Rite of passage - functionalists suggest that youth cultures developed due to the fact that there's no clearly defined point at which people become an adult. In some cultures, children go through a riutal where they become an adult. In Western culture this is served as youth culture.
Peer group pressure - young people feel the need to belong to a youth style as everyone else does.
Establish an identity - membership of a youth culture helps people gain a sense of identity. They take on values and morals of those around them
Achive a higher status - youth cultures are associated with young people who don't have a stake in society, by belonging to a youth culture it gives them importance and alternative routes to self esteem.
Media pressure - Stanley Cohen suggest that the media exaggerate youth cultures and offer an image of an exciting and attractive lifestyle option. Young people become attracted to the illusion as young people consume media, they're vulnerable to pursuasion and will buy items associated with the styles.
Comments
No comments have yet been made