Youth subcultures and ethnicity

Question 1

What does ethnocentric mean ?

Answer 1

• evaluating other cultures according to the preconceptions originating in the standards of ones own cultures

Question 2

Hebdige:

Answer 2

• British youth subcultures can read as ‘ succession of different responses to black immigrant presence in Britain
• E.g. White wannabes - Nayak

Question 3

What is Ratafarian culture ?

Answer 3

• example of a youth subculture
• associated with Caribbean culture
• regae music, dread locks
• religious beliefs associated with roots in Ethiopia
• smoke marijuana as it helps with spirituality
• Hebdige - resistant to white culture
• offered a positive identity away from racism

Question 4

What is Brasian culture ?

Answer 4

• young British asians
• Brasians refuse to accept a subordinate place
• Johal - ‘hyper ethnic style’, an exaggerated form of parents culture
• leads to code-switching as they learn which identity is appropriate

Question 5

What did Mercer study ?

Answer 5

• styling of hair in black culture and the symbolism
• afro/ dreadlocks = emphasis on black identity
• form of resistance

Question 6

What did Cashmore study ?

Answer 6

• study of gangsta rap
• rap = ultimate hybrid music form
• can be modified to own culture
• supports the post-modernist view as music has become more fluid and less sturctured

Question 7

What did Nayak study ?

Answer 7

• white wannabes
• white working class names
• adopt the style of ‘black culture’
• E.g Ali-G

Question 8

Vale and Juno:

Answer 8

• Modern primitives
• Body modification done by modern primitives is a way of reacting the the powerlessness
• This powerlessness is due to living in a fast changing world

Question 9

hutnyk:

Answer 9

• Cultural exchange and appropriation
• There are different cultures at work
• Within this, western subcultures may strip the meaning from symbols and use them to exploit them from profit