• Contact
  • About
DONATE
NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
  • Login
North East Bylines
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Brexit
    • Education
    • Environment
    • European News
    • Health
    • Politics
    • Science
    • UK News
    • World News
    man looking anxious

    Never assume: honesty and mental health

    Flood in York in 2022. Climate change brings about more floods and not just heatwaves and wildfires

    The Tories’ climate change policy does not add up

    A sign with the "not equal" symbol is held in a crowd

    Inequality and development: from global to local

    South Tyneside's only black electric taxi

    A sustainable policy for Tyneside taxis

    Ben Houchen by Scott Hunter

    Alleged National Audit Office review of Teesworks

    Child poverty protestor

    Child poverty: enough is enough

    Boys with kite in Kabul

    One year since the fall of Afghanistan

    North East for Europe at an earlier London march

    The North East in London for National Rejoin March

    Tyne Bridge

    Newcastle shortlisted for Eurovision 2023

    Trending Tags

    • Ukraine
  • Culture
    • All
    • Animation
    • Books
    • Illustrations & More
    • Music
    • Performance
    • Poetry
    • Social Media
    • Theatre
    • TV & Radio
    The Rock Showman

    Hardwick Festival is down with the kids

    Witty Look

    All aboard the festival bus for Hardwick this weekend

    Boys with kite in Kabul

    One year since the fall of Afghanistan

    Eurovision sign

    The North East could host Eurovision in 2023

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Fashion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    Master Chef of Great Britain

    Master Chef of Great Britain at Lumley

    Prezzo

    Discovering the new summer menu at Prezzo

    Chef and son

    MasterChef’s’ Posh Street Food chef’s own summer of entertainment

    Scottish highlands

    The beauty of the Scottish Highlands

    Kleo Tabuku

    Top chef to open Newcastle restaurant, Lovage

    Pop up park

    Pop up to the park in Sunderland

    The Blackbird Inn, Ponteland

    The Blackbird Inn flies high with its new summer menu

    gymnast

    Culture of fear in British gymnastics uncovered by the Whyte Review

    Kennedy and Rhind

    Kennedy and Rhind: more time to enjoy a North East favourite

    Trending Tags

    • Business
      • All
      • Economy
      • Rural
      • Technology
      • Trade
      • Voluntary Sector
      Liz Truss

      Tory leadership election: Liz Truss should look at how economies work

      Ben Houchen by Scott Hunter

      Alleged National Audit Office review of Teesworks

      Fishing protest

      Dead crustaceans on North East coast: the next chapter

      Scottish highlands

      The beauty of the Scottish Highlands

      loo

      A room with a loo

      Newcastle quayside

      Newcastle named as one of the best cities for graduates

      Brexit economics

      New research shows the economic effect of Brexit

      Wetherspoons pub

      Wetherspoons sparkle: has it gone flat?

      Leon Fussell rehearsing

      Unsung Heroes at Queen’s Hall, Hexham

      Trending Tags

      • Region
        • All
        • Co. Durham
        • North East
        • Northumberland
        • Teesside
        • Tyneside
        • Wearside
        Fire in Gosforth

        Firefighters praised for life-saving response to Gosforth arson attack

        A sign with the "not equal" symbol is held in a crowd

        Inequality and development: from global to local

        South Tyneside's only black electric taxi

        A sustainable policy for Tyneside taxis

        Ben Houchen by Scott Hunter

        Alleged National Audit Office review of Teesworks

        Child poverty protestor

        Child poverty: enough is enough

        Tyne Bridge

        Newcastle shortlisted for Eurovision 2023

        Wildfire at Witherwack

        “Busier than Bonfire Night” as wildfire rages for over 20 hours

        Fishing protest

        Dead crustaceans on North East coast: the next chapter

        NUFC foodbank

        Howay the lads and lasses: the new football foodbank season ‘22/23

        Trending Tags

        • Opinion
          Titanic coming out of Southampton

          The 110th anniversary of the Titanic’s departure

          There is an England

          There is an England

          Prime Minister Boris Johnson signs the Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union"

          The parody of disinformation: Boris Johnson on Ukraine and Brexit

          Boris Johnson’s comments on Ukraine and Brexit are an insult

          TV Agency staff jumping in the air

          The TV Agency celebrates 10th anniversary with global success

          North East of County Dublin

          North East of England and North East of County Dublin: Compare and contrast

          North Sea oil rig

          Copping out of COP: Ukraine, fossil fuels and nuclear fusion

          Placard with Boris Johnson as a clown

          Dictators, media and mobility: erosion of identity, sustenance and safety

          close up on a child's eye

          Racism and misogyny where there should have been safeguarding and security

        AUDIO
        No Result
        View All Result
        • Home
        • News
          • All
          • Brexit
          • Education
          • Environment
          • European News
          • Health
          • Politics
          • Science
          • UK News
          • World News
          man looking anxious

          Never assume: honesty and mental health

          Flood in York in 2022. Climate change brings about more floods and not just heatwaves and wildfires

          The Tories’ climate change policy does not add up

          A sign with the "not equal" symbol is held in a crowd

          Inequality and development: from global to local

          South Tyneside's only black electric taxi

          A sustainable policy for Tyneside taxis

          Ben Houchen by Scott Hunter

          Alleged National Audit Office review of Teesworks

          Child poverty protestor

          Child poverty: enough is enough

          Boys with kite in Kabul

          One year since the fall of Afghanistan

          North East for Europe at an earlier London march

          The North East in London for National Rejoin March

          Tyne Bridge

          Newcastle shortlisted for Eurovision 2023

          Trending Tags

          • Ukraine
        • Culture
          • All
          • Animation
          • Books
          • Illustrations & More
          • Music
          • Performance
          • Poetry
          • Social Media
          • Theatre
          • TV & Radio
          The Rock Showman

          Hardwick Festival is down with the kids

          Witty Look

          All aboard the festival bus for Hardwick this weekend

          Boys with kite in Kabul

          One year since the fall of Afghanistan

          Eurovision sign

          The North East could host Eurovision in 2023

        • Lifestyle
          • All
          • Fashion
          • Food & Drink
          • Health & Fitness
          Master Chef of Great Britain

          Master Chef of Great Britain at Lumley

          Prezzo

          Discovering the new summer menu at Prezzo

          Chef and son

          MasterChef’s’ Posh Street Food chef’s own summer of entertainment

          Scottish highlands

          The beauty of the Scottish Highlands

          Kleo Tabuku

          Top chef to open Newcastle restaurant, Lovage

          Pop up park

          Pop up to the park in Sunderland

          The Blackbird Inn, Ponteland

          The Blackbird Inn flies high with its new summer menu

          gymnast

          Culture of fear in British gymnastics uncovered by the Whyte Review

          Kennedy and Rhind

          Kennedy and Rhind: more time to enjoy a North East favourite

          Trending Tags

          • Business
            • All
            • Economy
            • Rural
            • Technology
            • Trade
            • Voluntary Sector
            Liz Truss

            Tory leadership election: Liz Truss should look at how economies work

            Ben Houchen by Scott Hunter

            Alleged National Audit Office review of Teesworks

            Fishing protest

            Dead crustaceans on North East coast: the next chapter

            Scottish highlands

            The beauty of the Scottish Highlands

            loo

            A room with a loo

            Newcastle quayside

            Newcastle named as one of the best cities for graduates

            Brexit economics

            New research shows the economic effect of Brexit

            Wetherspoons pub

            Wetherspoons sparkle: has it gone flat?

            Leon Fussell rehearsing

            Unsung Heroes at Queen’s Hall, Hexham

            Trending Tags

            • Region
              • All
              • Co. Durham
              • North East
              • Northumberland
              • Teesside
              • Tyneside
              • Wearside
              Fire in Gosforth

              Firefighters praised for life-saving response to Gosforth arson attack

              A sign with the "not equal" symbol is held in a crowd

              Inequality and development: from global to local

              South Tyneside's only black electric taxi

              A sustainable policy for Tyneside taxis

              Ben Houchen by Scott Hunter

              Alleged National Audit Office review of Teesworks

              Child poverty protestor

              Child poverty: enough is enough

              Tyne Bridge

              Newcastle shortlisted for Eurovision 2023

              Wildfire at Witherwack

              “Busier than Bonfire Night” as wildfire rages for over 20 hours

              Fishing protest

              Dead crustaceans on North East coast: the next chapter

              NUFC foodbank

              Howay the lads and lasses: the new football foodbank season ‘22/23

              Trending Tags

              • Opinion
                Titanic coming out of Southampton

                The 110th anniversary of the Titanic’s departure

                There is an England

                There is an England

                Prime Minister Boris Johnson signs the Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union"

                The parody of disinformation: Boris Johnson on Ukraine and Brexit

                Boris Johnson’s comments on Ukraine and Brexit are an insult

                TV Agency staff jumping in the air

                The TV Agency celebrates 10th anniversary with global success

                North East of County Dublin

                North East of England and North East of County Dublin: Compare and contrast

                North Sea oil rig

                Copping out of COP: Ukraine, fossil fuels and nuclear fusion

                Placard with Boris Johnson as a clown

                Dictators, media and mobility: erosion of identity, sustenance and safety

                close up on a child's eye

                Racism and misogyny where there should have been safeguarding and security

              No Result
              View All Result
              North East Bylines
              No Result
              View All Result
              Home Culture Performance

              A potted history of youth culture

              A look at youth culture by Stephen Lambert, sociologist

              Stephen LambertbyStephen Lambert
              23-02-2021 07:00
              in Performance, Region, Social Media, TV & Radio, Tyneside, UK, UK News
              young people

              Photo by Elevate from unsplash

              Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
              ADVERTISEMENT

              The term ‘youth culture’ or ‘teenage culture’ was first coined in the 1950s in America and exported to the UK in 1959. Many writers at the time believed rightly or wrongly that a ‘society within a society’ was evolving and posed a threat to mainstream values and norms. In other words a ‘generation gap’ had opened up.

              The notion of a Youth Culture or sub-culture suggested those aged 14 to 25 were being socialised into and committed to a special set of values, attitudes and behaviour patterns separate from those of adult society. The market researcher, Mark Abrams, suggested that this phenomenon was a product of affluence and rising standards. More teenagers had more cash to spend and were no longer restricted by strict parental controls. A new commercial industry revolving around clothes, music and milk bars was emerging to meet the demands and aspirations of young people. It appealed to all social classes.

              As the sociologist Berger noted in 1959 ”youth culture cuts across class lines. It creates symbols and patterns of behaviour that are capable of giving status upon individuals coming from quite different backgrounds”, whereas other writers noted that adolescence was a period and preparation for adulthood. Personal problems were commonplace, arguably still are (witness the growth of mental health issues among the young). Furthermore, compulsory National Service for 17 to 21-year olds ended in 1963, releasing young people from the constraints of military life.

              ‘Group rebellion’ against adult society was predictable amongst the young noted the US social analysis, Eisenstadt. Put simply, youth culture was best understood as being a reaction to being young. In North America, teenage culture was reflected in popular culture such as novels, films such as Rebel Without a Cause and rock & roll by Bill Haley and the Comets and Elvis which appealed to millions of boys and girls.

              But it wasn’t till the mid-fifties that ‘Teddy-Boys’ appeared on British social and cultural landscape to the alarm of the Establishment characterised by their drainpipe trousers, Edward VII long coats and slicked back hair tarnished with ‘Brylcreem’. Many Teds gained the reputation of being tough by tearing up cinema seats with flick knives and beating up West Indians in music halls. 

              By the 1960s Mods and Rockers emerged mostly from working-class backgrounds and were nicely captured in the classic 1979 film Quadraphenia. The Mods with their handmade Italian suits and green parkas took R &B and soul to their ‘purple hearts’ and sped to all-night clubs on Lambrettas or Vespa scooters. Rockers clad in heavy leather and chains had beefier motor bikes and were hostile to the comparatively effete mods. Street battles took place on the beaches of Clacton, Brighton and Margate and triggered national popular press hysteria generating a ‘moral panic’. Yet according to the sociologist Stan Cohen in his book, ‘ Folk Devils and Moral Panics’, the violence was greatly over-exaggerated.

              During the 1970s some parents were getting concerned about ‘hippies’ allegedly morally corrupting their daughters with a reliance on ‘dope’ and free love. In Newcastle the spot for hanging out was the old, now demolished Handyside Arcade marked by specialist record and clothes shops like ‘Fynde’ punctuated by the distinct aroma of patchouli oil and marijuana resin.

              You can watch a 1967 film of a ‘love-in’ at Handyside Arcade here. (5 minutes)

              In the working-class neighbourhood of inner-city Scotswood, Newcastle, the emergence of skinheads caused fear with their menacing image of cropped hair, Doc Martin boots, black crombies and rolled up denim jeans: some of whom were racist belonging to the neo-fascist National Front and British Movement. As the sociologist Phil Cohen notes skinhead culture re-appeared in some inner-city neighbourhoods later on in the decade partly as a response to the demise of traditional industry, community change and immigration.

              ‘Punks’ took the mainstream by surprise in 1976 with their colourful spikey hair, pieced noses and commitment to groups such as the Sex Pistols, the Clash and the Damned, and confirmed conventional society’s fears of degeneracy and anarchy amongst some sections of Britain’s youth. By 1981 Punk rock gave way to the ‘New Wave’ and ‘New Romantic movement’ with bands such as Blondie, New Order, Duran Duran, Visage and Soft Cell, whilst in the recession hit Midlands cities of Birmingham and Coventry ‘Two-Tone Ska ‘ groups like Selector and The Specials gained ascendancy as a response to urban decay and soaring youth unemployment.

              The development of these youth cultures didn’t escape the attention of academia. Radical, left-wing sociologists such as Stuart Hall and Tony Jefferson in their book ‘Resistance Through Ritual’, rejected the old sociological construct of a classless youth culture. Real youth culture, they argued, with its own style and music, was a working class symbolic protest against dominant business class power in post-war capitalist society.

              Yet style commentators like Peter York dismissed this view as being naive. Vandalising community bus shelters and assaulting minority ethnic groups hardly fitted in with their theory that youth culture was a shared response to their social position as the underdog in UK society.

              Since the late 1990s we’ve seen a multiplicity of conflicting groups and styles ranging from young people involved in acid house parties with its repetitive beat and new drugs such as blues and ecstasy to Goths dressed in black and white makeup and into art drawn predominantly from middle-class backgrounds. Recently ‘Rap’, ‘Emos’ ‘Skaters and the much maligned ‘Chavs’ as noted by Owen Jones have appeared on the social scene.

              But we mustn’t get carried away with all these accounts of youth tribes. Most post-war youth culture revolved around music, language, clothes, fashion, dance and soft drugs. As the writer Dick Hebdige noted it’s best understood as being about style. Some have argued that the vast majority of working-class youngsters from the sixties onwards were unaffected by youth tribes or teenage culture. The idea thar there exists a ‘generation gap’ has been challenged by others. It’s misleading to see Britain’s youth as being rebellious or revolutionary. For sociologist, Philip Brown, many youngsters hung out at youth clubs or spent a boring day at the seaside with their mums and dads.

              By the later decades of the twentieth century the focus moved away from youth culture to the issues facing young people, especially jobs. Till the 1970s, vocational training – training for work – was seen as the responsibility of large employers who in the main provided quality five-year apprenticeships with day release at the local ‘Tech’. Employers working in partnership with FE colleges taught the new recruits the skills needed in the workplace. By 1979 this view began to change with the sharp rise in youth unemployment. Schools, the CBI, argued were failing to provide numerate and literate youngsters. This way of thinking led to what became known as the ‘new vocationalism’ – direct state intervention in youth training.

              Conservative administrations brought in a range of training schemes for 16-year old school leavers. For instance, the Youth Opportunities Programme (YOP) started in 1979, was a one-year work-based scheme for 16 to 18-year olds. It was replaced by Youth Training in 1983 and rebranded in 1990. Alongside this came NVQs designed for a range of specific occupations.

              Yet several post-war training programmes were criticised by educationists. Phil Cohen in ‘Schooling for the Dole’ noted that many trainees spent a lot of the time ‘running errands’ and ‘being useful’. For Cohen few received any real job-related training or skills. Most were a source of cheap labour some unscrupulous small employers. Dan Finn in ‘Training Without Jobs’ argued that youth unemployment was due to a lack of jobs, not lack of skills!

              Young adults today, dubbed ‘Millennials’, share the same values, beliefs and norms as their parents. In the 1983 general election 75% of 18-24-year olds voted. And a staggering four out of ten voted Conservative with Labour coming a distant second. Labour did well amongst the young in both the 2017 and 2019 elections with the housing crisis, job insecurity, grants and soaring university fees the key issues. But contrary to popular belief there was no youth surge in electoral turn-out nor a ‘youthquake’. Five out of ten young people aged 18 to 24 abstained according to the British Election Study of 2020.

              Many young people have become more individualistic, seeking an identity through conspicuous consumption in our post-modern times without the need to join groups This has become more pronounced during the pandemic lockdown. Few young people belong to trade unions or political parties. As the Huddersfield University social scientist Robin Simmons points out, what most ordinary young people want today is a rewarding job or high-quality apprenticeship, the elimination of student debt, a decent affordable place to live and to start a family just like their parents.

              Tags: Culture
              ADVERTISEMENT
              Previous Post

              Take one leave one: “love in action”

              Next Post

              Abolish private education

              Stephen Lambert

              Stephen Lambert

              Born and brought up in Newcastle , Stephen runs Education4Democracy - a social enterprise company having been a college lecturer in two North East colleges in the last 30 years. Stephen is a Newcastle City Councillor. In 1987 and 1992 he contested the Berwick-Upon-Tweed and Roxburgh constituencies (Labour) at both general elections. Stephen is an established citizen journalist and has published widely in The Journal, Chronicle, Sunday Sun, Northern Echo, Newsquest, Northumberland Gazette, LGA First and Post-16 Educator on a range of public policy related issues. He has also contributed to social media sites such as Labour List, FE News and North East Bylines.

              Related Posts

              Fire in Gosforth
              Tyneside

              Firefighters praised for life-saving response to Gosforth arson attack

              byNorth East Bylines
              August 18, 2022
              A sign with the "not equal" symbol is held in a crowd
              North East

              Inequality and development: from global to local

              bySophie Lively
              August 17, 2022
              South Tyneside's only black electric taxi
              Environment

              A sustainable policy for Tyneside taxis

              byMark Bell
              August 17, 2022
              Ben Houchen by Scott Hunter
              Business

              Alleged National Audit Office review of Teesworks

              byScott Hunter
              August 16, 2022
              Child poverty protestor
              North East

              Child poverty: enough is enough

              byPeter Benson
              August 15, 2022
              Next Post
              Eton College

              Abolish private education

              Want to support us?

              Can you help North East Bylines to grow and become more sustainable with a regular donation, no matter how small?  

              DONATE

              Sign up to our newsletter

              If you would like to receive the North East Bylines regular newsletter, straight talking direct to your inbox, click the button below.

              NEWSLETTER

              LATEST

              Liz Truss

              Tory leadership election: Liz Truss should look at how economies work

              August 18, 2022
              Fire in Gosforth

              Firefighters praised for life-saving response to Gosforth arson attack

              August 18, 2022
              man looking anxious

              Never assume: honesty and mental health

              August 18, 2022
              Flood in York in 2022. Climate change brings about more floods and not just heatwaves and wildfires

              The Tories’ climate change policy does not add up

              August 18, 2022
              A sign with the "not equal" symbol is held in a crowd

              Inequality and development: from global to local

              August 17, 2022
              South Tyneside's only black electric taxi

              A sustainable policy for Tyneside taxis

              August 17, 2022

              MOST READ

              Liz Truss

              Tory leadership election: Liz Truss should look at how economies work

              August 18, 2022
              Fire in Gosforth

              Firefighters praised for life-saving response to Gosforth arson attack

              August 18, 2022
              man looking anxious

              Never assume: honesty and mental health

              August 18, 2022
              Flood in York in 2022. Climate change brings about more floods and not just heatwaves and wildfires

              The Tories’ climate change policy does not add up

              August 18, 2022

              BROWSE BY TAGS

              Audio Beach Brexit Business castle leazes climate activism Co. Durham cost of living crisis Culture defra democracy ducklings Economy Education Environment fire and rescue firefighter Food & Drink food poverty Health Health & Care Home Affairs just stop oil Lifestyle Local Lockdown Northumberland Peace Performance Politics pride month refugee rescue Science Social Media Teesside TV & Radio Tynemouth Tyneside Ukraine volunteer Wearside

              We are a not-for-profit citizen journalism publication. Our aim is to publish well-written, fact-based articles and opinion pieces on subjects that are of interest to people in the North East and beyond.

              North East Bylines is a trading brand of Bylines Network Limited, which is a sister organisation to Byline Times.

              Learn more about us

              No Result
              View All Result
              • Contact
              • About
              • Letters
              • Donate
              • Privacy
              • Bylines network
              • Shop

              © 2022 North East Bylines. Citizen Journalism | Local & Internationalist

              No Result
              View All Result
              • Home
              • News
                • Brexit
                • Education
                • Environment
                • UK News
                • Transport
                • World News
              • Politics
              • Opinion
              • Lifestyle
                • Culture
                • Music
                • Poetry
              • Business
                • Economy
                • Technology
                • Trade
              • Donate
              • Newsletter sign up
              • Boriiis Cartoons
              • Authors
              • Audio

              © 2022 North East Bylines. Citizen Journalism | Local & Internationalist

              Welcome Back!

              Login to your account below

              Forgotten Password?

              Retrieve your password

              Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

              Log In