youth and devience

how does the media portray protest deviance

the media exaggerates reports and over reports about small issues to make them see more interesting.

what happens if the media starts doing this (over reports)

it can lead to deviance application meaning that deviance actually increases as more people are aware of it and more young people are encouraged to act this way creating a self fulfilling prophecy

cohens study on mods and rockers

in the 1960s clash in between mods and rockers/ led to a “violent” confrontation on the seaside the media exaggerated the headlines sparking out public fear. Creating a moral panic a moral panic occurs when society overreacts to a perceived threat often driven by distorted media coverage. Both the mods and rockers were presented as dangerous becoming folk devils group blamed for social problems

what are key features to a moral panic

Exaggerated media coverage

Public outrage and fear

Focus on a specific group

What did Pearson (1983) say about youth deviance and media?

He argued that minor incidents (e.g., tipping over an ice cream cart) were sensationalised, and the term “Hooligan” was overused—even for unrelated crimes.

What does Pearson mean by calling youth behaviour ‘alien’ and ‘un-British’?

The media framed youth deviance as something outside of traditional British values, increasing public fear and fuelling moral panic.

what did fawbert find about the “hoodies”

the study of sensitisationed reporting, found that the group called hoodies and their link to crime was exaggerated greatly due to a moral panic

what did Jack young study

The reaction to hippies in Notting Hill police and media labelling led to deviance amplification.

What is the ‘translation of fantasy’ stage

Police believe media stereotypes about hippies (e.g. drug-takers) because they are isolated from the subculture and rely on external portrayals.

What is the ‘negotiation of reality’ stage

Police interpret or selectively use evidence to support their preconceived ideas about hippies being deviant.

What is the ‘amplification’ stage

Police and media labelling hippies as drug users leads to more deviance through a self-fulfilling prophecy.

How does Jock Young’s work relate to moral panic?

It shows how media-fuelled stereotypes and labelling by authorities can exaggerate and increase the deviance they aim to stop—just like in moral panics.

facts about moral panics with hippies

hippies were often using weed as a perishable part of their lifestyle m

The police share common stereotypes of hippies and can label them

From these stereotypes the police start to label them and reduce the legal weed use

Hippies respond by retreating in small isolated groups

interprevist veiwv

People’s behaviour is viewed as being driven by the meanings they give to a situation or see a situation

Based on individuals behaviour rather than an overall structure

What is social identity

Social identity refers to the personality traits and behaviors that society expects from people in certain roles (e.g. mothers are expected to be nurturing and selfless).

How do people gain a social identity

Through social interaction, individuals learn what is expected of roles like mother, student, or friend, and try to live up to those expectations.

What is the ‘self’

The self is how a person sees their own identity, based on both how they meet social expectations and how they personally interpret their experiences.

What are the two parts of the self

The ‘I’ (impulsive, selfish, spontaneous) and the ‘Me’ (socially aware, sees self through others’ eyes).

How do the ‘I’ and ‘Me’ control behavior

The ‘I’ wants to act on impulses, but the ‘Me’ stops us by reminding us how our actions affect others and how we are viewed by society.

What happens in Mead’s Preparatory Stage

Children imitate others without understanding roles or meaning.

What is learned in Mead’s Play Stage?

Children take on specific roles (like parent or teacher) and start role-taking.

What occurs during Mead’s Game Stage

Children understand multiple roles and the “generalised other”—society’s norms.

What is Cooley’s Looking-Glass Self?

We imagine how others see us, how they judge us, and adjust our self-image accordingly.

Why is the Looking-Glass Self important for identity?

It shows how social interaction shapes our self-concept and behavior.

What does Goffman mean by “front stage”?

The public area where people perform roles and manage impressions.

What is Goffman’s “back stage”?

Private settings where people relax and are authentic, away from the audience.

What is impression management?

: Controlling how others perceive us by adjusting our behavior in social situations.

What did Becker (1971) find about teachers’ views of the ‘ideal pupil’

Teachers base the ‘ideal pupil’ on appearance, conduct, and pupil work, often favoring middle-class traits.

How do middle-class and working-class pupils differ in teachers’ eyes?

Middle-class behavior is seen as commitment to study, while working-class behavior is often seen as indiscipline or lack of motivation.

What did Dunne and Gazeley find about teachers’ expectations?

Teachers have lower expectations of working-class students, give them easier work, and place them in lower sets.

What is a self-fulfilling prophecy in education?

When a teacher’s label causes a student to act according to that label, fulfilling the teacher’s original expectation.

What was the key finding of Rosenthal and Jacobson’s ‘Pygmalion in the Classroom’ study?

Randomly labeled ‘spurters’ showed greater IQ gains because teachers expected them to improve, illustrating the self-fulfilling prophecy.

Who is Howard Becker and what is his main idea about deviance?

Becker is an interactionist who argued that deviance is not about the act itself, but how society labels the act and the person.

What happens when someone accepts a deviant label according to Becker?

They internalize the label, it becomes part of their self-concept, leading them to continue the behavior and reinforcing the label.

What is a master status and how does it affect people

A master status is a dominant label or identity that defines how others see and treat a person, sometimes chosen by the person, but often imposed by society (especially for minorities).

Marxist perspective on youth

Karl Marx said nothing, youth cultures did not exist

What is Gramsci’s concept of hegemony?

Hegemony is the domination of ruling class ideology in society, where cultural institutions spread the ruling class’s ideas to gain working-class consent.

How do institutions like media and education contribute to hegemony

They have relative autonomy and are used to justify and promote the ruling class’s system, making their ideology seem like “common sense.”

What is semiology and how does it relate to youth subcultures?

Semiology is the study of social symbolism; it explores hidden meanings in everyday objects and behaviors, like how youth subcultures use clothing styles to express identity or social messages.

How did Phil Cohen explain youth cultures like Mods and Skinheads?

Cohen argued youth cultures were responses to the loss of traditional community life, with Mods adopting wealthy styles and Skinheads emphasizing traditional working-class identity.

According to Marxist theory, why do youth cultures develop varied styles?

Youth cultures resist capitalism by exaggerating working-class values, and styles vary because each generation faces different challenges caused by capitalism.