youth subcultures: rdu paper 1 Flashcards
youth subculture
share a particular set of norms and values, different from adults and children, stand out in terms of style, dress, music taste and attitudes
spectacular youth subcultures
describes some of the highly visible subcultures of the 50s-70s. eg. mods, punks, skinheads. They had a very flamboyant and instantly recognisable style and often had confrontational attitudes
parsons and youth (3)
- youth is a transitional stage from childhood to adulthood
- as they seek independence from their families, youths get their sense of belonging from their peers
- in pre-capitalist society, the transition from childhood to adulthood was marked by an imitation or rite of passage of some kind
hamar tribe (3)
- ceremony which qualifies to marry, own cattle sand have children
- a hamar man comes if age by leaping over a line of cattle
- marks passage from childhood to adulthood
what other sociologist has similar views about youths to parsons?
aries
parsons and capitalist society (3)
- development of capitalist society created a divide between the role of the family, as a purely nurturing environment and the specialised requirements of the workplace
- more training and socialisation was needed to meet the needs of society as this specialisation couldn’t be taught in the family
- parsons saw youth as an important transitional stage, where an individual must learn to leave the security of the family and become independent, by having an occupation and marriage
how can the transition start from childhood to adulthood? (3)
- having a part time job
- learning to drive
-post-16 education
rite of passage
a ceremony or event marking an important stage in someones life, the transition between childhood and adulthood
eisenstadt and youth (4)
- has biological and cultural components
- biology of youth is similar across societies but the cultural definition varies
- youth is a social construction
- youth in all societies marks a period of transition
eisenstadt and functions of youth: development of an individuals personality
allows each person to acquire the mechanisms of self regulation and self control which allows you to reach a stage where you aren’t under adult control
eisenstadt and functions of youth: transmission of core values in society
youth is the purest manifestation of of repository of ultimate cultural and social values, its when society has the chance to shape you exactly as it wants you to be
eisenstadt and functions of youth: development of self identity
the individual knows who they are and their place in society, they have psychological maturity
eisenstadt and cultural variations of youth: the complexity of the division of labour
more complex means less influence on age eg. in complex industrial society ge does not necessarily = power or authority in the same way it does in a tribal society
eisenstadt and cultural variations of youth: society’s values
if society values age specific characteristics then age will have a stronger influence eg. physical vigour (values younger people) wisdom (values old people)
eisenstadt and cultural variations of youth: the role of the family
full adult status in some societies can be achieved in the family
. in others it is marked by independence from the family, in these societies there may be youth organisations to try and exert some influence
the social construction of youth subculture (3)
- recognised that social conditions at the time (50s) made the transition from childhood to adulthood noticeable
- media was developing
- young people had more job opportunities and money and consumerism was taking off
what did abrams argue about the emergence of youth culture?
emergence of youth culture was linked to their spending power and the targeting by businesses and the media of products to this age group, youth culture was created by the media
evalution of functionlism and youth subcultures (3)
- functionalists generalise about youth cultures as a whole, dont account for the individual subcultural differences
- pilcher argues that this is a white, middle-class, middle aged view
- no recognition of how racism, poverty or gender inequality affects youth culture
cohen and status (4)
- everyone wants to be successful and and success is measured in terms of having a good job, having respect and having lots of money and possessions
- this is possible for middle class people, but working class people are more likely to experience failure: in school, in the job market and in terms of having access to material goods
- claimed that the w/c experience status frustration, meaning that feel resentful because they do not have respect and wealth
- the working class have to seek alternative routes to gain, and this is through gang membership and petty crime
miller and working class young men (4)
- working class men formed gangs, not because they share the values of mainstream society but because they have their own working class values
- young people feel insecure and so they join gangs
- they exaggerate more working class behaviour and ideas and so become more aggressive, more masculine and more criminal and excitement seeking
- they gain status from other members of the gang
criticisms of eisenstdt (3)
- transition from youth to adulthood is a universal experience, but not all young people experience this transition in the same way
- he neglects social class, gender, and ethnic divisions between young people and the fact that some people feel more marginalised and powerless than others
- a number of surveys have questioned the existence of a generation gap eg. research by Wyn and White (1997) found ‘most young people tend to be fairly conventional in outlook and lifestyle.’
criticisms of eisenstadt: bennett and dance music in Newcastle (3)
- cultural identities are much more fluid and less stable than they were in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s
- young people no longer have fixed commitments, whereas skinheads, punks identified with these identities to the exclusion
- young people cannot be easily placed into a subculture
criticisms of eisenstadt: reimer and central features of youth (2)
- argues the central feature of youth in modern societies is the preoccupation with ‘fun’
- the constant search for excitement and stimulation that cuts across all other sources of identity (class, gender, ethnicity etc)
bo reimer and and ordinary youth (3)
- personal choice and taste are becoming more important than structural factors in influencing the lifestyles of ordinary youth
- the basic lifestyle orientation of youth culture is towards entertainment
- in howard parkers terms, it is a pleasure culture, the central feature of youth in modern societies is the preoccupation with ‘fun’- the constant search for excitement and stimulation that cuts across all other sources of identity (class, gender, ethnicity etc)
marxists and spectacular youth subcultures (3)
- the centre of contemporary cultural studies (cccs) produced lots of work on youth subcultures
- could be seen as neo-marxists, as influenced by marxism
- ideological dominance of ruling class: hegemonic
neo-marxism and cccs (5)
- the cccs looked at the different classes and economic situation of members of youth subcultures to explain why they would join them
- members of the subculture still faced the same experiences and social conditions as the rest of their social class, despite dressing and looking different from parents and other youths
- their style could be understood as their response and solution to be part if the w/c
- in the 60s and 70s there were many issues faced by the w/c: high unemployment, racial tensions and strikes
- members of the cccs considered different subcultures and how each could be seen as a form of resistance against the ruling class and reaction to the economic situation w/c youth found themselves in
strengths of cccs research (4)
- explains the link between the w/c and subcultures
- research findings to support theory
- explain why members join the subculture
- provides a link between emergence of spectacular youth subcultures as social/economic conditions
weaknesses of cccs research
- social/economic conditions similar to past eg. cost of living crisis, riots but no big emergence of spectacular youth subcultures
hebdige and youth subcultures (5)
- examines how youth subcultures use style, such as fashion, music and language, to express resistance to dominant societal norms
- relies on semiotic analysis (signs and symbols), allowing him to decode ‘deeper meanings’.
- discussed ‘incorporation’, pointing out that spectacular-youth subcultures are short-lived in their resistance and mainstream youth culture will always incorporate the resistant music and fashion into the mainstream
- this is then sold back to youths as a way of making profit eg. some punks bank signed to big record labels and their music entered the pop charts
- however, hebdige was aware that it was largely symbolic rather than practical. he knew that for example, going out as a punk wont change the structure of society
hebdige criticisms, youth subcultures (2)
- semiotic analysis: could be misinterpreted and very subjective
- bricolage: he believed this creativity reflects the resourcefulness of subcultures and their ability to reimagine mundane objects as tools of resistance, or is it the pressure to conform? is he reading too much into it? eg. elizabeth hurley: wore versace dress with safety pins down the side, not rebelling, maybe a fashion statement
feminism and roles of females in youth subcultures: mcrobbie and garber (3)
- noted that girls were often less visible in early spectacular subcultures, like mods, and received minimal attention from male sociologists
- highlighted the societal constraints on girls during the 50s and 60s, such as limited disposal income, which hindered their freedom of expression compared to their male counterparts
- girls were often confined to domestic roles, such as marrying young and working in low-paid jobs, which restricted their participation in subcultures
bedroom culture
creation of spaces of resistance and identity within the confines of a home, met female friends in these private spaces to forge their own subculture, often centered on pop music, fashion and makeup
bauman and postmodernism (4)
- there is no longer a coherent, structured social world
- youth style has has become increasingly fragmented and diverse
- youth styles have fluid and changeable, they are no longer based on factors such as class, ethnicity or gender
- young people pick and choose elements of what they would like to be and there are no identifiable ‘youth cultures’ out there
widdicombe and wooffitt and youth subcultures (2)
- youth subcultures did not have fixed meanings or any real independent existence
- the anarchy of punk, the oppositional attitudes of working class youth or the countercultural ideas of the middle class were merely meanings imposed upon young peoples activities by sociologists
polhemus and supermarket of style (3)
- develops idea of ‘fluidity of youth styles’ with the term ‘supermarket of style’: youths can choose from different fashions, musical tastes and identities in the same way supermarket shoppers are offered a numerous choices of food
- different styles are fused together eg. Britney Spears used bhangara beats in songs
- there is not an importance of style over substance, meaning that youth style is a more crucial feature than what the youths believe in or any shared cultural positions
manchester institute of popular culture (mipc) and club cultures (5)
- based in 1980’s/90’s
- young people in the clubbing culture were simply sharing in a collective dance experiment regardless of class, gender or ethnicity
- associated with relatively affluent youths who worked during the week and raved at the weekend
- reputation for drug use in general
- work of the mipc therefore depicts youth styles that are no longer related to factors such as class, gender or ethnicity
maffesoli and neo tribes (2)
- youth subcultures have now ceased to exist for young people, they have been replaced by fluid and open movements
- he uses this term to describe a wide range of ‘groupings’, all of which share a commitment to a communal ethnic of warmth, and friendship rather than for any ‘collective purpose’
bennett and clubs in newcastle (3)
- no evidence of youth subcultures
- found a loose, fluid and relatively short term youth grouping occurring
- these ‘neo tribes’ were based around fashion and lifestyle , but they did not have any shared values and they did not feel they belonged to any definable group
globalisation and hybridised youth subcultures, Luke and Luke (3)
- today our culture is derived from media that is global in nature, no longer national or local
- we now have a hybridised youth culture, where young people take elements from their global cultures featured in the media and then adapt these according to local values
- eg. asian music being adapted and included into mainstream pop music that is listened to by a wide range variety of young people
globalisation and hybridised youth subcultures, cashmore (4)
- study of ‘gansta rap’ illustrating the concept of youth identity
- began in 1960’s Jamaica and by the 70’s it became popular in the black neighbourhoods of New York
- by the 80’s it was promoted worldwide
- however, the original rap is constantly changing and as a result it has been adapted to suit a whole variety of youth orientated circumstances
evaluation: postmodernists and youth subcultures (4)
- the ‘absense’ of ‘spectacular subcultures’ as identified by the cccs would indicate that post modernism is correct, and that we no longer use subcultures as a source of our identity
- however, there are still examples of identifiable (if not ‘spectacular’) subcultural groups in society eg. goth and punks, which with their fashion and music tastes do fit the description of ‘youth cultures’, and therefore the ‘fluidity’ of youth identity is not entirely an accurate concept to describe all youths
- furthermore, it could still be argued that we can easily identify different genders, ethnicities and social classes by their associated styles, and therefore ‘supermarket of style’ on offer to young people has not led to the ‘fusion’ which cuts across social divisions
- functionalists: parsons/eisenstadt argue that youth culture still does exist
social class and youth subcultures: tony Jefferson and the teddy boys
- emerged in 1950s of high unemployment and relative affluence, often been excluded from this general affluence, not having done well in school and having dead-end futures
- used to hang around in groups in cafes
- wore edwardian style, bright coloured jackets, suede shoes and bootlace ties
- argued the jackets symbolised that they were trying to be like their m/c superiors
social class and youth subcultures: hebdige and mods
though mods were w/c, they were a more affluent group, who used their money to create a style that was a resistance against the m/c, showing too they could be smart and cool wit their Italian suits and scooters
social class and youth subcultures: punks and bricolage
- ‘bricolage’ described some of the punk culture and the reuse of ordinary objects eg. piercing body and clothing with safety pins
- punks emerged as a resistance against the dominance of the mainstream media and fashion industries
- attracted w/c, disaffected youth, and also college students who were attracted to its energy
- punks had clear political elements, with bands like the sex pistols and clash
social class and youth subcultures: john clarke and skinheads
- skinhead culture was represented by an exaggerated version of w/c masculinity
- wore manual workers clothes, rolled up jeans and big boots
- macho, aggressive and racist attitude
- felt their w/c identity was under threat due to economic conditions, so were over exaggerating as a form of resistance
social class and youth subcultures: phil cohen and skinheads
as a result of their feelings being threatened (decline of industries and increasing immigration), skinheads often focused on reclaiming territory, which was shown through football hooliganism as an expression of ownership of the ground
social class and youth subcultures: brake and magic symbolic solutions
- problems faced by the w/c were magic and symbolic rather than practical and concrete solutions
- being in the subculture may have been given youths a collective identity and and feelings of strength and power, and even made them feel like they were fighting back, but eventually most would end up conforming to the adult world
social class and youth subcultures: hebdige and incorporation
describes how these subversive styles are often taken over by the media and fashion industries, and ‘incoporated’ into the mainstream, so loose their edge and element of rebellion eg. ‘punk’ clothes find their way into high street stores, styles loose their edge and distinctiveness
social class and youth subcultures: thornton and club culture
- not a single culture, but a cluster of subcultures related to dance and rave
- club cultures are ‘taste cultures’ with the key definer being a shared taste in music style and the dance culture surrounding it
social class and youth subcultures: strengths
- social conditions at the time explains the needs for w/c youths to express their discontent
- many spectacular subcultures were studied and match ideas of the cccs
social class and youth subcultures: weaknesses
- thornton: youths are exempt from adult financial commitment and the majority enjoy disposable income so social class isn’t a factor
- ignores other factors such a ethnicity and gender
- their interpretation is subjective and purely looking for class struggle as Neo-marxists that wasnt there
- middle class has subcultures
- majority of youth didn’t belong to a subculture at all
thornton and girls
- girls had less disposable income
- marrying earlier and earning less than their male counterparts
- the ‘teenage market’, was dominated by boys, particularly in the days of the spectacular youth subcultures studied by the cccs
- girls invested more of their time and energy into doing well at school, while boys were investing time and money in music magazines and going out, leading to a difference in their ‘subcultural capital’
- girls accept their lack of subcultural capital, defending their taste in pop music
thornton and mainstream culture
- mainstream culture is often looked down on by those with subcultural capital, and when a style moves from being underground or ‘hip’ to being mainstream, it becomes ‘feminised’
- gives examples of acid/race/house subcultures in the late 80s and 90s, which lost its underground status, as legal raves sprung up and the scene was characterised by ‘techno traceys’
- started to loose its appeal
mcrobbie and active girls
- partly because they are how active in consumer culture
- looked at how girls magazines reflect the changing nature of female youth
- mcrobbie says that magazines now reflect a more confident youth, with the emphasis of owning your sexuality rather than buying into the ideology and romance
1950s teddy girls
- bystanders in research
- rebelled against society by wearing ‘masculine’ clothes like suits and smart shoes
- weren’t applying their fashion to the stereotype, where women would wear dresses, skirts, high heels and bright lipstick
mcrobbies bedroom culture: the 70s, 80s, 90s, ‘teeny boppers’
- females used the ‘bedroom culture’ space to get together and experiment with makeup, hairstyles and fashion, gossip with friends about boys and read and discuss female magazines
- could be seen as a form of ‘resistance’ as the girls anxieties about teenage sexual interacting led them to forming very tight-knit friendships groups, giving them a private space that protected them from the security of parents but also boys
gender and ethnicity, intersectionality - mcrobbie and black raga girls
used music to dance in a sexually explicit way, ridiculing male sexism in rap music and opening their own cultural and sexual space
reddington
there have been very active female members of some of the ‘spectacular subcultures’ such as Vivienne Westwood, who was very influential in the punk subculture
blackman
- completed an ethnographic study (involves individual or small group of people, examines them in depth
- looked a group of girls, ‘new wave girls’
- shared interest in punk and new wave music
- wore doc martins, black trousers and baggy jumpers
- from working or lower class backgrounds
- did not conform to traditional expectations of femininity
- resisted masculine control, parental and school control
Bennett and neo tribes
postmodern-style ‘neo tribes’ are less gendered and have allowed for girls to build their own identities
rastafarian and reggae culture
- associated with Jamaican/caribbean culture, reggae music, dreadlocks and often clothes in the colours of red, green and gold
- Rastafarians have religious beliefs associated with their African roots in Ethiopia
- smoking marijuana is seen as part of their religion, it helps them reach a higher level of spirtuality
hebdige and reggae culture
saw Rastafarianism and reggae culture as forms o resistance to white culture and racism with roots in the relations of slavery
mercer and dreadlocks
states that afros and dreadlocks are often used in black subcultures as a highly visible sign of resistance against white racism and domination of white beauty ideals
brasians and youth subcultures
- more about fusion and blending aspects of British culture
- its less resistance, and more celebration of style to make it cool and fashionable and give status
- John calls it ‘hyper ethnic style’, exaggerating aspects of your culture
- asians however ‘code switch’ cultures
assimilation
the absorption and integration of people, ideas and culture into a wider society or culture
cashmore and gansta rap
- argues that rap can be seen as the ultimate hybrid music form, has many styles and no obvious point of origin
- charts the ‘rap’ culture throughout Jamaica in the 60s, to New York in the 70s, LA in the 80s and then worldwide
- when rap has crossed over into white cultures, I has changed again, as it has when it has been preformed by female artists
- this changeability and hybridity support post modern ideas of the fluidity of recent subcultures
nayak and white wannabes
- identified by kayak as white, working class, young males who adopt the style and language of ‘black culture’
- other terms, such as ‘wangstas’ and ‘wiggers’ have also been used
- they may listen to music such as gansta rap and hiphop, wear lots of bling
- famous example is Ali g
