Youth Subcultures

Question 1

What do Functionalists believe about the formation of youth subcultures?

Answer 1

They believe that individuals need to be integrated into society and feel they belong and this happens through socialisation. They believe that youth is a homogenous group and transitory phase.

Question 2

What does the Functionalist Parsons believe about the formation of youth subcultures?

Answer 2

He believes that youth is a bridge between childhood and adulthood. It is a transitional phase where children become detached from their parents, become more independent and become adults. An example of this happening is through part time jobs. Youth is a rite of passage.

Question 3

What does the Functionalist Eisenstadt believe about the formation of youth subcultures?

Answer 3

He believes that youth binds young people into society. They develop feelings of community and togetherness. They have an outlet for their tensions so young people can speak out and react.

Question 4

What does the Functionalist Abrams believe about the formation of youth subcultures?

Answer 4

He believes that the social change of the time means an increase in spending power and consumer economy. Youth becomes a brand.

Question 5

Advantages of Functionalism and the formation of youth subcultures. (2)

• stress
• anomie

Answer 5

• creates a sense of be,ongoing and gives them a common purpose. This relieves their stress and strains of youth.
• this resolves the problems of anomie and ensure integration

Question 6

Disadvantages of Functionalism and the formation of youth subcultures. (3)

• Marxists
• mind
• Feminists

Answer 6

• Marxists believe that they ignore the idea of social class. These are clear differences between youth that need to be acknowledged.
• youth is also a state of mind
• Feminists believe they ignores gender and ethnicity. All these Functionalists are white, middle class, American males. This means there is gender and culture bias.

Question 7

What do Marxists/Neo Marxists believe about the formation of youth subcultures?

Answer 7

They believe that subcultures are a reaction to hegemony. They focus on spectacular youth subcultures, which are based around highly visible and flamboyant styles, and confrontational attitudes. Social class differences explains the emergence and direction of youth subcultures.

Question 8

What is the idea of resistance by the Marxists, Hall and Jefferson to explain the formation of youth subcultures?

Answer 8

The working class youth form the weakest part of the ruling class’ control. So youth subcultures form as a resistance against capitalism to resolve problems within society.

Question 9

What is the idea of exaggeration by the Marxist, Clarke to explain the formation of youth subcultures?

Answer 9

He suggested that subcultures exaggerate their behaviour to oppose control. He studied Skinheads, which were no soon of working class masculinity. They wore masculine clothing and stressed violence. They wrote territorial and aimed to recreate the traditional working class community.

Question 10

What is the idea of magical solutions by the Marxist, Brake to explain the formation of youth subcultures?

Answer 10

He suggested that youth subcultures allow the opportunity to convince themselves that their generation will be different. However they cannot do anything to alter the power differences in society. Therefore their idea of a solution is an illusion.

Question 11

What is the Marxist idea of incorporation in explaining the formation of youth subcultures?

Answer 11

This suggests that subcultures will eventually decline and be replaces. Their distinct styles eventually become popular culture and mainstream so they lose their edge and distinctiveness. They eventually fade away.

Question 12

Advantage of Marxism and the formation of youth subcultures. (1)
- holistic

Answer 12

• it is a holistic approach as it includes the perspective of cultural analysis, style and relation.

Question 13

Disadvantages of Marxism and the formation of youth subcultures? (4)

• middle
• ethnicity
• Feminists
• Functionalist

Answer 13

• these assume that all youth subcultures are from the working class, but some aren’t like hippies, which are from the middle class
• ethnicity is ignores (Rastafarianism)
• Feminists would say that women are ignores here when they are part of subcultures too like McRobbie. This is malestreaming.
• Functionalists would say that there is too much focus on resistance when they believe that youth subcultures are formed to carve out identity

Question 14

What do Feminists believe about the formation of youth subcultures?

Answer 14

They believe that girls are usually ignored in research about youth subcultures. They are either pillion passengers(backseat riders) or invisible girls(completely ignored). A lot of malestreaming occurs where Male sociologists conduct research in men only.

Question 15

What is the control theory by the Feminist, McRobbie?

Answer 15

She suggested that girls are restricted by the expectations of their parents and are prevented from going out and having freedom. So they form a bedroom culture. This is a form of resistance. They can express their anxieties about sexual interactions with tight knit friendships that are private.

Question 16

Advantage of the control theory by the Feminist, McRobbie. (1)
- transition

Answer 16

• Bedroom culture could be a smooth transition between childhood and adulthood.

Question 17

Disadvantages of the control theory by the Feminist, McRobbie. (3)

• Functionalist
• freedom
• protect

Answer 17

• Functionalists like Eisenstadt would say that gender is not important as youth is just a smooth transition between childhood and adulthood.
• the more parents control, the worse they will be when they do have the freedom so there should be a balance.
• control is a negative word to use as it represents exploitation and patriarchal power. Protect would be a better word to use.

Question 18

What is the new wave girls study by Blackman?

Answer 18

The male sociologist studied this working class, popular and academically able group of girls. They didn’t conform to traditional expectations of femininity. They had their own norms and values. He stayed with them during school, walked them home, went to the pub or out with them and talked to their parents.

Question 19

Disadvantages of the new wave girls by Blackman. (3)

• male
• demand
• Marxists

Answer 19

• this data is invalid because the sociologist is male so it may be biased.
• there could be demand characteristics as it is an overt observation.
• Marxists would say that different subcultures are ignored and the idea that subcultures exist because of reaction to class issues. For example the status frustration by Cohen.

Question 20

What do Postmodernists believe about the formation of youth subcultures?

Answer 20

They believe that youth subcultures have no fixed meaning or real independent existence. The social world is becoming increasingly fragmented and diverse. They are fluid and changeable as people pick and choose their identities.

Question 21

What is the supermarket of style theory by the Postmodernist, Polemus?

Answer 21

Everyone chooses different fashions, styles, music tastes and identities. People have different styles that are fused together. They pick and choose these style as if they were shopping in a supermarket. To them, style if more important that structural beliefs so youth do not form subcultures.

Question 22

What is the neo-tribes theory by the Postmodernist, Maffesoli?

Answer 22

Youth subcultures don’t exist, they have been replaced by neo-tribes. These are a wide range of groupings that share commitment warmth and friendship. People move between these groupin effortlessly and don’t have one fixed group.

Question 23

What is study done by Clarke on Skinheads?

Answer 23

He studied Skinheads, who were a subculture that held working class values and suffered from low self esteem because of their lifestyles. They wore exaggerated working class clothing and demonstrated manliness, were tough, territorial, anti-authoritarian, aggressive, violent and disliked ethnic minorities or middle classes. They formed as a reaction to the destruction of the working class communities and lack of opportunities. They listened to punk music with political meaning.

Question 24

Advantages of the Skinhead study by Clarke. (1)

- Marxist

Answer 24

• Marxists would support this study as it is a reaction to their lack of opportunities as a working class community. This could lead to a rebellion.

Question 25

Disadvantages of the Skinhead study by Clarke. (2)

• time
• white

Answer 25

• this formation may not have been a reaction to their lifestyle but more that they want to go back to a better time.
• they were not all white, working class, males.

Question 26

What is the status frustration study by Cohen?

Answer 26

He found that young working class boys have some goals of being rich and successful but because of their position in social structure the fail in education and have dead end jobs. Being at the bottom of the stratification system and lack of opportunity leads to status frustration, which means they are dissatisfied, so they turn to crime. They form delinquent subcultures that place a high value on Crimes that gain prestige, glory, satisfaction and recognition.

Question 27

Disadvantages of the status frustration study by Cohen. (2)

• Interactionists
• Feminists

Answer 27

• Interactionists would say that labelling these young working class boys as delinquent leads them to drift into delinquency.
• Feminists would say that this study only looks at boys not girls and girls may not be so likely to fall into delinquent subcultures.

Question 28

Advantage of status frustration by Cohen. (1)

- Marxist

Answer 28

• Marxist would the idea of status frustration as this is unhappiness with their lack of opportunity and has lead to crime which is their form of rebellion.

Question 29

What is the labelling and marijuana study by the Interactionist, Jock Young?

Answer 29

He studied middle class hippie marijuana users in Notting Hill, London. He examined the police view and labelling, which was that they were dirty, scruffy, idle, deprived and drug addicts. The started off occasionally smoking drugs but as more and more were arrested and labelled as criminals they responded by smoking more and taking harder drugs. They lost their jobs and drugs became a symbol of defiance and difference. It was difficult for them to renter conventional society.

Question 30

Advantage of the labelling and marijuana study by Jock Young.(1)
- Interactionist

Answer 30

• Interactionists would support as this follows the labelling theory by Interactionist. This is that they deviate because of others.

Question 31

Disadvantage of the labelling and marijuana users study by Jock Young. (2)

• observational
• overt

Answer 31

• this is observational research so the data collected is subjective and so therefore could be invalid.
• this is an overt study so there could be demand characteristics that affect the results. This makes them invalid.

Question 32

What is the Teddy Boys study done by Jefferson?

Answer 32

These boys were excluded from high employment and relative affluence. They had bad education and dead end jobs with no future. They hung around in big groups in local cafes and wore Edwardian style jackets, suede shoes and bootlace ties. They were middle class.

Question 33

Disadvantages of the teddy boys study by Jefferson.(2)

• Functionalists
• Feminists

Answer 33

• Functionalists would suggest that their resistance is exaggerated as youth cultures are a transition between childhood and adulthood and they find a sense of belonging
• Feminists would suggest that women are ignored as their has been research showing that women were with the teddy boys too.

Question 34

What is the study on female gangs of New York done by Campbell?

Answer 34

This was a field study done on three gangs with young women in poor neighbourhoods of New York; a street gang, biker gang and religio-cultural gang. She spend 6 months with each and found that they played one of two roles; sex objects or tomboys. Sex objects were submissive to the makes and were marginal group members. The tomboys engages in fighting, crimes and hanging out. These women has a much larger life outside of the gang with responsibilities.

Question 35

Disadvantages of the female gangs in New York by Campbell. (2)

• field
• unrepresentative

Answer 35

• this was a field study so there may have been demand characteristics involved which makes data invalid
• this study only looked at 3 gangs in the same area. Therefore the sample is unrepresentative and data is less valid.

Question 36

What is the study done on Brasian Culture by Johal?

Answer 36

This is a form of cultural hybridity between British and Asian culture. An example of this culture id Bhangra music fused together with hip hop, rap or dance music. British born Asians don’t seek to distance themselves from their culture as it is trendy to embrace and celebrate it. Their hyper ethnic style is an exaggeration of their parents culture as this means they stand out and this is empowering. However they do not simple leave their Britishness.

Question 37

What is the theory of cultural exchange and cultural appropriation by Hutnyk?

Answer 37

Cultural exchange is the formation of new cultures and is god, it is a two way process between cultures. Cultural appropriation is disrespectful. An example of this is the mass increase if aspects of black culture. The meaning is stripped away because of power differences between cultures.

Question 38

What is an anti-school subculture?

Answer 38

This includes students that are negative towards school. They reject school rules and do not conform to normal norms and values upheld in schools.

Question 39

What is the lads and ladettes study done by Jackson?

Answer 39

These were two projects; the Nuffield foundation where they gave year 9 boys in 2 schools in North West England a questionnaire and 25 of them were interviewed, and the Economic and Social Research council where they gave year 9 children in 6 schools in North England 3 questionnaires and 153 were interviewed.

Question 40

What is ladishness?

Answer 40

This is specific masculine behaviour, which includes drinking, a lot of dating, being popular, being humorous, hanging out, putting no effort into school and being aggressive.

Question 41

What is a ladette?

Answer 41

They reject the good girl model and adopt being feisty, sassy and troublesome. They think school work is uncool and they think not trying us better, but they are secret workers. They are self handicapped, which means they create barriers for themselves to success.

Question 42

Advantages of the lads and ladettes study by Jackson. (2)

• methods
• sample

Answer 42

• they used mixed methods which makes the results more valid, reliable and detailed.
• they used a range of different ethnicities and both genders, making the sample more representative.

Question 43

Disadvantages of the lad and ladettes study by Jackson. (2)

• operationalisation
• desirability

Answer 43

• the word ladishness needs to be operationalised, making the results less valid.
• social desirability could affect the results and this makes the results less valid.

Question 44

What is a gang?

Answer 44

A group with the same norms and values, that engage in criminal activities, regularly associate, cause harm, are territorial and there may be a hierarchy with a leader and rules.

Question 45

What is the Asian gangs and moral panics study by Alexander?

Answer 45

This was ethnographic research done on young Asian males aged 14-16 in Stoneleigh. There were violent clashes between these males as a response to islamaphobia. Their media image was a myth and highly exaggerated because of the Gulf war (creating hostile attitudes towards the Middle East, a documentary on the concerns of Muslim ghetto culture, news article on Asian gangs and the Bradford riots. However there had only been a few minor incidents between two gangs and these were not based on racial differences. The gangs were based in factors of locality and friendship.

Question 46

Advantages of the Asian gangs and moral panics study by Alexander. (2)

• ethnographic
• Interactionist

Answer 46

• this was an ethnographic research so from these result we are able to learn about new cultures
• this supports the Interactionist theory of moral panics

Question 47

Disadvantages of the Asian gangs and moral panics study by Alexander. (2)

• ethnographic
• temporal

Answer 47

• ethnographic research contains impersonal relationships and there could be demand characteristics affecting the results making them less valid.
• this study lacks temporal validity because it was done in 2000. The way ethnic minority groups are portrayed in the media may be different now.

Question 48

What is the Glasgow gang study done by Patrick?

Answer 48

Patrick is a teacher and he was invited by one of his students, Tim, who was a juvenile offender and the leader of the gang The Young Team, to join his gang to study them in Scotland. He posed as Tim’s 17 year old friend and had to learn the dialect, slang and style of the gang. They met on 12 occasions in 4 months.

Question 49

Advantages of the Glasgow gang study by Patrick. (2)

• covert
• Interpretivist

Answer 49

• this was a covert observation which means there are no demand characteristics affecting the results, making results less valid.
• interpretivists would approve as detailed and in depth data is being collected.

Question 50

Disadvantages of the Glasgow gangs study by Patrick. (2)

• unethical
• temporal

Answer 50

• this study is unethical as there was deception involved here. Therefore there is no right to withdraw and no informed consent
• this study lacks temporal validity as it was done in 2000 so gangs may be different today.

Question 51

What is the Marxist/Neo Marxist theory about scapegoats?

Answer 51

Delinquency doesn’t challenge capitalism directly. It is aimed at easy targets and they are blamed for the working classes weak position. For examples hippies are targeted for their relaxed attitudes to jobs the working class can’t even get and ethnic minorities are targeted because they gain jobs the working class can’t get. Skinheads target these ethnic minorities. They should be blaming politicians.

Question 52

Disadvantages of the scapegoats theory by Marxist/Neo Marxists.(3)

• Postmodernists
• fashion
• Feminists

Answer 52

• Postmodernists say that subcultures do not even exist anymore so this emphasis is outdated.
• Hobbs suggested that Skinheads are more interested in fashion than scapegoating ethnic minorities
• Feminists would suggest that this theory ignores women and they only focus on male subcultures.

Question 53

What is the labelling and moral panics theory by Interactionists?

Answer 53

The labelling theory suggests that powerful groups shape societal reactions by making rules for powerless groups via policing and the media. Moral panics is negatively labelling people as suspicious or criminal and society reacting negatively towards them usually with discrimination. The self fulfilling prophecy us when a person is labelled as deviant and they live up to this label to prove society right. Folk devils are a person or group who are portrayed as outsiders or deviant and get blamed for crimes.

Question 54

Advantages of the labelling and moral panics theory by Interactionists. (1)
- Marxist

Answer 54

• Marxists would link this to social and say that the working class are labelled as deviant and there are moral panics created around them.

Question 55

Disadvantages of the labelling and moral panics theory by Interactionist. (2)

• deterministic
• Interpretivists

Answer 55

• this study is deterministic however some people do not conform to what society believes they will become. Some people will try to prove society wrong.
• interpretivists would suggest that we do not know the true motives and meanings we may not know why these people are labelled.

Question 56

What is the study on mods and rockers by Cohen?

Answer 56

This was a study done on the mods, who rode scooters and the rockers, who rode motorbikes. The societal reactions to disturbances occurring over Easter bank holiday in Calcton. The media portrayed it as a confrontation between the two rival gangs and there was violence and vandalism. However the people there were neither mods not rockers. The media distorted the events and wrongly labelled the youths as they were struggling to find news that weekend. Moral panics were created and more youths were arrested. More mods and rockers created further disturbances.

Question 57

Advantages of the mods and rockers study by Cohen. (2)

• Hall
• Interactionist

Answer 57

• this is supported by the study by Hall on mugging. Afro Caribbean’s were labelled as criminals as they were blamed for mugging incidents
• this is supported by the Interactionist theory on labelling as the mods and rockers were labelled and this caused a self fulfilling prophecy

Question 58

Disadvantages of the mods and rockers study by Cohen.

- media

Answer 58

• the media simply exaggerated the deviancy it doesn’t create it. So the subcultures would have to be deviant in the first place for the media to report upon it.