Volda-Griffith Austral-Asian Study Immersion Program 2010

1. Volda-Griffith Austral-Asian Study Immersion Program 2010 Topic: “Young People and Youth in Australia” Wayne Muller Griffith University 29th September 2010

2. 0 Young People and Youth in Australia STRUCTURE OF PRESENTATION • Beginning Activity • Introductory Points • A generational approach • Young people and ethnicity • Gender, gender relationships and young people • Social class, socio-economic class and young people • Urban young people • Rural young people • Contemporary concerns and issues with/ of young people- a sample • Conclusion- Lifestyle(s) and young people

3. 0 Beginning Activity- Reflection 1 • Before arriving in Australia what preconceptions of Australia ( and young Australians) did you have? • What do you think were the sources of these preconceptions? • If you had two hours to givean overview of young people in Norway to an overseas audience, what attributes would you highlight?

4. 0 Introductory Points • (1) In any topic of social analysis in any society beware of the “one trend fallacy”/ stereotyping • -> complex societies with a diversity of categories and self identified groups of young people, and complex trends and issues within these • Ethnicity/ gender/ “social class”/ socio-economic class/ family composition and membership/ urban/ rural/ etc –The Rubik Cube Analogy

6. Introductory Points (continued) • (2) Exploring the terms: • “childhood”, “children”, “adolescence”, “adolescents”, “youth”, “youths”, “young people” • The “social construction” of these terms and their changing meaning over time- Reflection 2

7. Introductory Points (continued) • (3) Adolescence and youth often described as “a problem”- the so called “deficit model” of analysis of social groups • (4) Importance of a comparative and “issues based” approach to young people and youth in Norway and Australia

8. A generational approach • The post war “baby boomer” generation • Born 1946-1961 • An indulgent generation- the pursuit of “lifestyle”? • Workaholics • The wealth of the baby boomers • The demographics of retirement- the “sea change” and “tree change” phenomenon • Generation X • Born 1962-1981 • Most educated • Resent the perceived privileged baby boomer generation

9. A generational approach- Reflection 3 • Generation Y (See Reading 3) • Born from about 1982 to about 1995 (Cut offs vary a lot) • Keeping their options open/ job mobility • Living with parents • Technologically literate • Electronic communication • The latest generation (See Reading 4) • Born from about 1996 onwards • Claimed disappearance of childhood and the loss of innocence

10. Young People and Ethnicity • Australia is an immigrant society (Tables Reading 1, P 1) • 50% of Australians born overseas or have at least one parent born overseas • Sources of migrants- (2004-2005) • UK 15% NZ 14% China 9% India 8% Sudan 5% • Ethnic diversity/ cultural pluralism/ multiculturalism

11. Young People and Ethnicity- Reflection 3 • Issues of ethnicity for young people • Concept of a “hierarchy of prejudice” • Clash of ethnic values and “mainstream” Australian values- > often “torn between two cultures”-> family conflict • Desire for peer group acceptance • Ethnic identity is “contextual” • Ethnic suburbs and ethnic schools • Stereotypes of ethnic young people- eg Vietnamese young Australians • Case study: The Brisbane Samoan and Tongan communities

12. Gender, Gender Relationships and Young People- Reflection 4 • The so called “gender revolution”-> the empowerment of young women (Tables Reading 1, P 2) • Young women and schooling • Careers, partners, marriage and parenting • Diverse and changing patterns in all these issues (Tables Reading 1, pp 3-7) • Male relationships- the Australian phenomenon of “mateship”

13. Social Class, Socio-economic Class and Young People- Reflection 5 • The concepts of “social class” and “socio-economic class” (Tables Reading 1, pp 8-11) • Australian denial of social class- an “un-Australian” concept which challenges the “myth of egalitarianism” • Class does exist in virtually every aspect of life: Occupations- professions, white collar, blue collar jobs Wealth distribution- super rich to homeless Suburbs- elite, middle class/ working class, and underclass Education- including private versus public schooling Language variations

14. Urban Young People

19. Urban Young People • The dominance of urban living in Australia • The “Australian dream” of home ownership • The suburban experience- attractions and limitations • The “inner city suburb” phenomenon

20. Rural Young People

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29. Rural Young People- Reflection 7 • The tyranny of distance, isolation and aridity • Responses to these challenges- eg rural versus urban conceptions of distance • The demographic consequences • Challenge of “Rural Despair” • Rural youth and in-migration to the cities • Moves to remote areas to cash in on “commodities boom” – temporarily less significant due to the global financial crisis

30. Contemporary Concerns and Issues with/ of Young People- A Sample- Reflection 8 • The Unaffordability of Housing • The cost of residential property in Australia • Options: stay with parents, rent, purchase on the periphery • The trendiness of some inner city suburbs- rent or purchase • The “First Homeowners Scheme” • Attitudes to the environment • Enhanced levels of awareness (see reading 4)

31. Contemporary Concerns and Issues with/ of Young People- A Sample • Binge drinking (Tables Reading 1, p 14) • Hotel and night club trading hours • “Schoolies week” • Alcohol consumption and taxation- the “Alcopops Taxation debate • Obesity, lack of exercise, etc (Tables Reading 1, p 15) • The sedentary nature of much work • The sedentary nature of recreational technologies • Junk food • However, popularity of gyms and participation in sport

32. Contemporary Concerns and Issues with/ of Young People- A Sample • Youth violence • Gangs- often ethnically or social class or neighbourhood based • Media reporting of specific incidents • Strong links with alcohol and drug consumption (Tables Reading 1, pp 13-14) • Claimed links to violence in computer games, movies, television programs, etc

33. 0 Conclusion: Lifestyle(s) • Suburbia and the trendy inner suburbs, and ethnic influences on lifestyle:- ethnic restaurants, festivals, etc • A secular society (Tables Reading 1, p 16) • Outdoors/ beach/ sport/ etc- both mythical and reality? • As part of “global culture”- Hollywood, popular music, globalised food, etc • Negative celebrity role models- “triumph of the airheads”? • Consumption and overconsumption and “the cult of the body” • Youth sub-cultures- eg Goths and Bogans • “Virtual lifestyles”: communications technology- mobile phones, the internet, You Tube, Twitter, Avatars, etc