G325: Media and Collective Identity

What are the similarities between Youth Cultures?

• Signifying dress code, usually influenced by music
• Formed around 'expression'
• Rebellion from the 'tradional' appearance therefore challenging 'normality'
• Literature involved on the scene, such as fan magazines and forums
• Cultural practices including behaviour and morals (eg. smoking or head banging)
• Conformity of a group - sharing beliefs
• Often have an opinion leader who can change ideas amongst the group etc.

COLLECTIVE IDENTITY - The self that finds solidarity with others who are similar

MEDIATED - How the media portrays the social group and therefore influence their identity

Links to 'WE MEDIA' - Marginalised social groups have often used media as a way of forging their own collective identity

This 'WE MEDIA' can challenge how social groups are represented by the media. This is a form of self representation

It can also be used to describe people who do not have professional qualifications or industry experience in the media

PROSUMERS - A merge of the two words 'producer' and 'consumer'. Prosumers are people who used to only consume media, but now create and distribute it too. this change has been facilitated by the proliferation of technology. 

Summary of Youth Culture

The 'teenager' is a constructed social group. They were in part, made my marketers so that they can sell products and services to them

• They were created by post war capitalism and marketing
• In the 1960s and 1970s, teenagers rebelled against consumerism and being marketed towards by forming a counter-culture
• The Counter-Culture became their own Youth Culture. 
• This trend has been continues by the formation of the user-generated cultures online

'Young people have a wide range of colourful labels such as 'Goths' or 'Skaters', used to make a distinction between behaviours of specific friendship networks'. (Kettley 2007)

'Many of these groups of young people are, however, not associated with patterns of behaviour that persist over time' (Brake 1985: Hodkinson & Deicke 2003)

The 'Bowery Boys'

The Bowery Boys or 'Soaklocks' were one of the first identified teenage groups or 'gangs'. Based in New York, Manhattan in the 19th century, the gang was both Anti-Irish and Anti-Catholic. This therefore, initially exhibited their appearance and behaviour in a negative manner. 

'A high beaver hat, with the nap divided and brushed in opposite directions, the hair on the back of his head clipped close, while in front the temple locks were curled and greased (hence, the well-known term of 'soap-locks' to the wearer of them), a smooth face, a gaudy silk neckcloth, black frockcoat, full pantaloons, turned up at the bottom over heavy boots designed for service in slaughter houses and at fires; and when thus equipped, with his girl hanging on his arm, it would have been very injudicious to offer him any obstruction or to utter an offensive remark.' (Charles Haswell)

The description of a typical b'hoy would suggest:

• That they are not incredibly manly, showing youth
• They have particular arrogant characteristics