Theories of youth culture
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- Created on: 13-05-17 10:25
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- Theories of youth culture
- Functionalism
- Parsons
- Youth culture facilitate a transition from childhood to adulthood (short term)
- It helps individuals cope with anomie (function of youth culture when they have lost sights of the collective conscience)
- Provide a bridge from childhood to adulthood
- In childhood, we are judged by particularistic standards
- In adulthood, rules are universalistic.
- In childhood, we have an ascribed status (class) but in adulthood, we have an achieved status (job status)
- Provide a bridge from childhood to adulthood
- Parsons
- Subcultural theory
- Walter Miller
- W/C males
- Youth cultures promote deviance. This is a results of primary socialisation.
- W/C males are socialised into a set of focal concern.
- 1. Toughness 2.Smartness 3.Quest for excitement
- W/C males are socialised into a set of focal concern.
- Youth cultures promote deviance. This is a results of primary socialisation.
- W/C males
- Albert Cohen
- W/C male youth subcultures are a response to a sense of status frustration.
- Blames the education system.
- Schools make them feel like failures so forming deviant subcultures is the way to achieve their status.
- Blames the education system.
- W/C male youth subcultures are a response to a sense of status frustration.
- Cloward and Ohlin
- Illegitimate opportunity structure
- Criminal subculture- organised crime
- Conflict subculture- gangs
- Conflict subculture- gangs
- Illegitimate opportunity structure
- Walter Miller
- Social psychological theory
- Tajfel and Turner
- Normative social influence (humans are gregarious, they want to fit in and be part of something
- 3 stages to the formation of subcultures.
- 1. Social categorisation
- Youths try to fit into a particular category
- 2. social identification
- Youths adopt the norms and values of the group.
- 3. Social comparison
- Creation of an 'in' group mentality and a focus on perceived 'out' group. Self esteem of 'in' group is linked to the failure of the 'out' group.
- 1. Social categorisation
- 3 stages to the formation of subcultures.
- Normative social influence (humans are gregarious, they want to fit in and be part of something
- Tajfel and Turner
- Interactionist theory
- Becker
- Labelling theory
- Youth subcultures are labelled in a way that makes them appear deviant/non-deviant.
- This can lead to master status amongst these in the group.
- Leads to the self-fulfiling prophecy (the group starts to get according to the label)
- This creates a deviant career as society reacts to these actions.
- Leads to the self-fulfiling prophecy (the group starts to get according to the label)
- This can lead to master status amongst these in the group.
- Youth subcultures are labelled in a way that makes them appear deviant/non-deviant.
- Labelling theory
- Stanley Cohen
- Mods and rockers (2 competing youth cultures in terms of style and social class)
- The media created a moral panic about a series of fights that would take place between the groups in a seaside resort.
- The two groups were portrayed as folk devils
- This led to deviancy amplification (the situation became worse due to media coverage)
- This led to demands from public for police to patrol the beaches
- This led to deviancy amplification (the situation became worse due to media coverage)
- The two groups were portrayed as folk devils
- The media created a moral panic about a series of fights that would take place between the groups in a seaside resort.
- Mods and rockers (2 competing youth cultures in terms of style and social class)
- Jock Young
- Study of cannabis users.
- Found that society tended to label users as "outsiders"
- This adds to its appeal amongst youths
- The more authorities attempt to control the problem, the more status it gains in the eyes of deviant youths.
- This adds to its appeal amongst youths
- Found that society tended to label users as "outsiders"
- Study of cannabis users.
- Becker
- Neo-marxists
- Hall and Jefferson (part of CCC)
- They are a form of resistance against the mainstream cultural hegemony.
- Working class young people formed the weakest point in the ruling class control of society.
- Youth subcultures act as a inarticulate way of resolving the problems faced by society
- The CCC use the term 'spectacular subcultures' to describe the various youth subcultures between the 1950's and 1970's
- Example: Teddy Boys
- Rise in the early 1950's coincided with expansion of employment.
- Clothing consisted of Edwardian 'dandy' jackets to show contempt of class system by copying style of so called 'superiors'
- Rise in the early 1950's coincided with expansion of employment.
- Example: Teddy Boys
- The CCC use the term 'spectacular subcultures' to describe the various youth subcultures between the 1950's and 1970's
- Youth subcultures act as a inarticulate way of resolving the problems faced by society
- Working class young people formed the weakest point in the ruling class control of society.
- They are a form of resistance against the mainstream cultural hegemony.
- Clarke
- Exaggeration of working class values in order to oppose the capitalist control.
- Example: Skinheads. They exaggerated the masculinity by wearing style of manual workers clothing and stressed violence.
- They attempted to recreate the traditional working class community and recover it from extinction.
- Example: Skinheads. They exaggerated the masculinity by wearing style of manual workers clothing and stressed violence.
- Exaggeration of working class values in order to oppose the capitalist control.
- Brake
- They are a magical solution
- Young people can in reality do nothing to alter the power differences in society so subcultures allow them the opportunity to convince themselves that their generation is different from parents.
- Its only an illusion
- Young people can in reality do nothing to alter the power differences in society so subcultures allow them the opportunity to convince themselves that their generation is different from parents.
- They are a magical solution
- Hall and Jefferson (part of CCC)
- Postmodernism
- Collection of theories about a post-industrial society. They attempt to explain the complexity of human behaviour as the individual identity is more important than a collective one.
- Youth cultures have been replaced by neo-tribes. Its hard to be part of one subculture. This theory is specific to the west- not global
- Maffesoli
- They were the first to use the term neo-tribe (loose group of people of similar tastes and interests)
- They were the first to use the term neo-tribe (loose group of people of similar tastes and interests)
- Bennett
- The behaviour of young people isn't shaped by class or poverty.
- Young people now choose their behaviour as it isn't forced upon them
- Neo-tribes have no structure and are based on lifestyle
- Ethnographic study- clubbers.
- Found they go out on weekends but have normal jobs in the week. Clubbing isn't their most important thing in their lives as they arent dedicated.
- Ethnographic study- clubbers.
- Neo-tribes have no structure and are based on lifestyle
- Young people now choose their behaviour as it isn't forced upon them
- The behaviour of young people isn't shaped by class or poverty.
- Muggleton
- Youth subcultures are not important
- A lot of neo-tribes are authentic (not a copy but genuine)
- Not media created
- Actually means something to those who participate
- Not media created
- A lot of neo-tribes are authentic (not a copy but genuine)
- Youth subcultures are not important
- Hackett
- Post modern youth cultures are less politicised.
- Less likely to have resistance as they are unaware they are being exploited.
- Done through capitalism
- Less likely to have resistance as they are unaware they are being exploited.
- Post modern youth cultures are less politicised.
- Polhemus
- Supermarket of style
- Maffesoli
- Youth cultures have been replaced by neo-tribes. Its hard to be part of one subculture. This theory is specific to the west- not global
- Collection of theories about a post-industrial society. They attempt to explain the complexity of human behaviour as the individual identity is more important than a collective one.
- Feminist
- During the 60's and 70's, females were invisible. They had less opportunities to join the ysc as they were too controlled
- 80's there were some changes. Firstly youth subculture were more androgynous (the subculture was genderless) like new romantics, rave and emo. Secondly females had become more involved in music and fashion.
- McRobbie and Garber (1976) were the first to make a study of girls and formed the concept 'Bedroom Culture'. This was based around the codes of romance, fashion and beauty, personal life and pop music. They also studied girls magazine 'Jackie' which they decided created a 'cult of femininity' which guided young girls on how to act and think about the world. Within this private sphere girls would experiment with make-up and clothes, gossip about boys and practice dance routines
- 80's there were some changes. Firstly youth subculture were more androgynous (the subculture was genderless) like new romantics, rave and emo. Secondly females had become more involved in music and fashion.
- During the 60's and 70's, females were invisible. They had less opportunities to join the ysc as they were too controlled
- Left Realism
- Developed out of neo-marxism in 80's
- Lea and Young- crime was a collective subcultural response to a particular set of social and economic conditions.
- Relative deprivation- Different to poverty as if everyone was poor, it would not lead to subcultures. Those in cities live is closer proximity to wealthy people so there is a sense of inequality. Hence why this leads to utilitarian crimes.
- Marginalisation- feeling of powerlessness and a lack of representation. Parliament mainly consists of wealthy people so subcultures allow them to feel they have justice.
- Materialism- increase of importance of materialism and accumulation of consumer goods. High value on financial success over character.
- Individualism- Communities have broken down and people are living individualistic lives.
- Materialism- increase of importance of materialism and accumulation of consumer goods. High value on financial success over character.
- Marginalisation- feeling of powerlessness and a lack of representation. Parliament mainly consists of wealthy people so subcultures allow them to feel they have justice.
- Relative deprivation- Different to poverty as if everyone was poor, it would not lead to subcultures. Those in cities live is closer proximity to wealthy people so there is a sense of inequality. Hence why this leads to utilitarian crimes.
- Lea and Young- crime was a collective subcultural response to a particular set of social and economic conditions.
- Developed out of neo-marxism in 80's
- Functionalism
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