EXPLAIN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A CULTURE AND A SUBCULTURE USING THE CONCEPTS OF POWER AND STATUS • All societies are fragmented into competing subcultures. These are social groups that subscribe to the main norms and values of mainstream society, but also have some norms and values which are unique to them – so they are different, but not too different. • Some subcultures may be regarded as deviant by wider society or by those who wield power. • A subculture can be defined as a social group within society that has a lifestyle which is distinct from the culture of society as a whole. Members of subcultures may have distinctive ways of dressing, or express their difference in taste through music and make-up etc. • Some subcultures may have been chosen by the individual freely, but some subcultures may have less personal agency involved, people may be stereotyped by members of the dominant culture, and placed into a subculture. • Subcultures can be an important source of identity, but the relationship between subcultures and the dominant culture is often one of power, meaning the status of individuals within the dominant culture may give them the power to define aspects of the subculture through a process of labelling and this can lead to prejudice and discrimination. • On the other hand though, subcultures could be seen as a way that groups in society who face little opportunity to succeed within the dominant culture, can take back some power to define their own success criteria. FUNCTIONALIST VIEW

• Functionalists would say that subcultures attract people who may feel like they have a lack of power and status (status frustration) within the dominant culture. • They may feel like they can’t succeed in terms of the goals set by the dominant culture and so they replace the success criteria of the dominant culture with their own achievable goals. They find new norms and values, in terms of which they can achieve success and prestige. • The subculture can provide the individual with a sense of autonomy – they can achieve prestige in the eyes of their peers. Subcultures can provide a sense of belonging. MARXIST VIEW

• Marxists would say that some groups in society have more say in defining, ordering and classifying the social world and making cultural rules. This is called cultural hegemony and describes a power relationship between, for example, white middle-class males and other groups. • People can be labelled as members of a subculture by more powerful members of society and this can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy. JOCK YOUNG • In Jock Young’s study “The Drugtakers: The Social Meaning Of Drug Use” (1971) young applied the labelling approach to his study of the subculture of marijuana users in Notting Hill, London. • Young was examining the meanings which influenced the police’s view of the hippies, and how their actions towards the hippies were directed by these meanings, how the hippies were affected by the meanings and reactions at the hands of the agents of the dominant culture. • The police were in a position of power – representing the dominant culture, as agents of the state. They tended to see the hippies as dirty, scruffy, idle, scrounging, promiscuous, depraved, unstable, immature, good for nothing drug addicts. (is it wrong how much I love that list of adjectives? I mean, after the first couple, doesn’t it actually make them sound kinda cool? Is it the case that the longer the list gets you start thinking – well done!) • The treatment of the subculture by the police in their position of power and status tends to unite the group and make them feel different, so they rationalise and accept their difference – drug taking, which had been a thing they had done as a bit of a pastime, actually becomes the thing that defines the members of the group. • They retreat into a small group, further away from the dominant culture, and they develop a deviant self- concept so find it hard to include members of the dominant culture. • Deviant norms and values develop – they have been labelled and so they tend to express and accentuate their differences. They grow their hair and their clothes become more and more unconventional – the police begin to react even more forcefully against them. • Because of this reaction by the police, drug taking becomes of greater value to the group as a symbol of their difference and their defiance of perceived social injustices. • So deviant subcultures have evolved and deviant self-concepts were reinforced which makes it even more difficult for the hippies to re-enter conventional society. • Because the police were in a position of power and status within the dominant culture they had the power to label the subculture and put in motion the self- fulfilling prophecy. DRAINING THE SUBCULTURE OF MEANING

• The dominant culture may also have the power to drain a sub-culture of power. In the 1970’s “punk” was a prominent youth subculture. Young people could define themselves in terms of their fashion, hair and make-up, and a specifically nihilistic style of music. But mainstream culture today has totally absorbed punk, and drained it of its counter-cultural meaning, Doc Martens and ripped jeans became fashionable, everyone has piercings and tattoos. David Cameron says his favourite band is The Clash. Depressing.