December 21, 2007
Youthscapes
The youthscape of Spain, at least in Seville, is made up of the streets, parks, bars, and cafés in the city. It’s been said that Spaniards are a “gente de la calle”, or people of the streets. This can be said of Spaniards in general, but especially of youths. It’s uncommon for people to entertain themselves and others in their own homes; they would much rather spend time just relaxing in a bar with friends, or just hanging out in the street or in a park. There’s a strong emphasis on just enjoying life in a stress-free environment. However, this creates a problem that the police have been dealing a lot with recently: the botellón. A botellón is a huge group of young people congregating in the streets to drink, and it’s illegal as of last year. It can start off as a harmless group of kids socializing and drinking in the streets and plazas, but it can really get out of hand. Now the government is looking at the idea of designating a specific area for youths to botellón, but that may or may not solve the problem. So in terms of geographic location, the youthscape might not be a black and white answer after all.
December 20, 2007
youthscapes
Washington DC is filled with political space! As our nation’s capital and living quarters for our president and Congress, politics is everywhere you turn. When I moved here in August I jumped right into the political scene by reading the Washington Post everyday. Pretty soon it became an addiction and I found myself feeling completely lost if I did not read the paper or tune into the news everyday. There is such a powerful aura surrounding Washington that I simply cannot explain, but even in the first few weeks of living here I noticed how caught up I was in the political and journalism scene. I realized just how much of the world revolves around this small city; the happenings of Washington and our politicians affect not only our country but others worldwide as well.
And for some reason the program is not allowing me to post a picture.
Youthscapes
The youthscape in Spain is something that, for me, is very hard to define. It is a much more diverse group than what exists here in the US, because the idea of youth lasts until a person is around 30. Los jovenes, or the youth consists of everyone from 13-30. For me, with the friends I made in Spain, it is easier to focus in on the university age. One thing that shocked me, was their involvement in politics and in their community. The idea of activism was very important to them. On the news and in the papers, it was very common to hear about riots and protests. My friends told me about them, participated in them, and would constantly discuss what was going on with their schools, and communities. Just before I left one friend told me about how she was protesting the change in the university system (In Spain, and the rest of Europe, countries are changing to conform to the same system). This idea of being active within your school, and trying to change what you see needed shocked me. While this is not shared by all Spanish university youth, it was a side that I have never seen. Students rallying around a cause, and attempting to change the system. While seemingly powerless in the matter, they still proclaimed their opinions.
City Full of Youth
Youthscapes
In some ways, I think Australian youth are forced to take up political power in their youthscape. After they turn 18, Australian citizens are required to vote. If they do not, they face a fine. Though some choose to cast a "donkey" vote, or one that is invalidated because of errors on the ballot, many of the students I knew thought critically about who they were voting for in the national election in November. The money of Australian youth also shapes their power. Minimum wage for a 20 year old is $18 per hour. Even with the higher cost of living, that is a good wage. If Australian youth choose to work, they have the money to dictate portions of the market and when they vote they can make large impacts on elections. Their youthscape is defined only by the limits they impose on themselves.
youthscapes
I would say that the entire city of Cologne is a huge youthscape. The nightlife here is never dull no matter what day of the week it is. It is packed with student clubs and bars. One of the huge differences in what youth in Germany compared to youth in America do is that obviously the drinking age in Germany is 16, and by the time students are our age in their early 20's the phase of "lets get wasted" kind of fades out. They don't drink to get drunk but more of a cultural and lifestyle. Without a doubt they drink wayyy more alcohol here, but probably aren't "wasted" as much. Another important cultural youthscape difference is that its not uncomon to hang out or go to parties our brauhauses with adults. It is a very mixed atmosphere of young students, parents, and grandparents.
Youthscapes
The Youthscape in England is the pub/bar/restaurant scene. These places provide a relaxing atmosphere that many students and young adults go to to take a load off and enjoy themselves. Because the drinking age is 18, many students and young adults are used to going out and having a nice time with some drinks, and it is not something that gets out of hand or turns into an all night drinking binge. In fact, it is normal for kids around the age of 14 or 15 to begin having drinks with family dinners or holidays. This reinforces the ritual of having a few drinks when enjoying a dinner or a small get together with friends or family. The bars, restaurants and pubs are places where the youth get together for a nice meal or a small get together to enjoy conversation, laughs, and good times. In the US, bars are also popular venues for youth to get together but the atmosphere does not seem to be the same as in England. The bars seem more uptight looking for underage drinkers and it seems like everyone is just trying to get wasted. My experience of the pub youthscape scene in England was very enjoyable - good times spent in a relaxing atmosphere with a few drinks and new friends enjoying conversation and laughs.
Youthscapes
Youthscapes in Spain exist and they are both similar and different to the ones in the United States. Youth in Spain are called jovenes and they are in the stage of la juventud. This stage can be part of a very long process in growing up. It begins when you are a young teen and can last until your late thirties. The youth of Spain live in the streets. The apartments are very small and it is uncommon to invite friends over. Oftentimes children share rooms and there is very little space. The youth meet their friends and lovers in the streets. The weather is so enjoyable and warm that their living rooms are the plazas and parks
Some youth may dress differently and be placed into different groups such as the Goths, but many dress just like we do. They also like being individuals by getting tattoos and piercings but also fitting in with their peers. The youth have very few responsibilities and very little is expected of them. I was not used to being called a niña which is a little girl or being treated like one in my house. One time during a meal, I was showed how to properly cut my orange with a knife or it was it was done for me. I think guidance is important but we need to be able to make mistakes and learn from them. In the United States we are considered an adult and on our own at age eighteen, where as they live with their families until age thirty four for example. They also do not have to pay very much for university or anything for room and board in their own home. I think that money is a something that makes you an adult and here money is not that important and taken care of by your parents. Therefore these youth have a very care free environment. They hang out by the river and in the main plazas. They are interested in making a statement socially but not politically or religiously.
Political Youth
Within Kenya, there are 42 different ethnic tribes that one can recognize with. That means 42 different mother-tongues and traditions that stretch back thousands of years. The youth of Kenya are starting to change. The politics has always been filled with the same men who were around at the time of independence in 1962, but the youth are changing this. While the older generations of Kenya are very focused on tribal politics, the youth are more focused on progress especially in the field of development. These deeply engrained tribal issues that have plagued Kenyans since independence slowly seem as if they are being removed. This will take generations, but the progress is coming. This is a big step for any sub-Saharan African country due to the violent rule of the Europeans and their exploitation of tribalism. The youthscape in Kenya is changing the country in a way that has not ever been done.
Youthscapes
Youthscapes are not hard to come by in England. Following in the footsteps of the US, England and the rest of the UK has become very youth oriented. Restaurants, stores, ads-everything is targeted at the younger generations. The focus of attention on young adults is even more apparent in Lancaster, as it is a "university area". Most locations and attractions cater towards the university population. Although there is a plethora of places that can be considered youthscapes in Lancaster, the most frequented establishments are the bars and night clubs.
University students in the UK are much like students in the US. After classes and papers, they just want to unwind, relax, and be free from inhibitions. The setting provides much more than alcohol, however. The atmosphere is often inviting, and students sit around and talk about the simple things. Bars are more about fitting into the social networks of the area, and one can often find students just chatting about life and such. Mind you, there are always those people interested in partying and causing chaos hanging around, but there is also a great chance that you will find a group of intelligent students indulging in conversation about every issue under the sun.
December 19, 2007
Youthscapes
Youthscapes
I think the most common youthscapes in Köln are its many student bars. Seeing as the legal drinking age here is much younger than in the United States, it is much more common to spend time in a local bar. In Köln the most common youthscape would be a Brauhaus. Students and adults alike go here to relax and talk. It has become a common place to discuss movies and music as well as politics.
December 18, 2007
youthscapes
The youthscape of especially Nairobi is very westernized and with that they are fighting against the problems of the older generations. The youth are very politically active and working hard towards their future. They are trying to fight against tribalism by befriending and even marrying people from different times, which in their parents’ generation would have been completely unheard of and is still looked down upon. Many youth understand the power of education more than their parents. Therefore most youth are very ambitious. This is partially due to the schooling system. All school in Kenya are extraordinarily competitive and if you don’t make the grades on the exams you don’t go on, and if you don’t make the grades on the final after form four (US equivalent is 12th grade) then they just don’t get into university. Since most of the youth especially those without a land inheritance, know that the only way to survive in life it to achieve a good education, the youth work extremely hard in school. One thing that showcases part of the youthscape of Kenya is that matatus. The matatus are colorful with “youth like” sayings on them, playing loud music and having colored lights in it. Many youth will not get into a matatu that does not look “fun”. So although they are very into their education and trying to improve their country, it seems like they are trying to almost run away from their parents generation and the conservativeness of it. Thus creating interesting looking matatus.
December 14, 2007
Youthscapes
December 8, 2007
Youthscapes
Youthscapes in France are not hard to find, particularly in Angers. The entire town is nothing but college people—there are 3 or 4 universities, and therefore the majority of the inhabitants are “youths.” It was hard for me to decide on a Youthscape for Angers, because there are so many places where college students frequent. In the end, I decided on the broad spectrum of bars/cafés. School is all well and good, but you’ll find it’s pretty dogmatic. Not that it’s bad, it’s just not open to many discussions and opinions (at least, in my experience here). It’s after school, when people want to relax and talk, that you find the true exchanges, whether it be political, social, material, what-have-you. Students stay until well past midnight at bars and cafés, buying drinks for themselves and others, discussing what they learned that day, current politics, fashion, television, goals in life, religion, hopes and dreams for their future and the future of the world, anything you can imagine. They may not be the most sophisticated spots in the world, but I think you’re more inclined to find interesting, free-flowing debate in local bars and cafés in France than anywhere else you could go, and that includes libraries and schools.
December 5, 2007
Youthscapes
Youthscapes
In her piece, Sunaina Maira (see course readings) describes her concept of Youthscape as not just a geographic or temporal location, but as a social and political space, "a 'place' that is bound up with questions of power and materiality" (210).
In not more than two screens of text (with an image) explain how the youthscape of your particular location is constituted.
DUE DATE: DEC. 20, 2007