behaviors, identities, and social roles are primarily shaped by their biological and genetic makeup rather than social or environmental factors. This perspective suggests that characteristics such as aggression, intelligence, or risk-taking in youth are biologically pre-determined, often linked to hormonal changes, brain development, or evolutionary factors.
However, sociologists often critique biological determinism, arguing that socialization, culture, and structural influences (such as family, education, and socioeconomic status) play a more significant role in shaping youth experiences and behaviors. Instead of seeing youth as biologically driven, sociology emphasizes how social contexts influence their development and life outcomes.
Homonormativity
queer is acceptable if they act straight. It’s alright if they’re as straight as possible.
Girls’ bedroom culture
how women are forced from public space to private space… ex when the sun goes down women don’t feel safe. Ex women not feeling safe walking to the store at night. And if something happens the shame attached.
-slut shaming in today’s society? Difference between men and women perception when engaging in sex
Hegemonic masculinity
A certain form of masculinity is held up as ideal.
Where another form is subordinated
Men is regarded as the breadwinner, white, tall strong, dominant,
What men should be rather then attainable constructions
“Weak man” if you don’t fit as the ideal man
Hegemonic ideal of heterosexuality
Dominates the lives of young men
Have to present as sexually active
Distancing themselves from women, femininity, gay men, men in female dominated fields.
White solipsism
looking at things from a white perspective, white lense
Cultural hybridity
refers to the blending of different cultural elements—such as traditions, languages, values, and practices—into a new, mixed cultural form. This concept challenges rigid ideas of cultural purity by highlighting how cultures constantly interact, adapt, and evolve through processes like migration, globalization, and colonialism.
Culture
The languages, customs, beliefs, rules, arts, knowledge, and collective identities developed by members of social groups
features of culture
Five defining features of culture
1.Culture is learned
Nobody is born with culture
Culture is learned through cultural traditions
2. Culture is shared
Culture develops as people interact and share experiences as a way to maintain group solidarity
Ex. christmas and thanksgiving
3. Culture is transmitted
Passed from one generation to the next
4. Culture is cumulative
Culture is based on generations but is changes over time
5. Culture is human
Culture is the product of human interactions
Cultural universals are patterns that are globally common to all societies
Cultural universal
Cultural universals are patterns that are globally common to all societies
Material versus non-material culture
Material culture are the items you can touch whereas non-material culture is intangible
Material: flags, statues, etc
Non-material: the way you interact, mannerisms, hand signals, norms and values
Why is the distinction between the two important?
It is a difference between what you do and what you have
You can accustom to other cultures via material culture (ex. To become a Canadian you buy a Canadian flag, wear Canadian clothes, etc)
Counterculture
Groups that reject or oppose widely accepted cultural practices of a society or larger culture
Anyone who is challenging mainstream society
subculture
Groups that share a specific identification apart from most of a society
Ex. swifties
Ethnocentrism
Using your culture to judge other cultures, and finding them less than your own
Cultural relativism
Trying to understand a cultural tradition from that culture’s perspective
Fits into verstehen; an empathetic understanding
Can be challenging because a lot of people think that their culture is the only “right way” to do things
Ex. female sexual surgery
Homogenization of culture
Belief that there are increasing similarities of cultures
The process by which local cultures are transformed and absorbed by a dominant outside culture
Hybridization of culture
Also called glocalization of culture or indigenization of culture
Interaction between local cultures and dominant culture which lead to the transformation of culture
Often starts somewhere, makes its way to the western world, then goes back to where it originated (ex. Yoga coming from India)
Subcultural subject
a member of the subculture
Youth culture
Young people’s everyday or mainstream leisure and consumption practices
Consumption is what defines our generation as distinct
Often shaped by intersectionality because leisure activities will be different in different places (ex. Urban versus rural)
Tapu versus noa
Tapu versus noa
From Maori youth culture
Tapu means sacred with a strong imposition of rules and authority
Noa means common
