Spectacular subcultures Flashcards
What is a spectacular subculture?
A subculture with very recognisable styles and confrontational attitudes. The CCCS focused on these subcultures the most.
Examples of spectacular subcultures.
Skinheads, Punks, Mods, Hippy’s, Teddy Boys.
What contribution did the CCCS make to the study of youth subcultures? (Sociologist?)
They argued that spectacular subcultures styles were not just meaningless fashion, but could be seen as constructed from symbolic elements whose meanings could be read by skilled observers. They argued that subcultures needed to be understood from the position of young people. Their style created their identity.
What do the CCCS argue about working class identity? (Sociologist)
Working class masculinity and identity has been exaggerated among the working class subcultures as a form of resistance against the rise in affluence, which made them feel socially excluded. Another reason for this is
What do the CCCS argue about Gramsci’s concept of ‘hegemony’? (Sociologist)
That society accepts the hegemony of the ruling class. While the working class may be critical, they large accept it and conform to it.
Hall and Jefferson (Sociologist)
Resistance through rituals - Spectacular subcultures may complete acts of rituals (such as dressing in a certain way or acting in a certain way) in order to resist against mainstream society, from which they feel rejected due to their status.
Stuart Hall and Tony Jefferson (Example).
They saw working class subculture as offering one such source of resistance. Since working class people are more likely to view school as a waste of time, many of them end up in dead-end jobs with low satisfaction. Since they’re not older and don’t have families and mortgages to pay - these circumstances give the opportunity for rebellion.
Cohen’s study of the East End mods and Skinheads (study)
They were faced with a situation where traditional working class - values were being eroded along with the communities which they were based. Therefore, they were found to create subcultures to ‘magically’ resolve the contradictions.
Dick Hebidge (Sociologist + study)
Argues that there is a tendency for authentic youth subcultures to become incorporated. For example, the punk subculture represented a conscious rejection of high street fashion. (They had DIY clothing and attitudes). However, companies started to sell things to appeal to this subculture by selling punk like clothes etc. He argues that this process of incorporation represents the way in which capitalism neutralized or makes subcultures safe for youth.
Stan Cohen (Sociologist + example) - AO3 of CCCS
Suggests that the CCCS reads meaning into the behavior and appearance of young people that youths themselves might not recognize. For example, skinheads attacking Asians (which is just general conservative behaviour). Researchers may be imposing their own theories on he behavior of young people.
Mike Brake (Sociologist) - AO3 of CCCS
Argues that youth subcultures can be classified into three types; delinquent youth, cultural rebels, politically militant youth. Although delinquent youth subcultures are made up of working class youths, the other two types are associated with middle class people. CCCS give too much attention to the working class - perhaps because many people in the CCCS are marxists.
Example to back up Mike Brakes criticism of the CCCS?
The hippies were mainly a middle class subculture, and their main focus was on political issues.
CCCS AO3 - Ordinary youth
The CCCS neglects the fact that most young people appear to be remarkably conformist and that the majority of youth styles are creations of the mass media and marketing by big business rather than the authentic creations of young people.
How do McRobbie and Garber criticize the CCCS? (Sociologist)
That they fail to take into consideration the influence of females on subcultures and that women are left out of their research, making it less reliable.
How does Frances Heidensohn concept back up McRobbie and Garbers evaluation of the CCCS? What is it?
Heidensohn argues that the CCCS ignore women due to ‘vicarious identification’ in which most of the researchers in this area would’ve been male - and therefore they focused on male involvement due to bias.
