Youth Sub-Culture

What is a youth sub-culture?

• A group of individuals who are united through a common value system and tastes (cloths, music, politics etc)
• A group who are also positioned outside of the mainstream, and who unify as a response to the main stream.

Types of youth sub-culture?

• Preps
• Indie
• Emo
• Punk
• Chav
• Skinheads
• Teddy boys
• Plastics

Choose a sub-culture
Identify its ideologies (ideology tends to refer to the way in which people think about the world and their ideal concept of how to live in the world), values and beliefs... you may want to think about how they respond to these topics:

• 'fitting in with group/being individual'
• brand names and fashion
• other subcultures/genres/styles
• previous versions of their style/genre

Chav
Ideal way of living:
make money from drugs
should be respected more than others
all mouth (good at doing the talk but they cant walk the walk)
grey trackies (lonsdale, addidas, nike)
burberry baseball caps/ flat peaks
Boy racers (souped up, low suspension, blacked out windows, big alloys)

What are the values of a sub-culture?

• Conformity and rebellion
• attitude to capitalism and consumerism
• 'Tribal' rivalry between one sub-culture and another
• Traditional or 'neophile' (a person who loves novelty, one who likes trends; person who accepts the future enthusiastically and enjoys changes and evolution)
• Ideology in 1950's and 1960's - peace, rebellion against parents, radicalism - reactions against the post war
• many groups are involved in protest and resistance against the mainstream...
• Teens will often move between subcultures, and older youths mix and match styles/values from a mix of subcultures

Subculture

• In 21st century the 'dominant meaning systems' (that define the mainstream) are crumbling
• "there is no mainstream. There are many streams"
• So if there is no mainstream then there is nothing for teens to react against

1950's Teddies (Ted/Teddy boys)

• Anti- establishment, some of the original juvenile delinquents
• Their uniform - drainpipe trousers, drape Edwardian jackets with velvet collars, string ties or slim-jims and DA (ducks arse) haircuts and sideburns
• They have been a minority in Britain but the effect they had was huge (especially the clothing)
• Music - introduction of Rock n' Roll (Elvis Presley)

1960's Mods

• Mod (originally modernist to describe modern jazz musicians and facs) is a subculture that originated in London in the late 1950's and peaked in the early to mid 1960's.
• Uniform hard to describe as they were prone to continuous revitalisation
• Many people drifted away from the mod scene as bands changed their styles and no longer considered themselves as mods.
• Another factor was that the original mods were getting older and settling into marriage and having children.

1960's Skinheads

• A member of a subculture that originated among the working class youths in the UK in the 1960's
• Named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, greatly influenced by west Indian (specifically Jamaican) rude boys and British mods in terms of fashion, music and lifestyles

Early 1970's Punks

• Emerged from USA, UK and Australia
• Subculture based around punk rock
• Listened to recordings or live concerts of loud, aggressive genre of rock music called punk rock, usually shortened to punk
• Punk-related ideologies mostly concern with individual freedom and anti-establishment views. common punk viewpoints include anti-authoritarianism, not being afraid to speak up.

The cultural revolution

• Before 1950's just after the war people entering increased freedom and affluence

what changed?

• rationing coming to an end
• aspirations of British public (American way of lioving\)
• Increased availability of cheap colour magazines
• a world wide economic boom
• Labour defeated by Conservative - increased individual freedom conservative election slogan promised to 'set the people free'
• Youth given more freedom through the deregulation and commercialisation of society.

America's influence

• To be young in mid 1950s usually meant that you consumed almost anything that had 'made in america'
• Hollywood movies, commercial TV, glossy mags and consumer goods proved an instant hit with British consumers
• to the average Briton it offered a rich and desirable future
• Cultural Imperialism - cultural imperialism is the practise of promoting, distinguishing, separating, or artificially injecting the culture of one society into anther (America influence on British post-war/America injecting there lifestyles into Britons)
•  Increase production and availability of consumer goods stimulated mass consumption
• televisions fridges, music systems and cars are a basic requirement. Before war were luxury items only privileged sections of society
• Car ownership rose by 250% between 1951-1961, average weekly earnings rose by 34%, while cost of most technology consumer items fell. 1950's people had more money to spend on goods.

Rebel with a cause
The wild one

Moral PanicIn the early-mid 1960s two conflicting groups of British youths sparked the first case of major nationwide moral panic with their fighting. The first group were termed “rockers”, usually rural, manual workers who wore clothes such as black leather jackets and rode big motorcycles in gangs. The other group, known as “mods”, were mostly city dwellers who wore suits and rode scooters, and who saw rockers as “out of touch”. Conflict usually took place over disputes like the overlapping of territories.


'Quadrophenia'
(Franc Roddam, 1979) 
Film Poster Analysis

Youth in this poster is represented through their body language. They are leaning against a fence suggesting that their general attitude to things is that they don’t care and suggesting some divide between this gang and the rest of the world. There are more men in the photo implying that they have control over the women and are most likely attracted to them but also as the women are stood in the between the men it implies the men are protecting them from different gangs.

The characters are dressed in long jackets or suites which could suggest different social groups, however this is rare considering they are one gang. Or the suited men could be those who have more power within their gang.

The reds and blues used represent to union jack and imply they are representing England. The tagline ‘A Way of Life’ is written in what looks like graffiti style suggesting the gangs rebellious side.

'This Is England' Film Poster Analysis

Similarly to 'QUadrophenia' the gang are stood against a fence with block buildings behind them suggesting a seperation between this gang and the rest of england. The union jack colours (red, white and blue) suggest this gang is trying to represent England and have some kind of new identity for it. They gang are stood in a long line suggesting that they are similar and are part of a group.

The tagline 'Summer 1983. A time to stand out from the crowd' This suggests that this subgenre is new and that they are trying to create a new identity and create their own 'crowd' away from the norm.

The Mods Character Profile


Mods (modernist) originated in London in late 1950's and peaked in 1960's.
The youths of the early 1960s were one of the first generations that did not have to contribute their money from after-school jobs to the family finances. As mod teens and young adults began using their disposable income to buy stylish clothes.


Recognised by: The Mod boys- a style that is neat, clean, and simple and boyish look for his girlfriend tailor made suits, scooters (treated as a fashion accessory), often wore makeup and carried handbags. The Mod girls as well so even if they do not have to have a scooter. Mod girls wore dress with a slightly masculine lines and cut their hair short. girls didnt look as sex objects, they were just "part of the gang" with their boyfriend.
Music they listened to: British beat music (a fusion of rock and roll, doo-wop, skiffle, R&B and soul), R&B. They liked to go clubbing all night with their girlfriend and show off their new dance  moves. band names : the who, the mods


Pete Meaden, member of the band 'The Who' said: 'Modism, Mod living, is an aphorism for clean living under difficult circumstances'

Theories

Theorist	Year	Concepts	Your explanation
Giroux	1997	Youth as empty category	Giroux believes that youths are an ‘empty category’ because youths want to become more like adults and have their freedom but media representations of youths are created by adults. Therefore the representation of youths reflects the concerns, anxiety, and needs of adults. The representation does not reflect the reality of youth identity. This is seen in ‘Eden Lake’, ‘Harry Brown’ and ‘Attack the Block’ where a number of scenes are showing the anxiety of the adults and the violence of the youths.
Acland	1995	Ideology of protection; deviant youth and reproduction of social order	There are bad youths and good youths, good youths are being protected by the bad youths.
Gramsci	1971 (1929-1935)	Cultural hegemony	Gramsci believes that our diverse culture can be ruled or dominated by one group or class. Films that show youths in a negative way are there to try and make youths see what is right and what is wrong. Youths in Harry Brown Eden Lake and Attack the Block are all seen to dominate over any other class or group of people; however Harry Brown is the anti-hero and manages to gain control in a ruthless way.
Cohen	1972	Moral panic	Cohen believes a moral panic is kind of attitude or reaction of the society towards certain social groups or sub-cultures, which is based on ideas and beliefs that the given groups are very dangerous to the society. Therefore, such groups are perceived as the major threat to the culture and social values, health and well-being of the people. In Harry Brown, Eden Lake and Attack youths are shown as a big threat to society.
McRobbie	2004	Symbolic Violence	McRobbie suggests that British TV contains representations that emphasis middle class dominance and show working class in a very negative way, this is called ‘symbolic violence’ (against working class) like in ‘Eden Lake’, ‘Harry Brown’ and ‘Attack the Block’.
Gerbner	1986	Cultivation Theory	Gerbner studied the effect of television on people’s perception of crime. He found that people who watched lots of television tended to over estimate the levels of crime, he called this ‘mean world syndrome’. News reports, TV dramas, films contain lots of crime which has influenced people’s perceptions of the world (youths), this is called ‘cultivation theory’. ‘Eden Lake’, ‘Harry Brown’ and ‘Attack the Block’ all have negative perceptions of youths and the amount of crime that actually goes on is exaggerated this could be because of ‘mean world syndrome’.

Section B: Media and Collective Identity Guided Questions

 'Harry Brown' (2009)
Director: Daniel Barber

How does 'Harry Brown' Represent Young People?

The opening sequence of 'Harry Brown' represents youths in an extremely negative way, firstly through the use of drugs, guns, gangs, peer pressure and then by ruthless murdering. The use of a handicam convinces the audience that this is a real situation and builds up a picture of youths being this careless in a convincing and believable way because the handicam is used by the actors and therefore shows all the bumps when they are riding their bike which makes the audience think this film is not staged and therefore that it is a true and realistic situation. The pace of the scene is very quick which connotes the rational decisions of the youths. The hoodies are a stereotypical icon of British youths and has connotations of antisocial behaviour and crime.


Guardian (November,2009)
http://henleycollegemediablog.blogspot.com/

How it suggests young people are represented:

• They are being compared with zombies/vampires in horror films. Non fiction vs. Fiction
• They're misunderstood
• "me, me, me society" - selfishly motivated
• lower class/ under class - environment - lack of parenting/education and the space they are living in flats like prison cells their family are living in.
• Primitive
• iconic figure of a hoodie

'Eden Lake' (2008)
Director: James Watkins

How are Jenny and Steve (the main couple) represented?

Jenny and Steve are represented as a couple that are going on a romantic relaxing holiday. They drive in a four by four which would suggest they are in the middle or upper social class this is made clear when the camera has a close up on their gadgets within the car, a satnav and when the youths are spotted driving their car with Steve's sunglasses on which would suggest their class through the quality of them.

The satnav tells them to turn around as soon as possible but they carry on going which suggests they are adventurous and want to have fun and perhaps regain their youth.

How is this contrasted with the representation of the other characters?

Firstly the other characters are more disrespectful as they play their music loud around the lake and oppose the environment whereas the couple are sat peacefully respecting the environment they are in. The youths are less well spoken than the couple which would imply they are less educated and therefore perhaps more inclined to cause trouble.

How important is the issue of social class?



How are young people represented?


Horror and the Representation of Youth

Film Theorist Robin Wood argues that the basic formula of the horror film is 'normality is threatened by the monster. I use "normality" here... to mean simply "comformity to the dominant social norms"'.

(another term for normality - everyday life)

What is the significance of the emergence of a cycle of British films in which the 'monster' is young people?

The significance of using young people as the 'monster' in British horror films is that it uses real life people who everybody has met/spoken to/knows which makes the feel of the film much more horrific because the audience can relate to these characters rather than having a monster which people cannot relate to because they are fantasy like compared to youths.

The expansion of media has caused the fear of youths to increase, it has created a moral panic. The media want to create a divide between youths and the rest of society.                                                                                                                                                                       

How do they threaten normality?

Horror films with youths used as the evil threatens normality because because they are using a much more realistic scenario compared to other horror films. Most horror films use the mystery of the unkown to scare there audience whereas 'Harry Brown' uses real life youths who a lot of people see as threats purely because they are unknown because adults forget what its like to be young and because the media portrays them in such a negative way.

They threaten, use violence, use drugs, intimidate.


'Attack The Block' (2011(
Director: Joe Cornish

How are the main characters introduced to you?

Representation of British youth at the start is that they are fearless, low key lighting (dark lots of shadows, low angle shots) positions audience to be threatened which reflects society. Filmed at night time when people are most scared. They use colloquial language to suit their stereotypical views. The mise en scene- baseball bats, hoodies, tracksuits are iconic to British youth culture the association and connotations of the baseball bat now connotes weapons rather than sports.

This film develops a more sympathetic representation of youths they are making a big statement and comparing youths and real life monsters, they are trying to make the audience realise that youths are not really 'monsters' they aren't that bad. This film for representing youths contrasts the representation of youths and other hoodie horror films.

Try to find reviews on 'Harry Brown' which reflect different perspectives, e.g. from conservative newspapers like the Daily, Mail, or the telegraph, and liberal newspapers like The Guardian, and The Independant.