youth subcultures: rdu paper 1 Flashcards
(138 cards)
1
Q
parsons and youth (3)
A
- youth is a transitional stage from childhood to adulthood
- as they seek independence from their families, youths get their sense of belonging from their peers
- in pre-capitalist society, the transition from childhood to adulthood was marked by an imitation or rite of passage of some kind
2
Q
what other sociologist has similar views about youths to parsons?
A
aries
3
Q
parsons and capitalist society (3)
A
- development of capitalist society created a divide between the role of the family, as a purely nurturing environment and the specialised requirements of the workplace
- more training and socialisation was needed to meet the needs of society as this specialisation couldn’t be taught in the family
- parsons saw youth as an important transitional stage, where an individual must learn to leave the security of the family and become independent, by having an occupation and marriage
4
Q
how can the transition start from childhood to adulthood? (3)
A
- having a part time job
- learning to drive
-post-16 education
5
Q
eisenstadt and youth (4)
A
- has biological and cultural components
- biology of youth is similar across societies but the cultural definition varies
- youth is a social construction
- youth in all societies marks a period of transition
6
Q
eisenstadt and functions of youth: development of an individuals personality
A
allows each person to acquire the mechanisms of self regulation and self control which allows you to reach a stage where you aren’t under adult control
7
Q
eisenstadt and functions of youth: transmission of core values in society
A
youth is the purest manifestation of repository of ultimate cultural and social values, its when society has the chance to shape you exactly as it wants you to be
8
Q
eisenstadt and functions of youth: development of self identity
A
the individual knows who they are and their place in society, they have psychological maturity
9
Q
eisenstadt and cultural variations of youth: the complexity of the division of labour
A
more complex means less influence on age eg. in complex industrial society ge does not necessarily = power or authority in the same way it does in a tribal society
10
Q
eisenstadt and cultural variations of youth: society’s values
A
if society values age specific characteristics then age will have a stronger influence eg. physical vigour (values younger people) wisdom (values old people)
11
Q
eisenstadt and cultural variations of youth: the role of the family
A
full adult status in some societies can be achieved in the family
. in others it is marked by independence from the family, in these societies there may be youth organisations to try and exert some influence
12
Q
the social construction of youth subculture (3)
A
- recognised that social conditions at the time (50s) made the transition from childhood to adulthood noticeable
- media was developing
- young people had more job opportunities and money and consumerism was taking off
13
Q
what did abrams argue about the emergence of youth culture?
A
emergence of youth culture was linked to their spending power and the targeting by businesses and the media of products to this age group, youth culture was created by the media
14
Q
evalution of functionlism and youth subcultures (3)
A
- functionalists generalise about youth cultures as a whole, dont account for the individual subcultural differences
- pilcher argues that this is a white, middle-class, middle aged view
- no recognition of how racism, poverty or gender inequality affects youth culture
15
Q
cohen and status (4)
A
- everyone wants to be successful and and success is measured in terms of having a good job, having respect and having lots of money and possessions
- this is possible for middle class people, but working class people are more likely to experience failure: in school, in the job market and in terms of having access to material goods
- claimed that the w/c experience status frustration, meaning that feel resentful because they do not have respect and wealth
- the working class have to seek alternative routes to gain, and this is through gang membership and petty crime
16
Q
miller and working class young men (4)
A
- working class men formed gangs, not because they share the values of mainstream society but because they have their own working class values
- young people feel insecure and so they join gangs
- they exaggerate more working class behaviour and ideas and so become more aggressive, more masculine and more criminal and excitement seeking
- they gain status from other members of the gang
17
Q
criticisms of eisenstdt (3)
A
- transition from youth to adulthood is a universal experience, but not all young people experience this transition in the same way
- he neglects social class, gender, and ethnic divisions between young people and the fact that some people feel more marginalised and powerless than others
- a number of surveys have questioned the existence of a generation gap eg. research by Wyn and White (1997) found ‘most young people tend to be fairly conventional in outlook and lifestyle.’
18
Q
criticisms of eisenstadt: bennett and dance music in Newcastle (3)
A
- cultural identities are much more fluid and less stable than they were in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s
- young people no longer have fixed commitments, whereas skinheads, punks identified with these identities to the exclusion
- young people cannot be easily placed into a subculture
19
Q
criticisms of eisenstadt: reimer and central features of youth (2)
A
- argues the central feature of youth in modern societies is the preoccupation with ‘fun’
- the constant search for excitement and stimulation that cuts across all other sources of identity (class, gender, ethnicity etc)
20
Q
bo reimer and and ordinary youth (3)
A
- personal choice and taste are becoming more important than structural factors in influencing the lifestyles of ordinary youth
- the basic lifestyle orientation of youth culture is towards entertainment
- in howard parkers terms, it is a pleasure culture, the central feature of youth in modern societies is the preoccupation with ‘fun’- the constant search for excitement and stimulation that cuts across all other sources of identity (class, gender, ethnicity etc)
21
Q
marxists and spectacular youth subcultures (3)
A
- the centre of contemporary cultural studies (cccs) produced lots of work on youth subcultures
- could be seen as neo-marxists, as influenced by marxism
- ideological dominance of ruling class: hegemonic
22
Q
neo-marxism and cccs (5)
A
- the cccs looked at the different classes and economic situation of members of youth subcultures to explain why they would join them
- members of the subculture still faced the same experiences and social conditions as the rest of their social class, despite dressing and looking different from parents and other youths
- their style could be understood as their response and solution to be part if the w/c
- in the 60s and 70s there were many issues faced by the w/c: high unemployment, racial tensions and strikes
- members of the cccs considered different subcultures and how each could be seen as a form of resistance against the ruling class and reaction to the economic situation w/c youth found themselves in
23
Q
strengths of cccs research (4)
A
- explains the link between the w/c and subcultures
- research findings to support theory
- explain why members join the subculture
- provides a link between emergence of spectacular youth subcultures as social/economic conditions
24
Q
weaknesses of cccs research
A
- social/economic conditions similar to past eg. cost of living crisis, riots but no big emergence of spectacular youth subcultures
25
hebdige and youth subcultures (5)
- examines how youth subcultures use style, such as fashion, music and language, to express resistance to dominant societal norms
- relies on semiotic analysis (signs and symbols), allowing him to decode 'deeper meanings'.
- discussed 'incorporation', pointing out that spectacular-youth subcultures are short-lived in their resistance and mainstream youth culture will always incorporate the resistant music and fashion into the mainstream
- this is then sold back to youths as a way of making profit eg. some punks bank signed to big record labels and their music entered the pop charts
- however, hebdige was aware that it was largely symbolic rather than practical. he knew that for example, going out as a punk wont change the structure of society
26
hebdige criticisms, youth subcultures (2)
- semiotic analysis: could be misinterpreted and very subjective
- bricolage: he believed this creativity reflects the resourcefulness of subcultures and their ability to reimagine mundane objects as tools of resistance, or is it the pressure to conform? is he reading too much into it? eg. elizabeth hurley: wore versace dress with safety pins down the side, not rebelling, maybe a fashion statement
27
feminism and roles of females in youth subcultures: mcrobbie and garber (3)
- noted that girls were often less visible in early spectacular subcultures, like mods, and received minimal attention from male sociologists
- highlighted the societal constraints on girls during the 50s and 60s, such as limited disposal income, which hindered their freedom of expression compared to their male counterparts
- girls were often confined to domestic roles, such as marrying young and working in low-paid jobs, which restricted their participation in subcultures
28
bauman and postmodernism (4)
- there is no longer a coherent, structured social world
- youth style has has become increasingly fragmented and diverse
- youth styles have fluid and changeable, they are no longer based on factors such as class, ethnicity or gender
- young people pick and choose elements of what they would like to be and there are no identifiable 'youth cultures' out there
29
widdicombe and wooffitt and youth subcultures (2)
- youth subcultures did not have fixed meanings or any real independent existence
- the anarchy of punk, the oppositional attitudes of working class youth or the countercultural ideas of the middle class were merely meanings imposed upon young peoples activities by sociologists
30
polhemus and supermarket of style (3)
- develops idea of 'fluidity of youth styles' with the term 'supermarket of style': youths can choose from different fashions, musical tastes and identities in the same way supermarket shoppers are offered a numerous choices of food
- different styles are fused together eg. Britney Spears used bhangara beats in songs
- there is not an importance of style over substance, meaning that youth style is a more crucial feature than what the youths believe in or any shared cultural positions
31
manchester institute of popular culture (mipc) and club cultures (5)
- based in 1980's/90's
- young people in the clubbing culture were simply sharing in a collective dance experiment regardless of class, gender or ethnicity
- associated with relatively affluent youths who worked during the week and raved at the weekend
- reputation for drug use in general
- work of the mipc therefore depicts youth styles that are no longer related to factors such as class, gender or ethnicity
32
maffesoli and neo tribes (2)
- youth subcultures have now ceased to exist for young people, they have been replaced by fluid and open movements
- he uses this term to describe a wide range of 'groupings', all of which share a commitment to a communal ethnic of warmth, and friendship rather than for any 'collective purpose'
33
bennett and clubs in newcastle (3)
- no evidence of youth subcultures
- found a loose, fluid and relatively short term youth grouping occurring
- these 'neo tribes' were based around fashion and lifestyle , but they did not have any shared values and they did not feel they belonged to any definable group
34
globalisation and hybridised youth subcultures, Luke and Luke (3)
- today our culture is derived from media that is global in nature, no longer national or local
- we now have a hybridised youth culture, where young people take elements from their global cultures featured in the media and then adapt these according to local values
- eg. asian music being adapted and included into mainstream pop music that is listened to by a wide range variety of young people
35
globalisation and hybridised youth subcultures, cashmore (4)
- study of 'gansta rap' illustrating the concept of youth identity
- began in 1960's Jamaica and by the 70's it became popular in the black neighbourhoods of New York
- by the 80's it was promoted worldwide
- however, the original rap is constantly changing and as a result it has been adapted to suit a whole variety of youth orientated circumstances
36
evaluation: postmodernists and youth subcultures (4)
- the 'absense' of 'spectacular subcultures' as identified by the cccs would indicate that post modernism is correct, and that we no longer use subcultures as a source of our identity
- however, there are still examples of identifiable (if not 'spectacular') subcultural groups in society eg. goth and punks, which with their fashion and music tastes do fit the description of 'youth cultures', and therefore the 'fluidity' of youth identity is not entirely an accurate concept to describe all youths
- furthermore, it could still be argued that we can easily identify different genders, ethnicities and social classes by their associated styles, and therefore 'supermarket of style' on offer to young people has not led to the 'fusion' which cuts across social divisions
- functionalists: parsons/eisenstadt argue that youth culture still does exist
37
social class and youth subcultures: tony Jefferson and the teddy boys
- emerged in 1950s of high unemployment and relative affluence, often been excluded from this general affluence, not having done well in school and having dead-end futures
- used to hang around in groups in cafes
- wore edwardian style, bright coloured jackets, suede shoes and bootlace ties
- argued the jackets symbolised that they were trying to be like their m/c superiors
38
social class and youth subcultures: hebdige and mods
though mods were w/c, they were a more affluent group, who used their money to create a style that was a resistance against the m/c, showing too they could be smart and cool with their Italian suits and scooters
39
social class and youth subcultures: punks and bricolage
- 'bricolage' described some of the punk culture and the reuse of ordinary objects eg. piercing body and clothing with safety pins
- punks emerged as a resistance against the dominance of the mainstream media and fashion industries
- attracted w/c, disaffected youth, and also college students who were attracted to its energy
- punks had clear political elements, with bands like the sex pistols and clash
40
social class and youth subcultures: john clarke and skinheads
- skinhead culture was represented by an exaggerated version of w/c masculinity
- wore manual workers clothes, rolled up jeans and big boots
- macho, aggressive and racist attitude
- felt their w/c identity was under threat due to economic conditions, so were over exaggerating as a form of resistance
41
social class and youth subcultures: phil cohen and skinheads
as a result of their feelings being threatened (decline of industries and increasing immigration), skinheads often focused on reclaiming territory, which was shown through football hooliganism as an expression of ownership of the ground
42
social class and youth subcultures: brake and magic symbolic solutions
- problems faced by the w/c were magic and symbolic rather than practical and concrete solutions
- being in the subculture may have been given youths a collective identity and and feelings of strength and power, and even made them feel like they were fighting back, but eventually most would end up conforming to the adult world
43
social class and youth subcultures: hebdige and incorporation
describes how these subversive styles are often taken over by the media and fashion industries, and 'incoporated' into the mainstream, so loose their edge and element of rebellion eg. 'punk' clothes find their way into high street stores, styles loose their edge and distinctiveness
44
social class and youth subcultures: thornton and club culture
- not a single culture, but a cluster of subcultures related to dance and rave
- club cultures are 'taste cultures' with the key definer being a shared taste in music style and the dance culture surrounding it
45
social class and youth subcultures: strengths
- social conditions at the time explains the needs for w/c youths to express their discontent
- many spectacular subcultures were studied and match ideas of the cccs
46
social class and youth subcultures: weaknesses
- thornton: youths are exempt from adult financial commitment and the majority enjoy disposable income so social class isn't a factor
- ignores other factors such a ethnicity and gender
- their interpretation is subjective and purely looking for class struggle as Neo-marxists that wasnt there
- middle class has subcultures
- majority of youth didn't belong to a subculture at all
47
thornton and girls
- girls had less disposable income
- marrying earlier and earning less than their male counterparts
- the 'teenage market', was dominated by boys, particularly in the days of the spectacular youth subcultures studied by the cccs
- girls invested more of their time and energy into doing well at school, while boys were investing time and money in music magazines and going out, leading to a difference in their 'subcultural capital'
- girls accept their lack of subcultural capital, defending their taste in pop music
48
thornton and mainstream culture
- mainstream culture is often looked down on by those with subcultural capital, and when a style moves from being underground or 'hip' to being mainstream, it becomes 'feminised'
- gives examples of acid/race/house subcultures in the late 80s and 90s, which lost its underground status, as legal raves sprung up and the scene was characterised by 'techno traceys'
- started to loose its appeal
49
mcrobbie and active girls
- partly because they are now active in consumer culture
- looked at how girls magazines reflect the changing nature of female youth
- mcrobbie says that magazines now reflect a more confident youth, with the emphasis of owning your sexuality rather than buying into the ideology and romance
50
1950s teddy girls
- bystanders in research
- rebelled against society by wearing 'masculine' clothes like suits and smart shoes
- weren't applying their fashion to the stereotype, where women would wear dresses, skirts, high heels and bright lipstick
51
mcrobbies bedroom culture: the 70s, 80s, 90s, 'teeny boppers'
- females used the 'bedroom culture' space to get together and experiment with makeup, hairstyles and fashion, gossip with friends about boys and read and discuss female magazines
- could be seen as a form of 'resistance' as the girls anxieties about teenage sexual interacting led them to forming very tight-knit friendships groups, giving them a private space that protected them from the security of parents but also boys
52
gender and ethnicity, intersectionality - mcrobbie and black raga girls
used music to dance in a sexually explicit way, ridiculing male sexism in rap music and opening their own cultural and sexual space
53
reddington
there have been very active female members of some of the 'spectacular subcultures' such as Vivienne Westwood, who was very influential in the punk subculture
54
blackman
- completed an ethnographic study (involves individual or small group of people, examines them in depth
- looked a group of girls, 'new wave girls'
- shared interest in punk and new wave music
- wore doc martins, black trousers and baggy jumpers
- from working or lower class backgrounds
- did not conform to traditional expectations of femininity
- resisted masculine control, parental and school control
55
Bennett and neo tribes
postmodern-style 'neo tribes' are less gendered and have allowed for girls to build their own identities
56
rastafarian and reggae culture
- associated with Jamaican/caribbean culture, reggae music, dreadlocks and often clothes in the colours of red, green and gold
- Rastafarians have religious beliefs associated with their African roots in Ethiopia
- smoking marijuana is seen as part of their religion, it helps them reach a higher level of spirtuality
57
hebdige and reggae culture
saw Rastafarianism and reggae culture as forms o resistance to white culture and racism with roots in the relations of slavery
58
mercer and dreadlocks
states that afros and dreadlocks are often used in black subcultures as a highly visible sign of resistance against white racism and domination of white beauty ideals
59
brasians and youth subcultures
- more about fusion and blending aspects of British culture
- its less resistance, and more celebration of style to make it cool and fashionable and give status
- John calls it 'hyper ethnic style', exaggerating aspects of your culture
- asians however 'code switch' cultures
60
cashmore and gansta rap
- argues that rap can be seen as the ultimate hybrid music form, has many styles and no obvious point of origin
- charts the 'rap' culture throughout Jamaica in the 60s, to New York in the 70s, LA in the 80s and then worldwide
- when rap has crossed over into white cultures, I has changed again, as it has when it has been preformed by female artists
- this changeability and hybridity support post modern ideas of the fluidity of recent subcultures
61
nayak and white wannabes
- identified by nayak as white, working class, young males who adopt the style and language of 'black culture'
- other terms, such as 'wangstas' and 'wiggers' have also been used
- they may listen to music such as gansta rap and hiphop, wear lots of bling
- famous example is Ali g
62
deviant subcultures and gender, delinquent girls - heidensohn
- the strict social control on girls discourages them from committing criminal ad deviant acts as they experience more social control than boys through their peers groups, family, the role expected of them in the domestic sphere, the fear of going out at night etc
- double deviancy: crime is also seen as going against traditional femininity as crime is associated with masculinity
63
feminisation of crime - klein
girls commit equally violent acts as male gangs
64
feminisation of crime - harding
girls are never leaders, only fixers
65
feminisation of crime - centre's 2021 research
gangs use sexual exploitation to control girls and young women
66
delinquent boys
- explanations of deviant subcultures have mainly been applied to boys
- criminal and deviant behaviour can be seen as an extension of desirable masculine traits such as toughness and physical power
67
delinquent boys - messerschmidt
deviant gangs allow boys to act more masculine, which has to be proved or 'accomplished'
68
delinquent boys - campbell
the abandonment of certain communities, this denies men access to legitimate masculine status through academic success or employment and the breadwinner role
69
delinquent boys - faludi
young males committing criminal behaviour is not 'deviant' but an expression of the qualities we admire in males like 'toughness, bravery, strength'
70
anti-school subcultures: mac an ghaill
- identified a male subculture called the 'macho lads'
- argued they showed extreme forms of macho behaviour and hegemonic masculinity, perhaps as a form of resistance to a perceived threat to masculine identity
- he found evidence that they bullied academic achievers
71
anti-school subcultures: archer and yamashita
- studied boys in London who showed norms and values that were anti school
- they were attached to a bad boy image related to hyper-heterosexuality, and saw reading and academic achievement as 'soft'
72
anti-school subcultures: jackson
- studied 'ladishness' in schools and found evidence of this in both boys and girls
- it was cool to be clever but not work hard
- they would hide the fact they revised from their friends to avoid the appearance of weakness or failure if they did badly
- the ladette culture included swearing, smoking, acting 'hard', and being open and loud about their sex lives - these were working class girls he were under achieving as a result
73
social class and deviant subcultures: jacobson et al
- found multiple disadvantages and complex backgrounds in the majority of their sample, made up of 200 children and young people in custody
- for example, around 3/4 had absent fathers and more than 1/4 witnessed domestic violence
74
ethnicity and deviant subcultures: lea and young
- stats often miss out that most uk crime is interracial, meaning that it takes place within ethnic communities
- racially motivated crime against other ethnic groups is very rare
- they say that once this is understood, explanations for the high rates for black criminality can be found, within black communities
75
deviant youth subcultures: merton and strain theory
- goals (what we aim to do) vs means (what we use to do what we aim to do)
- strain: occurs when you buy into goals
- cannot achieve legitimately (failed school)
76
deviant youth subcultures: merton and strain theory, responses: conformist
- means: yes, goals: yes
- the individual continues to adhere to both goals and means despite their limited likelihood of success
- eg. hardworking, ambitious individual
77
deviant youth subcultures: merton and strain theory, responses: ritualist
- means: yes, goals: no
- the individual uses the means set by society but has lost sight of the goal. merton believed this type of deviance would occur mostly in the lower middle classes. they too fid it hard to reach their goal but have been socialised to retain the norms held by society and thus cannot turn to crime
- eg. someone in a dead end job
78
deviant youth subcultures: merton and strain theory, responses: innovator
- means: no, goals: yes
- the individual accepts the goals by society, however ignores the legitimate means of obtaining this. merton believed the lower classes were most likely to be found here due to the fact they are least likely to be able to achieve their goals. they ave lower educational qualifications and lower paid jobs
- eg. drug dealer, burglar, robber
79
deviant youth subcultures: merton and strain theory, responses: retreatist
- means: no, goals: no
- the individual rejects both goals and means and retreats into their own individual world
- eg. homeless, alcoholic, drug user
80
deviant youth subcultures: merton and strain theory, responses: rebel
- means: no, goals: no
- this individual rejects the means and goals laid out by society however they go make their own
- eg. terroist
81
cohen and status frustration
- the middle class achieve status through educational achievement, then get a 'good' job and ca show their success with material goods
- can achieve status through: vandalism, joyriding, arson
82
cloward and ohlin: subcultural theory
- different subcultures react differently to the members failure to succeed through legitimate means and this reaction depends on their unequal access to illegitimate opportunity structures
- in other words, they fail to achieve success legitimately eg. education, but may not even have the illegitimate means to succeed eg. not knowing how to get involved in crime or anyone who can help them get involved in crime
83
cloward and ohlin: subcultural theory, three different reactions: criminal subculture
in stable working class areas, with a developed criminal culture where status is gained through existing gang membership and crime is committed for financial gain (utilitarian)
84
cloward and ohlin: subcultural theory, three different reactions: conflict subculture
develops in areas with high population turnover where there is no established criminal subculture eg. anti-social behaviour such as vandalism, fighting
85
cloward and ohlin: subcultural theory, three different reactions: retreatist subculture
develops among those who are double failures - they've failed to succeed legitimately and ill so focus on drug abuse and alcoholism
86
strengths and weaknesses: functionalism and deviant youth subcultures
strengths:
- provides explanation as to why young working classes join dys
- explains why this happens in groups
- mix subcultural explanations + structural
- explains what happens if they can't access any illegitimate subculture
weaknesses:
- focus on gender + class only
- assumes all working class boys are criminals
- not all young working class males underachieve
- assumes we have a value consensus
87
marxist perspective on youth subcultures: class resistance
youth deviance emerges as resistance to capitalist exploitation and alienation
88
marxist perspective on youth subcultures: value rejection
working class youths actively reject middle class values imposed by dominant institutions
89
marxist perspective on youth subcultures: collective response
subcultures represent collective solutions to structural inequalities in society
90
neo-marxist perspective on youth subcultures: hegemony and resistance, magical resolution
subcultures attempt to resolve structural contradictions through symbolic means
91
neo-marxist perspective on youth subcultures: hegemony and resistance, style as resistance
hebdige analysed how style communicates resistance to dominant culture
92
neo-marxist perspective on youth subcultures: hegemony and resistance, bricolage
youth create meaning by resembling cultural objectives into new symbolic forms
93
left realist perspective on youth subcultures: relative deprivation
- youth compare themselves to more privileged peers, causing frustration and rebellion
- economic inequality heightens awareness of disadvantage
- media portrayal of consumerism increases desires
- subcultures emerge as response to unfullfilled aspirations
94
left realist perspective on youth subcultures: marginalisation
- working class youths face systematic exclusion from legitimate opportunities
- educational inequalities limit prospects
- labour market discrimination affects youth identity
- subcultures provide alternative status systems
95
left realist perspective on youth subcultures: subculture as solution
- lee and young view deviance as practical adaptation to real social problems
- this provides collective identity and belonging
- creates alternative economies and power structures
- unlike marxists, they emphasize rational choices with constraints
96
new right: individual choice
deviance as personal moral failing, not structural issue
97
new right: family breakdown
weakening of traditional family structure and discipline
98
new right: welfare dependancy
state benefits creating a passive 'underclass'
99
new right: cycle of deviance
problems transmitted intergenerationally without intervention
100
murray's underclass theory and youth deviance
identifies a persistant 'underclass' trapped in cycles of poverty and deviance
101
murray's underclass theory and youth deviance: family breakdown
absent fathers and single parent households create lack of discipline and role models
102
murray's underclass theory and youth deviance: welfare dependancy
state benefits remove incentives for self-improvement and responsible behaviour
103
murray's underclass theory and youth deviance: deviant values
rejection of mainstream norms becomes normalised within underclass communities
104
murray's underclass theory and youth deviance: intergenerational transmission
youth subcultures emerge as expressions of entrenched under class values and behaviours
105
marxism and youth subcultures: strength and weaknesses
- effectively identifies economic factors behind youth rebellion
- connects subcultures to class inequality which there is evidence of
- explains collective resistance
- overlooks individual choice
- deterministic view of youth agency
106
neo-marxism and youth subcultures: strength and weaknesses
- captures symbolic dimensions of youth resistance
- romanticises deviance
- overestimates political consciousness
107
new right and youth subcultures: strength and weaknesse
- highlights individual responsibility and moral dimensions
- addresses family influence
- questions welfare independence
- ignores structural inequalities
- overly judgmental of working class youth
108
interactionists approach to deviance: labelling
- deviance emerges through the application of labels by powerful groups
- the same action may be labelled differently based on who preforms it
109
interactionists approach to deviance: social meanings
behaviour has no inherent meaning - society assigns meanings through complex interactions and negotiations between individuals and social institutions
110
interactionists approach to deviance: negotiated process
deviance represents an ongoing negotiation between those who create rules, those who enforce them and those who are subject to them
111
Becker - labelling theory and moral entrepreneurs: deviance as a label
deviance is argued not a product of the act but a consequence of the application of rules of others
112
Becker - labelling theory and moral entrepreneurs: moral entrepreneurs
powerful groups who create and enforce rules based on their own moral values
113
Becker - labelling theory and moral entrepreneurs: deviant career
the labelled person often internalises the deviant identity, leading to further deviance through self-fulfilling prophecy, creating a deviant career, solidifying the status
114
cicourel: negotiation of justice
- demonstrated in 1976 that juvenile justice operates as a negotiated process, shaped more by social influence than by objective assessments of behaviour
- middle class youth often receive leniency due to their perceived respectfulness ands supportive family backgrounds, whereas working class youths are more frequently judged harshly as trouble makers
- parents cultural capital significantly influences their ability to negotiate with the system, middle class parents tend to advocate effectively, while working class parents are often intimidated by the justice process
115
social class and deviant youth subcultures: decker and van winkle - push and pull factors of gang membership
- push: poverty, social exclusion, family breakdown, school failure
- pull: protection, status, sense of belonging, excitement
- many working class youths experience marginalization and are pushed out of mainstream success.
- gangs offer an alternative route to identity and belonging
116
social class and deviant youth subcultures: young
- the uk is a bulimic society (culturally inclusive, economically exclusive)
- media shows success, but many are locked out
- creates resentment, frustration, 'intensity of exclusion'
- leads to indictive behaviour - humiliation, violence, hyper-masculinity
- when excluded from the rewards of society, some turn to deviant subcultures
117
social class and deviant youth subcultures: harding and street casino
- gangs = street casino
- success depends on street capital (fighting ability, networking, charisma
- rules are rigged: few winners, many loosers
- young men gamble with identity, risk and status
- young people gain power from disadvantaged backgrounds gamble with their lives to gain power, respect and identity in subcultures
118
social class and deviant youth subcultures: white underclass
- impact of deindustrialisation = long term unemployment
- loss of status and identity
- media labels 'chavs' which creates stigma and exclusion
- some respond through deviance and resistance
- structed factors and negative labelling contribute to the emergence of deviant subcultures among the white work working class
119
lacey: pro and anti school subcultures, characteristics
pro: remain committed to values of school, status through academic success
anti: loss of self-esteem, search for alternative ways to gain status eg. being rude, smoking, invert school rules and values
120
brown and anti-school subcultures
- distinct anti-school subcultures dont exist
- 3 responses to education among the working class: 1. getting in: the low achievers who wanted to join manual occupations. getting out: from the higher achievers who wanted to use education to improve their social position. getting on: 'ordinary' working class youths who just get on with it, complied to the rules of the school
121
reasons for subcultures: lacey
- differentiation
- polarisation (students move to opposite poles as a reaction: pro or anti school)
- others point to wanting to protect their self-esteem, getting respect and gaining a status
- they are protected from their fear of failure
122
willis and the lads
- neo-marixt
- studied 12 lads
- knew they were destined for working class jobs (often as a result of generations of male manual labour role models)
- believed they were school failures but turned this round as a good thing
- bullied "earoles", didn't value education
- willis said they were developing coping strategies to deal with boredom
- school prepared them for work, but failed them in education
123
evaluation of willis and the lads
advantages:
- longitudinal
- group interviews and observations, builds rapport
disadvantages:
- just white working class boys
- not representative: only looks at one school
- observer affect and peer pressure
124
responses to willis: macdonald and marsh
supported willis in their findings: young working class people in Teeside still reject academic success, believed teachers didn't care about them, not good to be seen working hard
125
responses to willis: o'donnel and sharpe
- predicted disappearance of the 'cocksure' attitude towards employment prospects that the lads in willis' study showed
- cannot apply willis today (outdated)
- there is no longer an assured role into manual work in the uk today, due to globalisation, as its cheaper to manufacture elsewhere
126
mac an ghail - parnell school
- found there was different responses to school:
- ordinary lads: not academic and indifferent to school
- academic achievers: pro school, worked hard
- the 'macho' lads: formed anti-school subcultures, valued acting tough and saw academic work as effeminate, referred to the academic pupils as 'dickhead achievers'
127
messerschmidt and masculinity
- gangs are the location for 'doing masculinity'
- it has to be proved and accomplished
128
harding and achieving masculinity
- gang membership provides structured path to masculine status
- masculinity factor
- social field determines success at becoming masculine
- if you can't access a male manual job, you turn to other ways to prove your masculinity eg. violence
129
campbell and peer expectations
- young men driven to risk taking through group pressure
- fear of weakness creates spiral of increasingly dangerous action
- state has abandoned certain communities which unleashed extreme masculinity
- criminal behaviour isn't deviant but an expression of qualities that society want in men
130
bourdieu and theory of symbolic violence
- occurs when cultural rules male male-dominance seem normal
- power ideas become part of how people think, hard to notice or reject
- gangs ranking show bigger social power systems
- male gang members often dont realise they are keeping inequality going
131
connells media analysis - media influence on masculinity
- media creates ideal images of masculinity that affect youth identity
- eg. being strong and dominant are goals to reach
- movies praise criminal behaviour linked to masculinity (legend, tangled, fast and furious)
- music videos support gender power ideals
- social media increases pressure to act masculine (Andrew Tate)
132
feminist perspective on masculinity: heidensohn and control theory
- social control: women dont have the opportunity to access these deviant subcultures
- domestic supervision
- home, work, public
- sexual violence and harassment
133
lee, masculinity and peer group dynamic
- peer groups reinforce sexual double standards
- 'slut shaming' acts as a control mechanism
- reputation concern restricts female behaviour
- females also monitor each others conformity (gossiping)
- impact of female participation:
- creates barriers to female involvement
- limits physical access to subcultural spaces
- higher social costs for transgression
- different pathways to expressing rebellion
134
klein and gangs as social groups
- gangs give members identity, safety and money, which make opportunities
- gender roles often follow traditional expectations and strengthen them
135
harding - fixers and social power
- fixers: important members who protect others , connect people and enforce rules
- social power is shared unevenly: men with leadership roles
136
sexual exploitation in gangs
- young women join gangs through relationships and are exploited
- usually have low status roles
137
gender and anti-school subcultures: archer and yamashita
- studied boys in inner city London
- w/c boys trapped between education expectations and neighbourhood masculine norms
- many young men saw education as uncool and irrelevant
- saw their local area as unsafe and felt vulnerable to attack if they strayed from the boundaries
- local 'road culture' provided alternative status system
- status was achieved through street culture and antisocial behaviour
138
gender and anti-school subcultures: Jackson and laddishness
- focused on both male and female 'laddish' behaviour
- 'laddishness' as anxiety: reduction strategy
- it was cool to be clever but not work hard, they would hide revision, effort from their friends
- girls adopting traditionally masculine resistance behaviours eg. smoking, swearing, acting 'hard'
- as a result, they underachieved
