History of Spectacular Youth cultures Task sheet 2
Approximate time line of cultures and characteristics
Appear
Classification of styles
Identifying features
Pre-War
Various
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1950s 1960s
Teddy Boys
Alcohol, Edwardian clothes, rock and roll
Beat generation
Cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana
Rockers
Motorbikes, leather, alcohol, rock’n’roll
Mods
Amphetamine, scooters, mohair suits and
parkas, soul music,
Hippies
Progressive rock, cannabis and LSD, peasant
styles and Asian style, long hair
Skinheads
Short tight jeans, shaved heads, racism, Doc
Martens boots, ska music
Rasta
Cannabis, reggae, dreadlocks, religious
affiliation to Jamaica, respect for body (foods)
New Romantic/New Wave
Amphetamines, androgyny, historical fantasy
dress and cosmetics, glam rock
Punk
Anarchists, spiky hair, ripped clothes, glue-sniff,
piercings, punk music, bondage clothes
Hip- Hop
Baggy pants, designer clothes, rap, trainers,
cannabis, cocaine, black culture
Grunge
Heavy rock, ripped and dirty clothing, heroin
Rave (Dance culture)
Clubbing, ecstasy and designer drugs, cocaine,
garage, Bhangra, remix , comfortable shoes,
light sticks, baggy pants, loud colour
Goths
Piercings, black, death metal, androgyny
Chavs/townies
Cannabis, alcohol, sports clothes, Hip hop,
R’n’B, heavy jewellery
Emo
Cannabis, sexual blurring, emotional rock, dyed
black hair, thick glasses, anorexic thinness,
1960-70s
1980s
1990s
2000 -
“While many young people are relatively conforming, some youth cultures or tribes promote
non-conformity. For example, Goths or punks choose to dress and possibly act in a nonmainstream fashion. Non-conformist youth cultures may involve expressions of disapproval
and dissatisfaction with the prevailing or dominant culture.”
http://www.makingthemodernworld.org.uk/learning_modules/psychology/02.TU.04/?section=4
Ideas for you to think about
1. Why do people join youth cultures?
2. How do female youth cultures differ from male cultures?
3. Why do many male youth cultures prize masculinity so strongly?
4. Is it true that youth cultures are dying out and being replaced by tribes?
5. Is youth a social construction?
6. How do young people gain a sense of identity from membership of a youth
culture?
7. How do ethnic minority youth cultures differ from mainstream youth cultures?
8. Why do anti-school youth cultures develop?
9. Do sociologists spend too much time looking at anti-social and spectacular youth
cultures and ignore conforming youth cultures?
10. Why is membership of a peer group important to people?
11. Is youth culture being replaced by a sense of style?
12. What are the historical reasons for youth cultures?
13. Why do gangs develop?
14. Why do working class young people tend to form criminal subcultures?
15. Why are youth cultures associated with deviance?
16. Do the media create youth cultures?
17. What is the relationship between youth cultures and the media?
18. Are youth cultures just another way of selling clothes and music to young people?
19. In what way is youth culture different from the normal culture of adults?
20. How important is youth culture to young people?
21. Are youth cultures just a reaction to consumer society?
22. Can youth crime be described as a result of youth cultures?