Youth‐Subcultural Studies: Sociological Traditions and Core Concepts

Abstract The study of youth subcultures has rich histories in the USA and UK, yet has remained a marginal subfield within cultural sociology. In this article, I begin by reviewing the significance of the Chicago school, strain theory, Birmingham school and post‐subcultural studies traditions of youth‐cultural and youth‐subcultural research. I then conceive of a series of significant analytic concepts that over time have proven themselves to be core components of youth‐subcultural studies. These analytic concepts include subcultural style, resistance, subcultural space and media, societal reaction, and identity and authenticity. In each analytic section, I explore major conceptual frames and discuss significant empirical research, on youth subcultures including punk goth, straightedge, riot grrrl skateboarding, rave and club cultures, among others.