Age and identity: LT9 Flashcards
(20 cards)
Social dimensions to ageing
There are diffrent norms, values and expectations of behaviour are associated with different ages
Social construction of age
What is thought of as childhood and adulthood change over time and between culture
Youth culture
identity of young people has often been found in expression through some subcultures
Hall and Jefferson
Particularly Skinheads, Punks and teddy boys are example of subcultures resisting to the dominant social class and culture
Functionalism: Parson and Bales: Subcultures
Youth subcultures emerge as a way of dealing with status frustration that arises during the transition between childhood and independent adulthood
However, what do Marxists suggest about Functionalists views on subcultures
Do not explain the wide variety of subcultures
Marxists: Subcultures
Look into the difference between subcultures, particularly in terms of social class positions
Handover: Bricolage
Otherwise ordinary, everyday objects are combined to create new styles and identities E.g. Punks using safety pins
However, what does Functioanlist Bennett argue about subcultures
Bennett: People taking part in youth subcultures may not see them in the way marxists do
Malestream subculture
Many youth culture studies have been done on males. Females are invisible and ignored
Feminists: subcultures
Suggest girls are less involved in male dominated subcultures due to gender role socialisation.
McRobbie and Garber: Bedroom culture
Girls subcultures focus on activities such as listening to music, make up, beauty and fashion
However, what do modern feminists believe subcultures have changed
View has become outdated, women are being seen as more involved in youth subcultures out of the home
Postmodernist: subcultures
Reject the concept of subcultures and see it as trying to fit people into a structural box of class gender and ethnicity.
Culture has become fragmented freely chosen
Thornton
Youth subcultures have been replaced with media generated, taste based clubs and music culture
However, what do Marxists say about P.M views of subcultures :
Over-exaggerate the freedom of choice for young people and social class, gender and ethnicity may still be important
Leslett: Third age
Increasing life expectancy and growing economic security has created a new generation of retired people can find fulfilment in ‘third age’
Marhankova: Active ageing
Develop new lifestyles and therefore forge new identities for themselves know as active ageing.
However, Third age
opportunities in third age vary depending on social class e.g poverty making it harder to establish new identities
Ageism
Older people suffer prejudice and discrimination with negative stereotypes with ‘old’ becoming master status
