(1) Theory & Subcultures

• What did Parson argue that youth culture provided?

  A period of transition between childhood and adult-hood / family and work.
• Parsons argued that the period of transition youth culture provides increases what?


  social cohesion within society as they are taught the different norms and values they need for adulthood and work
• What theory is Parsons from?

  Functionalism
• What did Eisenstadt argue youth culture provided?


  A safe context for young people to rebel before adulthood
• Eisenstadt argues that youth culture prevents what?

  Anomie. As young people are able to release all their frustrations and stress before settling down and starting adulthood.
• What theory is Eisenstadt from?


  Functionalism
• Which sociologists criticise the functionalist's perspectives?

  • Hall & Jefferson
  • Hockey & James
  • Cloward & Ohlin
• What does Roszak argue about youth subcultures?


  that there is a "generation gap"
• What does the term "generation gap" mean?


  The idea that young people and adults have different norms and values
• Roszak believes that because of the "generation gap" the youth have separate what?


  The youth have separate norms and values. As they are not divided by class, gender or ethnicity
• Roszak argues that the separate norms and values that youth culture provides increases what?

  Social cohesion and equality.
• Roszak is from which theory?

  Functionalism
• What are the three Functionalist Sociologists with views on a homogenous Youth Subculture?

  • Parsons
  • Roszak
  • Eisenstadt
• Hall & Jefferson argue that the functionalist view of youth culture is what?


  They say the perspective is too homogenous as they ignore issues like social class which create youth subcultures
• What is an example of a youth subculture which was created because of social class?

  Punks as they try to resist the bourgeoise and disrupt the social order
• What perspective are Hall and Jefferson?

  Neo-Marxists
• Hockey and James criticise functionalist views on youth culture for?


  assuming all young people share the same norms and values
• Why do Cloward and Ohlin criticise functionalist views on youth culture?


  They believe that youth is not a temporary period of transition. Because of gangs, that train youths to be lifelong members, meaning that they never conform
• Which sociologists have neo-Marxist views on the Youth sub-culture?

  • Hall and Jefferson (hegemonic society)
  • Hebdige (subculture life cycle)
  • Clarke (skinheads)
• Hall and Jefferson believe that young people can form subcultures which resist hegemony why?


  because youth are the least "locked into" the system of capitalism
• Why are the youth the least "locked into" a capitalistic society according to Hall and Jefferson?

  Because young people do not have family or financial responsibilities
• Hall and Jefferson explain that eventually, young people grow out of these subcultures because?

  they need to accept capitalism and have fully released their frustration by adulthood
• As young people can’t articulate their anger for capitalism they form subcultures according to Hall and Jefferson
• Hall and Jefferson found that the ruling class imposes its values on the rest of society which is a form of hegemony
• The term hegemony refers to the domination of one group over another.
• Which three sociologists critic neo marxist views on youth subculture?

  • Eisenstadt (people rebel on minor levels and grow out of it)
  • Cohen (marxists have a research bias fulled by politics)
  • Muggleton (class is no longer signficant)
• Marxists are what type of theorists?

  conflict theorists
• Marxists believe that youth subculture benefits who?


  They believe that these youth subcultures benefit capitalism.
• Why does muggleton critic marxist theories?

  Muggleton argues that class is no longer significant and plays a limited role in how individuals participate in sub-cultures
• Why does Cohen argue that Marxist views are affected by research bias?


  As they have Marxist views and a class consciousness they may interpret the behaviours of punks as more politically motivated than they really were
• Why does Eisendstadt argue that youth rebillions are not related to the bourgeoises and is positive for society?


  people only rebel on minor scales as they are adjusting to the norms and values of adulthood which they then grow out of doing
• Who are 3 sociologists who give feminist views on youth subcultures?

  • McRobbie (private subcultures - teeny boppers)
  • Hey (female peer's norms and values are patriarchal)
  • Lees (boys police girls behaviours)
• McRobbie claimed that most sub-cultural studies are very “malestream” as they only focus on public subcultures
• What private subculture did McRobbie discover and research?

  the bedroom culture
• What is bedroom culture?

  Bedroom culture refers activities that take place within the private space of a bedroom, such as listening to music, experimenting with fashion or gossiping about boys
• What did bedroom culture bring to girls according to McRobbie?


  it gave girls the freedom to participate in their own "teeny bopper" culture
• McRobbie also found contents of magazines like just seventeen surprising because?


  they were promoting different kinds of femininity by emphasising self care, experimentation and self confidence -- clear integration of feminism into youth culture
• What did Hey study about female peer groups?


  she studied the power female peers had over each other within London schools
• What did Hey find after studying the female peer groups?


  Female peer groups encourage “hyper - femininity” and “compulsory heterosexuality”
• Hey claimed that female peer groups held norms and values which were deeply rooted in the patriarchy such as?


  “hyper - femininity” and “compulsory heterosexuality”