theories on the role/formation of youth subcultures

Question 1

functionalist view on why youth subcultures form

Answer 1

consensus = social integration
youth = transitional stage
start forming their own families
sense of belonging from peers instead of family

Question 2

parson - 1962 - functionalist

Answer 2

youth = social category that emerged with capitalism
capitalism = adults and children having distinct roles, so need a training period
also stage were youth gain impendence and an occupation status

Question 3

Eisenstadt - 1956 - functionalist

Answer 3

youth = isolating and stressful period
share set of norms + values and sense of belonging
safe outlet for transition for childhood ‘get frustrations out’

Question 4

Abrams - functionalism

Answer 4

emergence of youth culture is linked to the emergence of distinct groups with spending power that is targeted by the media and business

Question 5

evaluations of functionalist views

Answer 5

• over generalized - didn’t account for individuals (gender, race, class)
• looked at youth as a whole and not subcultures
• evidence only came from white-class American males (ethnocentric)

Question 6

Evaluation of functionalist views.

Answer 6

• over generalized: didn’t account for individuals (race, gender, class)
• evidence only came from white middle American males (ethnocentric to western cultures)

Question 7

Marxists views on the formation youth subcultures

Answer 7

see them as spectaculars youth subcultures
views formed by the CCCS / Neo-Marxists
youth subcultures form because of social and economic situational factors

Question 8

CCCS

Answer 8

developed from Gramsci concept of hegemony (social authority/ideological dominance that ruling class have over the subordinate class)
1960/70 - social  issues faced by the working class leading to youth resisted the ruling class

Question 9

evaluations of Marxists / Neo-Marxists / CCCS

Answer 9

look for meaning that didn’t exist (fashion or behavior)
feminists challenge CCCS for leaving out girls (McRobbie and Garber)
middle class groups had their own subcultures (hippies)
majority of youth don’t belong to a subculture
CCCS data is outdated

Question 10

feminist main view

Answer 10

girls are left out and ignored in subculture research

Question 11

McRobbie and Garber -1976 - feminists

Answer 11

girls are absent or only presented as passive girlfriends (attractive but uninteresting)
this happened as interviews built rapports with only male subgroups
bedroom culture - resistance to their anxieties around sexual interactions. leading tight-knit relationships and being invisible on the street corners

Question 12

evaluations of McRobbie and Garber

Answer 12

gender is less significant now and there is no current subcultures with any gender distinctions.

Question 13

postmodernist main view of subcultures

Answer 13

youth subcultures have become increasingly fragmented and diverse and their style is more fluid (as it is mixed from different sources)
neo tribes

Question 14

MIPS research (Manchester institute of popular culture) - postmodernists

Answer 14

research into club culture in the 1980-90
they found that it was very diverse (no clear gender, class or ethnicity distinction)

Question 15

Thornton - subcultures- postmodernism

Answer 15

club culture is defined by a shared taste in music and dance, plus made of multiple subcultures.

influenced by Bourdieu = social capital
- meaning club culture is about gaining status and distinguish themselves from the mainstream followers

Question 16

Redhead - postmodernist

Answer 16

states that authentic subcultures develop outside of media influence.
todays youth are apart of a media driven reality, so suggest that Thornton’s view is more realist today.

Question 17

Maffesoli - subcultures - postmodernist

Answer 17

used the term neo-tribes for modern subcultures
as now they are loosely organised groups with no commitments or fixed memberships
no longer form social line, so individuals can earn more from tribe to tribe. (no longer class or ethnicity tribes)

Question 18

evaluations of postmodernism -subcultures

Answer 18

Bennet - research in Newcastle nightclubs found neotribes based around fashion, music and lifestyle but had no shared values ( No longer define themselves to an individual tribe)

Polhemus - develops upon fluidity - supermarket of style - pick identity from multiple cultures and lifestyle ( no longer committed to a label)

Question 19

subcultures relating to social class - sociologists

Answer 19

john Clarke
tony Jefferson
dick hebdige 
Thorton 
Brake

Question 20

john Clarke

Answer 20

working class boy resisting economic crisis
e.g. skinheads
focused on reclaiming territory and had racist views
- links to mac an ghali male crisis

Question 21

tony Jefferson

Answer 21

affluence for the working class boys but were still seen as having no future. e.g. teddy boys - so spent a lot of money on clothes
clothes = symbolising their desire to be middle class but also wore western clothes to be cool like cowboys

Question 22

brake - youth subculture

Answer 22

thought that subcultures were a magical solution rather than practical.
subcultures provide youth with a collective identity and power leading to them feeling that they can fight back but will always turn into adults and submit to society

Question 23

Thornton’s criticism to the CCCS

Answer 23

youth are exempt from adult financial commitments and enjoy disposable income and freedom from adult responsibilities because of unempolyment
so take part in club culture

Question 24

Hebdige - mods

Answer 24

mods are working class - spend money on suits and scoters 
a more affliction group that resisted against the middle class to show that they can be cool and smart too.

Question 25

hebdige - punks

Answer 25

‘bricolage’ - repurpose ordinary objects and avoid mainstream fashion
seen as resistance against fashion industries and mainstream media

CCCS also found that social class and frustrated youth led to resistance subcultures (towards capital system and social deprivation)

punks - god save the queens - political views

Question 26

evidence of resistance in subcultures relating to social class

Answer 26

CCCS viewed subcultures as a resistance to the capital system and to the class system

Question 27

evidence of social class, deprivation and frustration relating to social class subcultures

Answer 27

feelings of deprivation and frustration have led to youths forming subcultures with slightly different economic situations