Youth Cultures and Consumption in Eastern and Western Europe

Abstract

Whereas in the past, youth cultures were analyzed in terms of their relationship to divisions such as social class, the tendency now is to see youth as submerged in general consumer culture and to analyze this in terms of cultural codes and symbols. In this article, the authors argue that there are important differences in the way in which young people are situated in relation to consumer culture and that this differs according to the different state systems that have existed in different parts of Europe and the new lines of stratification that are emerging. The former Communist regimes along with their recent transformations are particularly interesting in this respect. Through an analysis of the development and significance of youth cultures and subcultures in Eastern and Western Europe, the article argues that such cultures are important in forging generational consciousness and defining generations.