Session Information
Contribution
This is a conceptual paper exploring aspects of the development of a personal identity relating to membership of certain so called ‘radical peer crowds’. We address three main questions:
1. what are the possible functions of radical peer crowd membership in personal development?
2. what are the potential implications of understandings of this phenomenon for young people, educators and parents?
3. what are outstanding questions that can be answered through empirical investigation?
Existing research has shown that members of radical peer crowds displayed higher levels of behavioural inhibition and depression, and lower levels of self-esteem than youths from other crowd groups (Besˇic´ and Kerr, 2009). These findings seem to be compatible with two possible theoretical explanations as to why young people might choose to become a member of such ‘radical’ groups, both of which suggest that such membership is a coping strategy for dealing with social interactional difficulties associated with behavioural inhibition.
Valuable as it is, such theorizing has its limitations, in assuming a rather permanent affiliation of adolescents to such groups and in failing to take sufficient account of the different types and levels of affiliation that individuals develop The use of the term ‘crowd’ is also problematic, implying a distinction between crowds and groups which, whilst potentially justifiable is not dealt with explicitly.
We suggest an alternative set of possible explanations which questions the function of the crowds/groups, examines the affiliation of the individuals to these and places the questions of group membership within the context of the nature of subjecthood and human identity. By doing so, we adopt an intersubjective understanding of subjecthood and we consider differentiation as the central element in the construction of the subject. Our theoretical understanding of subjecthood is based on the Lacanian understanding of identity formation (Lacan, 1977) and Butler’s suggestions about the formation of the subject through disavowals of dependencies (Butler, 1997). Consequently we understand people’s affiliation to specific groups as a response to the need to differ from rather than to belong to. Group affiliation is then an ‘affiliation of difference’ and identity is the outcome of engagement with certain kind of social projects which by themselves are not positive or negative but they function as ‘possibilities of social existence’. This perspective suggests, therefore, that the apparent differences between the projects themselves (that is, whether individuals select a non-radical or radical peer crowd) is less significant than the underlying psychological function which is common to all such projects. This approach, therefore, portrays such group affiliations as broadly positive in their ability to promote cultural and sub-cultural development. It is also important to state, however, that the importance of affiliation and membership indicates that such discussion cannot focus on radical peer crowds as a loose collection of persons the formation and social recognition of which is opportunistic. A crowd is defined in terms of shared characteristics alone (such as age, appearance etc.) whilst not implying, necessarily, the inter-relatedness or interdependence that is a characteristic of social groups (see Reber 1985:168 )
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Bešić J. & Kerr, M. (2009). Punks, Goths, and Other Eye-Catching Peer Crowds: Do they Fulfil a Function for Shy Youths? Journal of Research on Adolescence, 19(1), 113-121. Butler, J (1997) The psychic life of power. (Stanford, CA, Stanford University Press Lacan, J. (1977) Ecrits: A selection. London: Tavistock Reber, A, (1985) The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology, London, Penguin
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