Youth Subcultural Theory: Making Space for a New Perspective.

This chapter explores the development of youth subculture, from traditional subcultural theory to more contemporary approaches to understanding youth, namely post-subcultural theory and post post-subcultural explanations. It reviews some of the limitations of subcultural theory, offering a post-subculturalist account of youth culture. A post post-subcultural approach offering an alternative perspective that recognises that young people share some collective consumption activities, which are seen to be transient in nature. Consumer culture essentially involves developing our understanding and exploration of the role of goods and their significance in our contemporary world. The style of Consumer culture theory, despite not being consistent in approach or proposing a meta-narrative, suggests that the relationship between culture and consumption is complex and multi-faceted but more importantly is significant and fundamental in our understanding of consumer behaviour. Social scientists need to explore how young people can combine individualisation with other duties and commitments to others.