Factors Influencing Youth Culture: Impact of ethnicity

Ethnicity and Formation of Youth Cultures

Ethnicity strongly influences the creation and maintenance of youth cultures, affecting the nature and form of cultural rituals, traditions and practices found within these groups.
The music, language, and dress codes of various ethnic groups have played significant roles in informing the identities of different youth subcultures.
Examples range from the influences of African American culture on hip-hop and grime youth subcultures, to the role of South Asian cultures in shaping British-Asian youth scenes.

Prejudiced views and stereotypes associated with certain ethnic groups may lead to limitations on participation or create barriers in accessing particular youth cultures.
Youths from racialised or marginalised ethnic groups may face discrimination and feel unwelcome or uncomfortable participating in predominantly white youth cultures.
Conversely, some youth cultures are centred around ethnic identities and cultural heritage, providing a valuable source of bonding and belonging for ethnic minority youths.

Participating in youth culture can be a form of resistance against racism and discrimination for many ethnic minority youths.
Music, fashion, and art within these cultures can be utilised to challenge racial stereotypes and promote racial and ethnic equality.
Anti-racist movements within punk and reggae youth cultures, for instance, have played a significant role in tackling racial prejudices.

Digital spaces provide opportunities for ethnic minority youths to express and explore their cultural identities.
Online platforms can serve as safe spaces for youths to discuss racial and ethnic issues, experiences and struggles.
However, these spaces may also be a site for racial abuse and discrimination, mirroring the racial injustices in wider society.

An intersectional approach to understanding youth cultures draws attention to the interaction between ethnicity and other factors like class, gender and sexuality.
The concept of intersectionality emphasises how overlapping aspects of identity combine to shape the experiences of youths within various cultures.
Hence, acknowledging that the experiences of ethnic minority youths in youth cultures are more complex than ethnicity alone is a critical approach to sociological understanding.