1. Youth – Changes, consumption and globalisation .

2. How have the lives of young people changed over the past 60 years?
Education and employment and qualifications
Gender behaviour and sexual behaviour
Choice of consumer goods
Different media content and exposure
Exclusion from politics
Later separation from parents due to house prices, debt,
Risks – Violence, drugs, STDs, pregnancy, unemployment, mental health e.g eating disorders.

3. SNOWBALLS
Use your Sociological imagination and say one thing about how consumerism or globalisation has affected young people as a social group.
Throw your snowball
Pick up a snowball and add a point to it
Repeat

4. Consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods or services in even greater amounts.

5. Globalisation
Globalization describes the process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through a global network of communication, transportation, and trade. The term can also refer to the transnational circulation of ideas, languages, or popular culture through acculturation. An aspect of the world which has gone through the process can be said to be globalized.

6. Consumption
As we already know consumerism played a big role in the development of youth culture in post-war Britain.
Young people are attracted to things which are new and different from their ‘same old, same old’ parent’s culture.
Clothes, Music, hairstyles, leisure etc – if they can’t buy it they will create it, like the Punks style.
Eventually INCORPORATION will ensure similar products are produced in the mass market – because it makes money.

7. Consumption
Companies can target them to buy their products and therefore the identity of young people is becoming more about having the right stuff than about issues like class, gender or ethnicity.
Since the 1950s more and more products have been targeted at young people, BUT children and adults are also attracted to these things.
What stuff do you think it is necessary to have ??

8. Globalisation
Globalisation means that young people have more choice of what to buy. We export products from across the globe so that you can create new fashions and styles.
However perhaps products are also becoming homogenised e.g coca cola is global and may have pushed out other drinks which were traditional like iced tea ! From this perspective young people have become more similar across the world.
Can you think of other examples of this ??

9. Here are some !! Coca Cola Trainers Baseball caps Jeans
Nightclubs/discos
Football
Mobile phones
Ipods
McDonalds

10. Essay planning
Discuss the influence of consumerism on youth culture (35 marks).
Write down 4-5 AO1 points that you could make.
Write down examples to support each point.
Think of researchers you could mention
Think of any counterarguments to your points or further analyses you could make.

11. Possible essay – Discuss the view that youth cultures are based on consumerism
Ao1/2
Ao3
Youth culture only came about in the 50s because of products being targeted at young people e.g dress/music
Young people are attracted to novel things so are encouraged to buy more e.g iphones
Styles created by spectacular youth cultures have been incorporated in mainstream youth culture and influences styles. E.g punky clothes
Bennett argues that youth no longer form sub-cultures but are influenced by need for leisure and consumer goods forming instead ‘Neo Tribes’ e.g Cod players – relies on companies making and selling these products.
Functionalist like Parsons argued that it was a need for a rite of passage that influenced youth cultures
Marxists would argue it was resistance to capitalism that led to sub-cultures like skinhead and that consumerism has led to the exploitation of young people for the benefit of the bourgoiesie.
Consumerism has caused status frustration amongst today’s youth.
Neo-tribes argument ignores the fact that sub-cultures still form around associations based on gender, ethnicity and social class.

12. Timed essay - Discuss the influence of consumerism on youth culture (35 Marks)
Ao1/2
Ao3
Define consumerism and youth culture
Post War increased affluence/spending power/products aimed at youth
Globalisation led to increased choice (supermarket of style) Polemus – blending of ethnic styles/Bennett - Neo Tribes
Increased affluence and middle class attitudes leads to development of Hippies and Skinheads.
Sewell argues that black caribbean culture is very materialist (bling) and has influenced white youths in the uk (possible cause of London Riots)
Marxists - Many youth still poor and working-class/cannot afford styles
Some would argue this has led to less choice (Mcdonaldisation) and pressure to conform to youth ideals i.e. eating disorders caused by media. Some sub-cultures are still class/gender/ethnicity based
Whilst these sub-cultures were spectacular and possible forms of resistance against capitalism, most young people were ordinary.
Equally however you could argue ethnic minorities are more influenced by discrimination/racism