topic 1 - theoretical views on youth subculture

Question 1

functionalist, parsons 3

Answer 1

1. ‘period of transition’ between childhood and adulthood
2. skl acts as a bridge, time to adjust to work expectations
3. increases social cohesion, norms and values taught effectively

Question 2

functionalist, eisenstadt 3

Answer 2

1. youth culture gives safe context where young ppl release stress and frustration from journey of childhood to adulthood
2. chance to temporarily rebel before conforming to adult expectations
3. prevents anomie in society, ensures social order is maintained after period of low level deviance

Question 3

functionalist, roszak 3

Answer 3

1. ‘generation gap’ = young ppl have diff norms and values to older ppl
2. young ppl united in similarities, differences by age have replaced other social divisions like class/ethnicity
3. more equal society, age differences are inevitable

Question 4

functionalist evalution, hall and jefferson 2

Answer 4

1. functionalists explanation refer to youth culture homogenously rather than recognising how social class causes subcultures to form
2. ignore how working class youths use their subcultures to actively resist the bourgeoisie and disrupt social order

Question 5

functionalist evalution, hockey and james

Answer 5

functionalists assume there’s diff norms and values for each age group and that everyone in that age group follows them

Question 6

functionalist evalution, cloward and ohlin

Answer 6

adults are leaders of criminal subcultures and train youths to be life-long members. so its not a temporary transition period

Question 7

neo marxist, hall and jefferson 4

Answer 7

1. ruling class imposes values on society
2. youth least ‘locked into’ this system, more likely to be unemployed = resist hegemony
3. youth cant show anger towards capitalism so they form youth subcultures (punks/ resist through fashion and music)
4. as they get older they leave the subculture and accept capitalism values

Question 8

neo marxist, hebdige 2

Answer 8

1. youths express resistance through fashion and music
2. main society sees them as radical bc they have diff norms and values

Question 9

neo marxist, clarke 3

Answer 9

1. ‘skinheads’ were an attempt to ‘magically recover the working class community’
2. bad economic situation bc of unemployment, realise failure of capitalism
3. skinheads create new community based on masculinity and ‘us vs them’ attitude. violent and racist

Question 10

neo marxist evaluation, eisenstadt

Answer 10

young ppl rebel on minor scale, adjusting to norms and values. positive for society

Question 11

neo marxist evaluation, cohen 3

Answer 11

1. marxist views affected by researcher bias
2. researcher has marxist views and a class consciousness
3. interpret behaviour of punks more politically motivated then they actually were

Question 12

neo marxist evaluation, muggleton

Answer 12

class not important, limited role in how individuals participate in subcultures

Question 13

feminist, mcrobbie 3

Answer 13

1. ‘bedroom culture’ - girls and friends experimenting with fashion, hair and cosmetics
2. ‘teeny bop’ culture
3. magazines were proof of integration into feminism into youth culture

Question 14

feminist, hey 4

Answer 14

1. norms of female peer group deeply rooted in patriarchy
2. ideas of ‘hyper feminity’ - exaggerate feminity to fit in and ‘compulsory hetersexuality’
3. girls mirror themselves on friends they admire
4. girls being secretive and develop intimacy through shared secrets, way to cope with sexism at skl or society

Question 15

feminist, lees 3

Answer 15

1. girls behaviour/clothing is regulated through fear of ‘slut shaming’
2. boys call girls ‘slags’ if appearing to be sexually available and ‘drags’ if not
3. demonstrates pressure young girls ‘should be’ and reactions controlling behaviour

Question 16

feminist evaluation, klein 2

Answer 16

1. girls commit acts of violence as serious of males doing crimes
2. participate in gang culture, naive to say they still do teenybop culture

Question 17

feminist evaluation, jackson

Answer 17

ladette culture increasing, not controlled by patriarchy

Question 18

feminist evaluation, archer

Answer 18

working class develop ‘hypersexual’ image, more important than gaining qualifications

Question 19

postmodernist, maffesoli 2

Answer 19

1. ‘neo-tribes’ = individuals part of one subculture
2. now loosely attached, ppl involved in more then one tribe

Question 20

postmodernist, polhemus

Answer 20

supermarket of style

Question 21

postmodernist, muggleton 2

Answer 21

1. no need to study youth subcultures, study youth culture
2. no divides based on social inequalities, class/gender not important

Question 22

postmodernist evaluation, sewell

Answer 22

cultural comfort zones

Question 23

postmodernist evaluation, willis

Answer 23

young ppl ordinary, not unique

Question 24

postmodernist evaluation, brown

Answer 24

traditional subcultures, skinheads as neo nazis. changes not important

Question 25

postmodernist counterargument, lees

Answer 25

girls clothing regulated through fear of slut shaming. dont have the freedom that postmodernists suggest