Crime and Deviance II: A Field Study of the Victoria Punk Subculture

Some questions to consider. One often sees groups of youth who “hang out” in the downtown core. For example, along Granville Street near the Pacific Centre. What’s going on? Who are these people? Why are they there? What are they doing? What kind of social background do they come from?

Interpretive Approaches

Stephen Baron’s Field Study of the Victoria Punk Subculture.

At the end of this lecture you should be able to answer the following questions: How did Baron deal with possible ethical concerns regarding his data collection? What was/were the class background(s) of subculture members? How does this accord with theory? In terms of Merton’s typology of “individual adaptation”, how can the members of the punk subculture be described?

How can the school experiences of the members of the punk subculture be described? What was the typical family life experience of subculture members? Of what significance was the “alternative status” provided by membership in the subculture to its members?

METHODOLOGY Ethical Concerns Data Collection The Sample

FINDINGS: Subculture Members: A Description Cultural Goals School Family Political Attitudes Style Alternative Status

METHDOLOGY Data was collected through participant observation and unstructured interviewing.

ETHICAL CONCERNS

THE SAMPLE

FINDINGS

SUBCULTURE MEMBERS: A DESCRIPTION

CULTURAL GOALS: FUNCTIONALIST EXPLANTIONS NEO-MARXIST EXPLANATIONS

SCHOOL: FUNCTIONALIST EXPLANTIONS: NEO-MARXIST EXPLANATIONS:

Baron categories respondents attitudes about school into three general categories: 1. Some believed that the present curriculum was inadequate because it failed to provide them with job skills. 2. A second group felt that the school system attempts to form their opinions and behaviours. 3. A third group expressed the view that their school education would aid them in gaining employment.

FAMILY: The family plays and important role in both neo- Marxist and Functionalist explanations for youth subculture participation.

Neo-Marxist arguments

FUNCTIONALIST ARGUMENTS

POLITICAL ATTITUDES

STYLE The importance of style to subculture membership Dress Lifestyle Music

ALTERNATIVE STATUS

In sum, the subculture offered an environment where youths experiencing similar problems could interact. Unlike school and employment, the subculture offered them status.

But participation in the subculture also had its costs. For many members participation meant adopting a marginal socioeconomic location. Members were forced into squatting, scamming, rolling (i.e., mugging), panhandling, and violence.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: What are the policy implications of Baron’s research?