Theoretical perspectives of youth subcultures

Question 1

What is youth?

Answer 1

Youth is a socially constructed concept, but typically refers to indviduals aged 13-19

Question 2

What are youth subcultures?

Answer 2

Distinctive groups of youths, within the wider youth culture, who stand out in terms of style, dress, music and attitudes

Question 3

What are spectacular youth subcultures?

Answer 3

Describes highly visible subcultures of the 1950s-70s, such as Teddy Boys and Punks
- Flamboyant styles and conforntational attitudes

Question 4

How do functionalists view youth?

Answer 4

• Transitional stage from childhood to adulthood

Question 5

What are the key functionalist ideas?

Answer 5

• Society is based on consensus
• Important that individuals feel integrated into society (belonging and solidarity)

Question 6

What does Parsons say about youth?

functionalism

Answer 6

• ‘Youth’ is a social category that emerged due to changes in the family, associated with the growth of capitalism
• Individuals must learn to leave the security of the family, and become independant
• Youth culture is a ‘rite of passage’ (time of change and transition)

Question 7

What does Eisenstadt say about youth culture?

functionalism

Answer 7

• A way of bringing young people into society
• Youth culture provides a shared set of norms and values, and a sense of belonging
• Allows youths to ‘let off steam’ and get their frustrations ‘out of the system’

Question 8

How do functionalists see the period of rebellion?

Answer 8

• Typically viewed as ‘normal’ and an essential part of growing
• But, also a way of testing boundaries, experimentation and reinforcing acceptable norms and values

Question 9

What are the key evaluation points of functionalism?

Answer 9

• Functionalists were generalising, and did not account for individual subcultural differences between youths (e.g: class, race, gender)
• Most evidence comes from white, middle-class American males, so analysis is ethnocentric

Question 10

What are the key marxist ideas?

Answer 10

• Society is based on conflict
• There is a ruling class, that dominate over the working class

Question 11

What are neo-Marxists?

Answer 11

• New Marxists, who took influences from more recent Marxist theories
• E.g: CCCS

Question 12

What do Marxists say about youth subcultures?

Answer 12

• Explain differences between subcultures by looking at different class and economic situations
• They recognised that members of a subculture faced similar experiences and social conditions facing their social class

Question 13

What are the key evaluation points of marxism?

Answer 13

• Marxists were looking for meaning that did not exist
• Feminists challenge CCCS for ignoring girls in their subcultural analysis
• Middle class also had subcultures, which were largely ignored by the CCCS
• The majority of youth do not belong to a subculture, so studies only cover a visible minority
• CCCS work is dated nowadays- todays youth differs greatly from 1960s/70s youth

Question 14

What do feminists argue the role of girls in youth subcultures?

Answer 14

Has been ignored by other theories, such as marxism

Question 15

What do McRobbie and Garber say about girls in youth subcultures?

feminism

Answer 15

• Girls were conspicuously absent from youth subculture research
• Researchers were largely male, and found it problematic to relate to teen girls
• Girls negotiate different spaces to those inhaibted by boys, and friendship are more close-knit

Question 16

What are the key evaluation points of feminism?

Answer 16

• Recent developments mean gender is less significant, and that subcultures have no clear gender distinctions, so feminist analysis is less relevant

Question 17

What do postmodernists say about youth?

Answer 17

• Youth culture has become fragmented and diverse
• Youth style is fluid and changeable and are eclectic

Question 18

What does research into ‘club cultures’ tell us about youth subcultures?

postmodernists

Answer 18

• Amongst the clubbers, there were no clear gender, class or ethnic distinctions
• Emphasises role of media in club cultures

Question 19

What does Redhead say about youth subcultures

postmodernists

Answer 19

• Idea of authentic subcultures that develop outside the influence of the media can no longer be sustained from 1980s onwards

Question 20

What are neo-tribes?

postmodernism

Answer 20

• Maffesoli- refers to loosely organised groupings with no fixed membership or deep commitment
• Youths flit from tribe to tribe
• Tribes are no exclusive
• Bennett- Newcastle nightclubs found individuals mixed and matched influences and did not define themsleves as members of one group

Question 21

What is the supermarket of style?

postmodernists

Answer 21

• Polhemus- youths can create their own identities by picking and mixing from various cultures

Question 22

What are the key evaluation points of postmodernism?

Answer 22

• There are still some distinct youth subcultures, so not everyone mixes styles
• Idea of ‘ordinary youth’ has been criticsed by the CCCS
• Fluid world of neo-tribes in which everyone is equal is not true for many groups of youths