por The youth cultures They refer to the different norms, values and practices that are usually shared between boys, girls, adolescents and young adults. It is also related to the interests, tastes, beliefs and the ways in which these groups express themselves.
These cultural groups are more characteristic of modern societies and may have originated from industrialization. However, the evidence of this subculture becomes noticeable at the end of World War II due to the great economic changes and technological development that followed this time.
The recovery process generated a new activation of the industry and new employment opportunities that were filled by youth sectors of society. From this moment, a new consumer public emerged and many products were intended to meet the needs of young people.
A large part of fashion, music, literature and other cultural expressions began to be designed for the adolescent and young adult sector, mainly in the United States.
Youth cultural groups have lifestyles that are reflected through social experiences and that are differentiated from the way in which adult groups live.
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Characteristics of youth cultures
-They are cultural groups made up of the youth sectors of society, boys, girls, adolescents and young adults.
-They have a particular lifestyle and differentiated from adult groups.
-The characteristics of youth cultures can be seen through different perspectives. One of them has to do with social conditions, which speak of generation, social class, ethnicity, nationality, and more; On the other hand, there is the ideology or cultural images that are reflected in the music, fashion, trends and activities with which the youth groups identify.
-It does not have a precise age range since this varies depending on the social context, that is, the area, country, continent or territory in which youth cultures are studied.
-Youth cultures are in turn made up of smaller and more varied groups. These manifest the specific interests, tastes and behaviors of smaller youth groups who can equally relate to and locate themselves within youth cultures in general.
-They generate different behavior in various areas of society, such as the economy. The market, the goods and services dedicated to the youth audience are different from those that are made for an adult audience.
Types of youth cultures
The concept of youth cultures has evolved over time and can be seen reflected in different forms of social groups:
neotribalism
He supports the tribal way of life and opposes mass society. The term was coined in 1985 by the French sociologist Michel Maffesoli, who made reference to groups formed in urban contexts that had an informal mode of cultural expression linked to the emotional.
Some sports that bring together a lifestyle such as «parkour» may be within the category of neo-tribes.
cybercultures
They are those that are generated from technological resources such as computers, the Internet, communication networks and entertainment sites. They have to do with the emergence of virtual communities such as online video games, social networks, augmented reality and more.
Subculture
It refers to a smaller group of people who share a culture within a dominant culture. In this case, youth cultures are the dominant culture that encompasses all the subcultures that can be generated in the youth sectors of society.
counterculture
They are known to be groups of people who share ideals, values and principles opposite to those of the society in which they find themselves.
microculture
They are subgroups with a distinctive language, specific values, and rules. It forms in small groups and communities.
Examples of youth cultures
Throughout the last decades and after the Second World War, various cultural movements and subcultures have emerged that have had a great influence within the youth sector of society worldwide.
emo subculture
It was born through a musical style of punk rock known as emocore either emotional hardcorefrom the time of the 80s. The groups that are fans of this musical current began to group people who identified with the emotional content of the lyrics within this genre.
Most of the music content emocore it had to do with emotional burdens, depression, social and political problems, family conflicts and more. However, the characteristics of this subculture were not only reflected in a musical style but also became a form of expression through clothing, accessories and hairstyles.
The members of this subculture were called «emos» and used to wear dark colors, mostly black, tight pants, shirts with band names, studded belts and accessories, metal necklaces, chains, and hairstyles with bangs, apart from the preference for straight black hair.
hippy culture
It is a counterculture established during the 1960s and 1970s. It originated in the United States, specifically within university campuses.
Part of the rise of this cultural group was generated as an opposed response to the participatory role of the United States in the Vietnam War.
However, not all of them actually played an active and direct role in politics. Regarding this issue, the “yippies” (Youth International Party) were the true political activists most closely related to the hippie culture.
Most of the members of this counterculture identified with the middle class of society and opposed the constant repression and materialism that could be present in it.
Thus, they developed a different lifestyle, they chose to live in communities, with cooperative models of coexistence, being also frequent vegetarianism and the consumption of unprocessed foods. Many decided to quit their jobs and careers.
The hippie culture was even reflected in the ways of dressing. They had a preference for long hair, both men and women, they wore clothes of psychedelic colors and quite baggy. Long dresses, sandals, beaded necklaces, round glasses and baggy pants.
teds
It was a subculture of the 1950s, originating within British society. It was made up of mostly young men, whose outfits were inspired by the artists of the growing «rock and roll» musical style of the time.
They had a reputation for being violent and troublesome, apart from that, they used to confront authority figures. They used to wear jackets, vests and ties. Some of the most popular hairstyles were the “quiff”.
References
Youth Culture. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org
Microculture. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org
Internet culture. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org
emo. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019). Hippie. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Recovered from britannica.com
Gonzalez K. What is the Emo Subculture?. Retrieved from study.com
Neo-tribes. Oxford References. Retrieved from oxfordreference.com
Feixa C, Nofre J. Youth cultures. Retrieved from sagepub.net
(2019). Youth Culture. Sociology: General Terms and Concepts Retrieved from encyclopedia.com
Bennett A. Youth Cultures, Transitions, and Generations. ‘Speaking of Youth Culture’: A Critical Analysis of Contemporary Youth Cultural Practice. pp 42-55. Retrieved from link.springer.com
HemingwayW (2011). The 10 best British youth cultures. Recovered from theguardian.com