The creation of youth culture

Youth Culture The definition of culture has always been considered in the context of music, arts, literature, architecture and language. However, the primary function of a culture is to create a harmonized environment that is relevant to all the occupants of that environment. This, therefore, implies that culture is something that is ordinarily taught, shared and learned. People of a given culture are never conscious of the influence their culture posses on them. Therefore, the question about the impacts of a culture, both on the local people and foreigners, remains an interesting subject of investigation. For instance, fashion has been considered as a cultural trend since it is associated with certain sets of groups and advances around influence. This paper, therefore, focuses on presenting how fashion is currently being used to identify certain youth culture identity.
Rouse (1989) argues that fashion is about change for change sake and the illusion of novelty (Rouse, 1989, p126). By considering this argument, youths of the present generation have emerged, with a number of symbolic identities, to define a set of cultural identities. The symbolic identities are just fashions since they do not have significant meanings within the youths and their cultures. Citing a few examples, in this case, tattooing, wearing of ornaments and masks are some of the most common fashion trends that youths currently consider identifying themselves with certain identities. Any youth is not under obligation to participate in the above practices since it is a matter of choice. This, therefore, draws a clear distinction between culture and fashion. Some youths may argue that tattoos make them feel adventurous while others would reason that it makes them remember a special person in their lives.
Some youths also get tattoos in support of some campaign in some illness like breast cancer or some charity work. Contrary to what youths are inclined to these days, tattoos were used as a cultural scribe to churches in the olden days, which showed some significance in faith (Savage, 2007, p109). The ornaments won by the youths, on the other hand, may signify birth dates and are given as birthday presents or those in a relationship as assign of remembrance and love. The idea is that the ornament acts as a bond between the parties. Similarly, some ornaments symbolize authority. These are found among the people in positions of power like kings, queen and some religious leaders. Wearing of masks has also become a common fashion identity among the youths. In such instance, cultural equation does not apply as opposed to when masks were worn to symbolize cultural belief, for example, the masks worn by Eskimos.
Bibliography
Rouse, E. (1989). Understanding Fashion. Oxford, Blackwell.
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Savage, J. (2007). Teenage: the creation of youth culture. New York, Viking.
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