British youth culture

The richness and variety of the UK’s youth cultures, from the postwar period to the present.

This playlist looks at the links between youth culture and the music and fashion industries, with young people as both producers and consumers, as trendsetters and followers of fads.

It includes both ‘classic’, ‘spectacular’ subcultures, exploring the notoriety and lasting influence of movements such as punk and mod, but also shines a light on less visible activities such as the bedroom fan cultures of young women and girls.

t seeks to be inclusive and diverse, and to acknowledge the ways in which British society and attitudes have changed over the past seventy years, due not least to the efforts of generations of young people challenging its constraints.

This is a playlist with educational intent, but hopefully is also a lot of fun, and seeks to capture the intensity and boundless creativity of young lives.

Curator

Dr Ruth Adams, King’s College London

Subjects

• Cultural studies
• Creative industries

Keywords

Youth culture, young women, music, fashion, fan culture