Theoretical views of the role and formation of youth culture and subculture

Question 1

Spectacular youth subcultures

Answer 1

To describe some of the highly visible subcultures of the 1950s - 1970s, such as Teddy Boys, punks and skinheads. These subcultures had very flamboyant and instantly recognisable styles, often had confrontational attitudes.

Question 2

Parsons - functionalist reasons for youth subcultures

Answer 2

• ‘youth’ as a social category only emerged due to the changes in the family associated with the development of capitalism
• in pre-capitalist societies, transition from childhood to adulthood was marked by an initiation or rite of passage for some kind; Hamar tribe.

Question 3

Eisenstadt - functionalist reason for youth subcultures

Answer 3

• saw youth culture as a way of bringing young people into society
• there could be a risk of feelings of stress and anomie, during the isolated phase between childhood and adulthood
• where youth culture becomes very important, providing a shared set of norms and values with peers, and a sense of belonging

Question 4

Evaluation of the functionalist view

Answer 4

• functionalists; generalising about youth culture as a whole, did not account for individual subcultural differences between youths
• Neo-Marxists; impact of social class on the development of distinct youth subcultures, feminists consider gender differences in expectations related to youth

Question 5

CCCS views of feminists on youth subcultures

Answer 5

Influenced by Marxism, but developing slightly different ideas, the CCCS could be seen as ‘new-Marxists’

Question 6

Gramsci views of feminists of youth subcultures

Answer 6

New Marxists took their influences, concept of ‘hegemony’

Question 7

McRobbie and Garber views of feminists of youth subcultures

Answer 7

Argued that girls were conspicuously absent from most research on youth subcultures. It reinforced stereotypical views of girls, often just presenting them as the passive ‘girlfriends’ of the male subculture members, or commenting on their attractiveness.

Question 8

Mips

Answer 8

Research on club cultures links to postmodernism, because among the clubbers, no clear gender, class or ethnic distinctions. Manchester institute of popular culture, these people study club culture.

Question 9

Thornton

Answer 9

It is not a single culture, but a cluster of subcultures related to dance and rave.

Question 10

Redhead

Answer 10

The idea of authentic subcultures that develop outside of media influence could no longer be sustained from the 1980s onwards, and that subcultures, or ‘club cultures’, are formed within and through the media.

Question 11

Maffesoli

Answer 11

Uses the term ‘neo-tribe’ instead of subculture.

Question 12

Polhemus

Answer 12

Develops this ‘fluidity’ idea and writes about the ‘supermarket of style’, in which youths can create identities by picking and mixing from various cultures, fashions, lifestyles and music.

Question 13

Hollands and Chatterton

Answer 13

Challenge the prevalence of ‘neo-tribes’. They argue that rather than a ‘free-floating “pick and mix” story of youth consumption in the night-time economy’.