Introduction to Youth Subcultures

• Who said that in complex Western societies like the UK, the life-course is as follows:

  1. Childhood
  2. Youth
  3. Young adulthood
  4. Middle age
  5. Old age

  Bradley
• The sociological approach to youth suggests that it is what?

  Youth is socially constructed
• What is culture?

  Things shared by a group, making it distinct - values, language, faith etc.
• What is youth culture?

  The distinct particular way of life that young people have, characterised by norms relating to music, fashion + interests.
• What 3 features did Abercrombie et al. say that youth has?


  1. Leisure
  2. Style
  3. Peer group
• What is the 4th feature added by sociologists' to Abercrombie's original 3?


  4. Consumption
• According to Stanley ____, youth is a period of '_____ and _____'.

  Stanley Hall, 'Sturm and Drang'
• Pearson (1983) said that youth nowadays falls into 2 categories: what are they?


  1. Youth = period for excitement + experimentation
  2. Youth = period of trouble + deviance
• What are some factors leading to the emergence of youth as an age group? (HINT: 1950s)

  1. Increased birth rate
  2. Mass media developed
  3. Globalisation/Americanisation
• Define 'youth subcultures':

  Distinct groups of young ppl within society w/ their own values, fashion etc.
• What were Spectacular Youth Subcultures?

  Highly visible + successful youth subcultures that emerged in 1950's-1970's.
• What are some examples of SYS?

  Teddy boys

  Mods

  Punks

  Skinheads
• Who studied SYSs?

  Neo-Marxists at Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies, Birmingham