DOCSLIB.ORG

Educating for Environmental Justice

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Educating for Environmental Justice Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2013 Educating for environmental justice : social/ environmental marginality and the significance of experiences for environmental activism and proenvironmental behavior Donovon Keith Ceaser Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Sociology Commons Recommended Citation Ceaser, Donovon Keith, "Educating for environmental justice : social/environmental marginality and the significance of experiences for environmental activism and proenvironmental behavior" (2013). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 2973. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/2973 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. EDUCATING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: SOCIAL/ENVIRONMENTAL MARGINALITY AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EXPERIENCES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM AND PROENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIOR A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy in The Department of Sociology by Donovon K. Ceaser B.A., Loyola University New Orleans, 2005 M.A., University of Toronto, 2007 M.A., Louisiana State University, 2011 August 2013 The author would like to dedicate this work to the pursuit of a greener world that’s truly for all, as well the recognition that it is the lessons learned from the “bad environments” that are needed to teach us how to truly reconcile the conflict between society and nature. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A tremendous amount of work goes into writing a dissertation. I’ve logged countless hours in libraries or sequestered in my office with books stacked up to my waist and multiple cups of green tea occupying my desk. However, writing a work of such size is never a singular process. Many people form an important web through both my life and this work and as such, have greatly shaped it’s progression. My luxury of digging into the world of environmental education would be impossible, first of all, without the generous support I received from Louisiana State University, and the tremendous dedication of a few very special people. First, I would like to thank Dr. Fredrich Weil for offering me some very enlightening conversation and opportunities for research, as well as wry Jewish wit. His path led me to pursue environmental research. This research focus would never have led to a series of successful publications without the constant support of my advisor, Dr. Sarah Becker. Her relentless pursuit of coaching me on the editing process, over time, taught me how to synthesize my research into a publishable format and to impress editoral boards with my innovative ideas and expressive description. Further, Sarah was my “voice of reason” during many difficult life moments during these past four years, both personally and professionally. Her insight, her daily struggle being a single mom and managing a career gave her a maturity that regularly inspired me to be a better person, to take the higher road and think in terms of the bigger picture when the daily grind of grad school poverty affected my spirit. I owe an important gratitude to Dr. Troy Blanchard and Dr. Susan Dumais for agreeing to be on my dissertation committee and for pointed moments of important theoretical insights related to the cultural side of environmental destruction and the focus on youth as a site of injustice which guided my research into these important areas. Additionally, I would also like to thank my graduate school collegue Don Asay for his collaboration and for being my friend these past four years. Finally, I must thank Dana Berkowitz for her classes in feminism and gender theory as well as her passion, ambition, and sharp critique. And last, but certainly not least, I must thank my athletic orange tabby Stand-by Mancat, for sitting in my lap, and being my compainion and sense of stability through countless hours of dissertation work and grad school life. Without these efforts this work would not be possible. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................. iii LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................. vii LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................. viii ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................. ix CHAPTER 1 .............................................................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 1 Environmental Sociology, Environmental Education, and Activism ............... 1 Critical Environmental Education ...................................................................... 3 Significant Life Experiences (SLEs) .................................................................... 4 The Environmental Justice Movement ............................................................... 6 Feminist Social-Environmental Theory .............................................................. 8 Youth Positionality and Adultism ....................................................................... 8 CONTEXT AND METHODOLOGY ............................................................................. 9 Setting of Lower Ninth Ward, New Orleans ...................................................... 9 Setting and Characters of OSBG....................................................................... 10 Timeline of Events............................................................................................... 12 Methods .................................................................................................................................................................... 12 CONCLUDING REMARKS ......................................................................................... 14 WORKS CITED.............................................................................................................. 15 CHAPTER 2: OUR SCHOOL AT BLAIR GROCERY: A CASE STUDY IN PROMOTING ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION THROUGH CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION .............................................................................. 26 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................... 26 Environmental Action ........................................................................................ 27 Critical Environmental Education .................................................................... 27 METHODS ...................................................................................................................... 30 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION .................................................................................... 32 Learning Culture of OSBG ................................................................................ 32 Addressing Student Action................................................................................. 33 Action Outcomes at OSBG ................................................................................. 36 Addressing Critical EE Concerns ..................................................................... 38 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................... 40 iv WORKS CITED.............................................................................................................. 41 CHAPTER 3: SIGNIFICANT LIFE EXPERIENCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: POSITIONALITY AND THE ROLE OF NEGATIVE SOCIAL/ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERIENCES ............................ 45 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................... 45 Significant Life Experiences............................................................................... 45 SLES AND POSITIONALITY ...................................................................................... 47 METHODS AND DATA ................................................................................................ 50 FINDINGS ....................................................................................................................... 52 Recognizing Social/Environmental Marginality .............................................. 52 Toxic Relationships ............................................................................................. 53 Embodied Positionality/Perspectives ................................................................ 55 Empowerment ..................................................................................................... 57 DISCUSSION .................................................................................................................. 58 CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • "Street Kids": an Ethnographic Study of a Deviant Adolescent Subcultural Group
    "STREET KIDS": AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY "STREET KIDS": AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF A DEVIANT ADOLESCENT SUBCULTURAL GROUP. By JO-ANN B. CLIMENHAGE, B.A. A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts McMaster University (c) copyright by Jo-Ann Climenhage, September 1989. MASTER OF ARTS (1989) MCMASTER UNIVERSITY (Sociology) Hamilton, ontario TITLE: "Street Kids": An Ethnographic Study of a Deviant Adolescent Subcultural Group. AUTHOR: Jo-Ann B. Climenhage B.A. (McMaster University.) SUPERVISOR: Dr. Jane Synge. NUMBER OF PAGES: viii, 196 ii Abstract /' I This thesis examines the social organization of <~;I( "street kids." Participation in street life can be an <jl~~\. II. ._,{ '\' 'ft!' alienating and isolating experience. I suggest adolescents / y~A~..t~1 I:L,d t.:; ':. ~':'. who leave intolerable family situation~ in favour of street :V~;<~;'\'- ' life, counterbalance the debilitating effects of individual isolation on the streets by participating in an alternative, adolescent subculture. This particular subcultural group I have chosen to study, constitutes a type of "(pseudo_family)." I contend that ---_.. -.--.-~-_. '-'-~. ----._.-.-----..~,-~ while this "street kid" group represents a "family" for these (j.", !11\" )1.::; adolescents , it also perpetuates a sense of victimIz'ation and 'I, ,J, is fraught with problems amongst its members, just like the :,:; ~j~ JT:~ ,r-"l:: home lives which they abandoned. Information drawn from Ii': numerous friendship networks within the "street kid" group pr%+vide eVid~~ge to support this contention·l~/' ' :.c! Emphasis is placed on understanding the @ngoing meaning of adolescent street life as viewed by male and female actors within this group.
    [Show full text]
  • A Critique and Agenda for Taking Youth Subcultures Seriously Jeffrey S
    University of New Haven Digital Commons @ New Haven Sociology Faculty Publications Sociology 2013 Are the Kids Alright? A Critique and Agenda for Taking Youth Subcultures Seriously Jeffrey S. Debies-Carl University of New Haven, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.newhaven.edu/sociology-facpubs Part of the Sociology Commons Publisher Citation Debies-Carl, Jeffrey S. 2013. “Are the Kids Alright? A Critique and Agenda for Taking Youth Subcultures Seriously.” Social Science Information 52(1), 110-33. doi: 10.1177/0539018412466636 Comments This is the author's accepted manuscript of the published article. The final version can be accessed at http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0539018412466636 ARE THE KIDS ALRIGHT? A CRITIQUE AND AGENDA FOR TAKING YOUTH CULTURES SERIOUSLY ABSTRACT Researchers have long been fascinated with youth subcultures. Decades of study have yielded several competing paradigms which attempt to interpret these subcultures in diverse ways, with each succeeding paradigm criticizing, and attempting to improve on, those that came before it. Rather than offering criticism of a specific youth studies paradigm, this paper provides a critique of this body of theory as a whole, by delineating several theoretical assumptions that have persisted across these perspectives. These include: 1) the tendency to group all youth phenomena under a monolithic conceptual umbrella, 2) a preoccupation on the part of researchers with style and the consumption of goods, and 3) the assumed lack of rational behavior found in subcultures and an accompanying inability on the part of subcultures to achieve real goals or effect social change. It is argued that such assumptions trivialize subcultures, have lead to a priori understandings of these without adequate empirical grounding, and must be addressed if subcultures are to be adequately understood and appreciated.
    [Show full text]
  • Analyzing the Practices of a Youth Subculture During the 1980S
    Did Punk Matter?: Analyzing the Practices of a Youth Subculture During the 1980s Kevin Mattson In 1991, an odd thing happened in the world of popular culture. A new single by the group Nirvana, "Smells Like Teen Spirit," with its abrasive tones and acidic lyrics about mainstream youth culture ("Here we are now, entertain us. ... I feel stupid and contagious"), chased Michael Jackson off the charts. From September to December, 1991, 3.5 million Americans rushed out to buy Nirvana's follow-up album, Nevermind. Soon, Nirvana's lead singer, Kurt Cobain, graced the cover of Rolling Stone, decked out in a cheap t-shirt with "Corporate Magazines Still Suck" scrawled on it, sneering at his newly found mass audience. Something certainly seemed to be happening here.1 Though the mass media treated Cobain like any other rock star, and though he played out his role to a tee (even committing the requisite suicide), he never denied that his music and ideas came from something bigger than himself. Cobain talked quite a bit about the youth subculture in which his music was nurtured. When asked what he hoped for from his fame, he explained, "Hopefully, [our fans] like our music and listen to something else that's in the same vein, that's a bit different from Van Halen. Hopefully they'll be exposed to the underground by reading interviews with us. Knowing that we do come from a punk-rock world, maybe they'll look into that and change their ways a bit." In essence, Cobain hoped that the youth counterculture and underground that he was a part of would come above ground, if only for a fleeting moment.2 0026-3079/2001/4201-069$2.50/0 American Studies, 42:1 (Spring 2001): 69-97 69 70 Kevin Mattson Cobain was referring to a widespread punk rock music scene and youth subculture that sprang up during the conservative era of the 1980s.
    [Show full text]
  • Youth Culture? & Improve Schools a Brief Introduction
    Information Resource (http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/youth/youthintro.pdf) A Series of Information Resources on Youth Subcultures: Understanding Subgroups to Better Address Barriers to Learning What is Youth Culture? & Improve Schools A Brief Introduction As calls for addressing barriers to student learning and improving schools increase, This introduction to the Center’s work on youth better understanding of youth subculture is subculture and youth subgroups highlights essential. This series is intended to stimulate thinking about the implications • how youth culture is defined for policy and practice of the complex, multifaceted subgroups with which youth come to be identified and/or assigned by • provides some background about the concept. peers. • why adults need to understand youth Public health and education policy makers, practitioners, researchers, and educators subgroups – including both positive and need to know as much as they can about negative facets the factors that lead youth to manifest behaviors stemming from group defined values, beliefs, attitudes, and interests. • what schools should do Such understanding is basic to promoting healthy development, preventing It concludes by highlighting the process the problems, intervening as soon as problems Center is using to enhance understanding of arise, and enhancing intervention impact on severe and chronic problems. youth culture and youth subgroups. To these ends, the Center is producing a We invite additions and improvements. series of resources, such as this one, as aids for policy and practice analyses, research, education, and school and community improvement planning. The Center for Mental Health in Schools is co-directed by Howard Adelman and Linda Taylor and operates under the auspices of the School Mental Health Project, Dept.
    [Show full text]
  • Youth Subcultures and Subversive Identities Udc 316.723
    FACTA UNIVERSITATIS Series: Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology and History Vol. 9, No1, 2010, pp. 45 - 58 YOUTH SUBCULTURES AND SUBVERSIVE IDENTITIES UDC 316.723 Nikola Božilović University of Niš, Faculty of Philosophy, Serbia E-mail: [email protected] Abstract. The author explores the identities that are formed within youth subcultural groups (rockers, mods, punkers, skinheads, rappers). It links identities with subcultural styles – it interprets the meanings stemming from the value attitudes of the young. The common feature of all the subcultural identities is their subversiveness while it is symbolically represented through image, music and jargon of subcultural actors. The subcultural self of adolescents comprises a certain degree of symbolic aggression which serves to challenge authorities, to oppose regulations and to refute social conventions. That is why it is well-grounded to consider subcultural identities of the young as identities for resistance. The author identifies them most easily in the domain of rock music which is, on the whole, characterized by the rejection of the mainstream cultures and the values it supports. For this purpose, it supports the theoretical assumptions with some results of the identity research carried out in the region of the three Balkan states, namely, Serbia, Macedonia and Bulgaria. Key words: youth subculture, style, identity, subversion, symbolic aggression, resistance, music preferences. Contemporary urban societies are mainly multicultural comprising a great number of subcultures. Youth subcultural enclaves are genuine places where a variety of identities are formed. In general, according to the best known classification scale, identities are di- vided into personal referring to individuality ("the self", "ego" or "persona") and collec- tive ones referring to similarities (Golubović 1999: 21).
    [Show full text]
  • Children, Media and Consumption on the Front Edge
    O CH Yearbook 2007 N I L T dren H E front ,M edia edge and CHILdren, C edia and onsum M ConsumPtion P tion The International Clearinghouse ON THE on Children, Youth and Media with the support from UNESCO in producing the yearbook front NORDICOM Nordic Information Centre for Media and Communication Research Göteborg University edge Box 713, SE 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden Telephone: +46 31 786 00 00 Fax: +46 31 786 46 55 & TUFTE BIRGITTE KARIN M. EKSTRÖM EDITORS: www.nordicom.gu.se EDITORS: ISBN 978-91-89471-51-1 KARIN M. EKSTRÖM & BIRGITTE TUFTE The International Clearinghouse ISBN 978-91-89471-51-1 on Children, Youth and Media NORDICOM 9 789189 471511 Göteborg University Yearbook 2007 The International The International Clearinghouse Clearinghouse on Children, Youth and Media, at on Children, Youth and Media A UNESCO INITIATIVE 1997 Nordicom Göteborg University Box 713 SE 405 30 GÖTEBORG, Sweden In 1997, the Nordic Information Centre for Media and Web site: Communication Research (Nordicom), Göteborg www.nordicom.gu.se/clearinghouse University Sweden, began establishment of the International Clearinghouse on Children, Youth and DIRECTOR: Ulla Carlsson Media, financed by the Swedish government and SCIENTIFIC CO-ORDINATOR: UNESCO. The overall point of departure for the Cecilia von Feilitzen Tel:+46 8 608 48 58 Clearinghouse’s efforts with respect to children, youth Fax:+46 8 608 46 40 and media is the UN Convention on the Rights of the E-mail: [email protected] Child. INFORMATION CO-ORDINATOR: The aim of the Clearinghouse is to increase Catharina Bucht awareness and knowledge about children, youth and Tel: +46 31 786 49 53 media, thereby providing a basis for relevant policy- Fax: +46 31 786 46 55 making, contributing to a constructive public debate, E-mail: [email protected] and enhancing children’s and young people’s media literacy and media competence.
    [Show full text]
  • About Emo Youth Subculture Better Understanding of Youth Subculture Is Essential
    Information Resource (http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/youth/emo.pdf) A Series of Information Resources on Youth Subcultures: Understanding Subgroups to Better Address Barriers to Learning & Improve Schools As calls for addressing barriers to student learning and improving schools increase, About Emo Youth Subculture better understanding of youth subculture is essential. This series is intended to stimulate thinking about the implications Our focus here is on briefly highlighting: for policy and practice of the complex, multifaceted subgroups with which youth come to be identified and/or assigned by (1) how youth are identified as “emos” peers. (2) the impact of this “subgroup” Public health and education policy (3) prevalent policy and practice efforts to address makers, practitioners, researchers, and educators need to know as much as they negative impact can about the factors that lead youth to (4) data on intervention efforts manifest behaviors stemming from group defined values, beliefs, attitudes, and (5) proposed new directions interests. Such understanding is basic to promoting healthy development, (6) resources for more information. preventing problems, intervening as soon as problems arise, and enhancing intervention impact on severe and chronic problems. To these ends, the Center is producing a series of resources, such as this one, as aids for policy and practice analyses, research, education, and school and community improvement planning. The Center for Mental Health in Schools is co-directed by Howard Adelman and Linda Taylor and operates under the auspices of the School Mental Health Project, Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563. Phone: (310) 825-3634. Permission to reproduce this document is granted.
    [Show full text]
  • The Music of the Goth Subculture: Postmodernism and Aesthetics Charles Allen Mueller
    Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2008 The Music of the Goth Subculture: Postmodernism and Aesthetics Charles Allen Mueller Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MUSIC THE MUSIC OF THE GOTH SUBCULTURE: POSTMODERNISM AND AESTHETICS By CHARLES ALLEN MUELLER A Dissertation submitted to the College of Music In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Summer Semester, 2008 Copyright 2008 Charles Mueller All Rights Reserved The members of the Committee approve the dissertation of Charles Allen Mueller defended on June 12, 2008. __________________________ Charles E. Brewer Professor Directing Dissertation __________________________ Barry Faulk Outside Committee Member __________________________ Denise Von Glahn Committee Member __________________________ Douglass Seaton Committee Member The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii ACKNOLEDGEMENTS I would like to extend my most sincere gratitude to the Presser Foundation who funded my research in Great Britain. I would also like to thank journalist Mick Mercer and the staff at Rough Trade in London who provided me with important insights into the development of goth music. All of the past and present goth participants and musicians who took the time to share with me their passion for music and life experiences also
    [Show full text]
  • Youth Subculture and Modern Society
    Journal of Critical Reviews ISSN- 2394-5125 Vol 7, Issue 13, 2020 YOUTH SUBCULTURE AND MODERN SOCIETY Nina Aleksandrovna Oparina1, Irina Sergeevna Kazakova2, Yury Viktorovich Abramov3, Nikolai Ivanovich Shapovalov3, Viktor Anatolievich Ilyin4 1Institute of Culture and Arts, Maria Ulyanova Street, 21, Moscow, 119331, Russia 2Russian State Social University, Wilhelm Pieck Street, 4/5, Moscow, 129226, Russia 3K.G. Razumovsky Moscow State University of Technologies and Management (The First Cossack University), Zemlyanoi Val Street, 73, Moscow, 109004, Russia 4College of the Russian State Social University, Losinostrovskaya Street, 40, Moscow, 107150, Russia *E-mail: [email protected] Received: 11.04.2020 Revised: 12.05.2020 Accepted: 08.06.2020 Abstract For 50 years, youth culture has been a symbol of rebellion and expression of the spirit of youth and change. It is characterized by the diversity of forms, genres, and behavioral rules, transforming into a complex symbolic system, which complicates the study of this sociocultural phenomenon. The goal of the work is to assess youth subcultures of the 2000s in terms of their significance for modern Russian society and its current state. Conclusions: Subcultures based on rock music accumulate countercultural features as a reaction of youth to the general crisis of the Russian culture, in particular, the dominance of the entertaining component as an element distracting from reality. Keywords: youth, subculture, society, reaction, crisis, rock music. © 2020 by Advance Scientific Research. This is an open-access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.31838/jcr.07.13.63 INTRODUCTION certain social practices and their choice of lifestyle.
    [Show full text]
  • (CFS) on the Lives of Young People. Melinda Williams-Wilson
    “I had to give up so, so much” A Narrative Study to Investigate the Impact of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) on the Lives of Young People. Melinda Williams-Wilson A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Bournemouth University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy July 2009 Copyright Statement This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with its author and due acknowledgement must always be made of the use of any material contained in, or derived from, this thesis. 2 Abstract Melinda Williams-Wilson “I had to give up so, so much” A Narrative Study to Investigate the Impact of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) on the Lives of Young People. The aim of this research was to explore the experiences of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome among a small group of adolescents, through three research questions: What are the personal experiences of young people with CFS – how does the condition affect their daily lives – including educational, social and psychological perspectives. Secondly, how does CFS impact family life – how does the condition influence not only the lives of sufferers but also those closest to them? Finally, can the knowledge base be deepened to help guide practice for those caring for the needs of adolescent CFS sufferers and their families? The study used a narrative approach in an attempt to capture young people‘s stories, and to provide a window of insight into the personal impacts of CFS on the lives of individuals. Open-ended interviews with eight young CFS sufferers (11 to 18 year olds) were employed that explored personal experiences of CFS.
    [Show full text]
  • The Commodified Emo Subculture in America
    perpustakaan.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id THE COMMODIFIED EMO SUBCULTURE IN AMERICA THROUGH THE USED’S MUSIC VIDEOS THESIS Submitted as a Partial Fulfillment of Sarjana Degree Requirement at English Department, Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts, Sebelas Maret University By: RENA APRILIA TANJUNG C 0306045 ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF LETTERS AND FINE ARTS SEBELAS MARET UNIVERSITY SURAKARTA 2011 commit to user i perpustakaan.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id commit to user ii perpustakaan.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id commit to user iii perpustakaan.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id MOTTO: “Through the storm and raging sea, I will never be alone. When my hope seems out of sight, I know You will shine Your light” (True Worshippers Youth) commit to user iv perpustakaan.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id Wholeheartedly dedicated to: My Mom My Dad My Brothers My Sister Me & “Hira” commit to user v perpustakaan.uns.ac.id digilib.uns.ac.id ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS While the final product is the text on the pages, the true learning lies in the unseen journey. First and foremost, I would like to thank Lord Jesus Christ, My Redeemer, for the wonderful blessing and love given in my life. Gratefully, I would like to thank Drs. Riyadi Santosa, M.Ed., Ph.D. the Dean of Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts. It is also an honor for me to thank the Head of English Department, Prof. Drs. Djatmika, M.A. for giving me a chance to write the thesis. This thesis would not have been possible unless Dra.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding Young People's Preferences for Different Genres of Modern Music
    Understanding young people’s preferences for different genres of modern music: Case studies of two schools in Manchester Daniel Lucien Bachelard Acknowledgements I would like to thank the School of Arts and Media, University of Salford, and in particular Dr T. Wise and Dr N. Spelman for their kind encouragement and support. Understanding young people’s preferences for different genres of modern music: Case studies of two schools in Manchester Abstract My dissertation’s aim is to understand how British school children coming from varying backgrounds, subject to different social influences, and with different interests and ambitions, develop preferences for different musical genres. My dissertation examines current literature focusing on young people’s musical tastes, beginning with the theoretical debate over the concept of subculture between the CCCS researchers and the post-subculturalists. I adopt Hesmondhalgh’s (2005) approach: young people’s musical tastes are influenced both by social structure and musical form. I also consider the largely separate, questionnaire-based approach of the ‘youth music survey researchers’. My subjects were pupils of two secondary schools in Manchester: both Roman Catholic, one boys-only and one girls-only. I adopted a mixed methods approach, utilising focus groups and a survey based on questionnaire comprising closed-answer and open-answer questions. My study findings showed that pupils’ preferences for pop songs, folk songs, urban songs and rock songs correlated differently with a range of independent social factors, although pupils’ preferences were equally influenced by songs’ musical form and fashion. Social factors important for pop and folk songs were being a girl and having friends with similar musical tastes.
    [Show full text]