What happens to punks, clubbers, goths, riot grrls, soulies, break-dancers and queer scene participants as they become older? For decades, research on spectacular 'youth cultures' has understood such groups as adolescent phenomena and assumed that involvement ceases with the onset of adulthood. In an age of increasingly complex life trajectories, Ageing and Youth Cultures is the first anthology to challenge such thinking by examining the lives of those who continue to participate into adulthood and middle-age. Showcasing a range of original research case studies from across the globe, the chapters explore how participants reconcile their continuing involvement with ageing bodies, older identities and adult responsibilities. Breaking new ground and establishing a new field of study, the book will be essential reading for students and scholars researching or studying questions of youth, fashion, popular music and identity across a wide range of disciplines.

Through a wide range of accessible ethnographic case studies, this highly original volume examines the ways in which members of subcultures adapt and see their identities evolve as they grow older.

About the Author
Andy Bennett is Director of the Centre for Public Culture and Ideas at Griffith University.Paul Hodkinson is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Surrey.

Reviews

"This book brings forth some new avenues for studying youth cultures (and subcultures) within emerging fields such as Postyouth Studies, Dance Studies, and other original intersections. Graduate students studying popular music, cultural studies, sociology, and youth studies will appreciate its questionings and conceptualisation about the practices and the (sometimes unusual) representations of age and ageing persons, mostly from the ''X'' Generation, in various contexts. - International Journal of Ageing and Later Life - Yves Laberge

The book sets the tone for an emerging social system, distinctive in its acceptance and re-accommodating of age within youth culture, and provides a framework for further research - Anthropological Notebooks - David Lorbiecke, Tallinn University, Estonia

Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. - CHOICE - D.S. Carr, Rutgers University

Mentioned - Anthropological Notebooks"

Book Information
ISBN 9781847888358
Author Andy Bennett
Format Paperback
Page Count 208
Imprint Berg Publishers
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 453g