CLASS divisions in YOUTH

Murdock and McCorne (1975) noted changes in class subcultures in the 70s, with the working clss being attracted to Punk and Reggae, and the middle class being attacted to counter cultural movements, for example peace groups.

The hippie culture developed in the USA amongst university students who objected war and consumer society. They offered a solution - to drop out of ruthless Capitalism and follow a lifestyle based on 'flower power' involving unity, peace and love. Brake's 1977 Hippies and Skinheads study found that hippies were full of contradictions, such as they rejected materialism, yet lived on benefits or student grants.

Jefferson's research suggets that teddy boys were relatively wealthy from families with disposable incomes. Through adopting an exaggerated middle class style of dress, they were able to give expression to their changing social situaion. Working class youths were more likely to be part of the skinhead culture, who Clarke viewed as a subculture who defended their working class by exaggerating their dress and their values. Firth (1978) studied the punk movement and argued that…