While there are many manifestations of adult societies view of youth as being too resistant or too rebellious, it is also commonly assumed that teenagers and adolescence are the opposite. The emphasis on protecting youth populations often depict youths as compliant and susceptible pawns who are unprepared for the complexity of adolescence. In the anthropological texts we have read in class, as well as in the discourse surrounding the texts, we can recognize the consequence of not acknowledging the validity and dynamic nature of resistant behaviors in teenage years. When youth are believed to be passive recipients of culture or as easily influenced their active role in the construction and disruption of societal norms is overlooked. When Margaret Mead studied young women in Samoa, she performed her own form of resistance. Mead pushed against the boundaries and expectations within the field of anthropology to conduct research that was sensitive and nuanced. …show more content…
Freeman’s well-known critique of Mead’s research accuses her of being too inexperienced and naively believing inaccurate testimony her subjects offered her. It is plausible that the resistance to Mead’s research is impacted by the fact that she was a very young woman at the time and thus lacked the perspective to conduct an accurate ethnography. Many of the other ethnographies we discussed in class about youth lacked extensive testimony from the subjects of the studies. Often this comes across as though the ethnographers do not trust the narratives of the youth they are studying. While youth may be malleable as a concept and liminal as a period of time, it is not a period of unengaged, unknowing interaction with the world. Viewing youth through the lens of resistance helps elucidate the need for more trusting narratives around youth culture and in representing youth
2011). Some research suggests that the recent prevalence of targeted youth work is further stigmatizing the young people involved (Scanlon et al 2011; Jenkinson 2013). It is the role of the youth worker to challenge these negative agreements, to help young people find their truth. Rogers (1980) and Ruiz (2012) describe a process where a person, e.g. youth worker, values the significance and worth of another person. Through this acceptance the young person will begin to adopt a similar attitude and they will experience a rise in self-worth. Thus, they create a new agreement, that they are worthy of being valued and cared for.
The institutions, cultural forms, and economic powers were lifted as the term “teenager” itself was created to differentiate young men and women from adults (University of Toronto 145). The clothing trends, hairstyles, dances and even the language was different from that of adults (Armstrong et al, 134). Young men and women enjoyed dressing themselves with blue jeans, leather jackets,and pony tails for women, which stood as an identity for teenagers as it differentiated them from adults (Armstrong et al,135). This idea was amazing to acknowledge because a new type of people are emerging, and this added to Canadian multiculturalism and acceptance of the different types of people.The adults response to the wild nature of teenagers was that they were left shocked at first, yet later they acknowledged this act as just a phase during one’s life, they got used to this unique behaviour as time progressed (OC University 10). With the brutality of World War 2, the youth at the time were simply left neglected (OC University 10). Many believe that teens during the 1950’s were greatly influenced by being raised during a war generation (OC University 10). The youth distinguished themselves through shocking, yet enjoyable behaviour such as dance moves and their overall mindset on life. In addition, advertisers convinced teens to purchase certain products which
Dubb, Christina Rose. "Adolescent Journeys: Finding Female Authority In The Rain Catches And The House on Mango Street." Children's Literature In Education: An International Quarterly 38.3 (2007): 219-232. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 8 Mar. 2014.
Both sides are relentless in their pursuit to win. Therefore, adolescents report feeling forced into choosing between home life or American society (Stroink & Lalonde 2009). Usually, acceptable behavior such as sexuality, education, and peer relationship surfaces cultural conflict. Second generation adolescents frequently struggle with two selves that are unable reconcile the d...
Throughout time, generations have been exposed to the theme of teenagers rebelling in literature, films, and music. Teenagers rebelling is a topic that everyone can relate to because of the pressure that comes with being a teenager. During this time, teenagers are being given rules to follow, expectations to meet, and society telling them what they need to do to make their lives meaningful. The exposure to rebelling themes in the media is presenting them with messages to relate to, and can even showcase the consequences that will come with their actions.
The "youth control complex" is one of the concepts presented by the author to analyze young people 's lives. As mentioned in the book, it is "a ubiquitous system if criminalization molded by the synchronized, systematic punishment meted out by socializing and social control institutions"(p.40). It is a person 's normal daily behavior become ubiquitously treated as deviant or even criminal behaviors. For example, schools in Oakland often treat problem students as potential criminals, and some staffs and teachers act as prison guards telling students they are will never be amount to anything and threaten to call the police for misbehaviors which should be dealt with on campus. Many young men are often called a thug and frisked by police. It damages the mind and future prospects of them. They feel outcast and just want to be acknowledged
Mayeda, D.T., Chesney-Lind, M., & Koo, J. (2001, September). Talking story with Hawaii’s youth: Confronting violent and sexualized perceptions of ethnicity and gender. Youth & Society, 33(1), 99-128.
The adolescent rebelled. "Speaking out is an exercise of privilege. Speaking out takes practice. Silence ensures invisibility. Silence provides protection (Montoya 282)." Graffiti tagged cracks seeped in blood, it remind the young of their battle with an invisible division. In Octavio P...
The dictionary definition of a child is a young human being, an immature person and offspring (Oxford, 1976). This idea is reflected in Mead’s statement ‘that children to adults are representative of something weak and helpless in need of protection, supervision, training, models, skills, beliefs and ‘character’’ (Montgomery et al, 2003, p vii). The emphasis is on the concept of the child by adults rather than the size or mentality raising the notion that a child, and therefore childhood, is not just a biological concept but also an ideological one (Falconer, 2009). This ideology makes an oxymoron of Children’s Literature according to Rose (Hunt, 2009a) as adults write, publish and purchase books with each set of adults having their own ideas about childh...
This essay will look at the different ways in which young people are portrayed in the media. It will focus on how the idea of childhood innocence has been challenged by the media and rather than ‘little angels’ children are now seen as ‘little devils’ in the public eye. By looking at ‘The Bulger Case of 1993’ we can see where the idea of ‘little devils’ and children as evil beings began. It will examine why media stories of young people are focused much more on negative aspects such as crime and gang culture rather than positive ones. It will also look at how television programmes such as ‘Teen Mom’ and ‘Skins’ portray the youth of today and whether these programmes come across as a positive or negative portrayal of teenagers. The idea of a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ will also be examined and whether the way the media portrays children can be harmful to the construction of their identities and possibly lead to alienation.
The 1960s formed one of the most culturally complex periods in America’s history, and the analysis of this era is just as problematic. During this time, American society experienced an outpouring of filmic, literary and musical texts that challenged traditional institutions such as the Christian church, the government and the family unit. It would be naïve to argue that this period witnessed the first or the last instance of subversive propaganda targeted at young people, for the many dissenting voices herein did not emerge by random chance. The formulation of a more politically aware youth culture in America and, to a lesser but still important extent, Great Britain, was a gradual process that had been taking hold for considerable time, not one that exploded into being when Bob Dylan or John Lennon began writing protest songs.
Andreanna Clay and her book: The Hip-Hop Generation Fights Back expresses many views, ideologies, and upbringings of today’s youth of color. The book goes on to discuss many key factors some of which are youth violence, to the impact of high stakes biased and blatantly racist educational testing, to social media rewording youth of color in a negative light, to even the moral failures of hip-hop culture. Young people of color are often portrayed and stereotyped as gang affiliated, simply troubled or, ultimately, dangerous, and not safe to be around. This book looks at and examines how youth activism has come about recently to address the persistent inequalities and injustices that affect these urban youths of color. Clay provides an over encompassing
Between the ages twelve and sixteen, teenagers begin to develop individualism, a social development to identify who they are independently. Hypothetically, individualism is one of the leading cause why teenagers become rebellious because most teenagers are developing patterns of thinking rather than thinking critically. Similarly, when I was in the 6th grade, I decided to walk to the Boys & Girls Club with my friends after my mother specifically told me not to. My purpose was to walk to the Boys & Girls Club without my mother seeing me, and flaunt an image of being “cool” in front of my
Acting out of the cultural norm has been a means of resistance for centuries now, but especially nowadays it is becoming more of a controversy for those who dismiss it and a necessity of survival for those who practice it. The youths who experienced poverty and hardship (generally male) get stereotyped and unjustifiably stigmatized by agents such as school faculty/staff, law enforcement, and employer. Thus creating an unbreakable cycle of misrecognition and causation of resistance and criminalization. Needless to say in order for the boys to survive they have to participate in various dramaturgical concepts of impression management such as the personal front, and by giving either intentional or unintended expressions. There are various other factors that also influence one’s actions of impression management such as the region, and the backstage.
Carroll, Jamuna. America's Youth. New York: The Gale Group, 2008. Dryfoos, Joy G. Safe Passage. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.