Thesis (M.A.)--Bowling Green State University, 2008. / Document formatted into pages; contains iii, 131 p. Includes bibliographical references.

<p>Youth culture and social problems associated with youth groups have existed for decades. We have chosen an explorative case study design to highlight young people's revolt against parents and society and how society has dealt with social problems of youth and how those were perceived. “Raggare” were considered a major social problem in society. The material in the study comes from eight qualitative interviews and literature of previous research of the current youth culture. The material also comes from a document study, which shows the social problems in connection with the youth cultures celebration of the midsummer festival in Öland. We have analyzed and clarified the image of “Raggare” past and present and found mechanisms that changed the “Raggare” culture from being a major social problem to the accepted as a pastime today. Our theoretical framework builds on previous research of the current youth culture, subcultures, deviant, symbols and symbolic interaktionism. We assume that theorist Zygmunt Baumans discussion of "we" and "them", Stanley Cohens term "moral panic" and Erving Goffmans dramaturgical perspective reflect our study in an informative approach.</p>

Youth culture and social problems associated with youth groups have existed for decades. We have chosen an explorative case study design to highlight young people's revolt against parents and society and how society has dealt with social problems of youth and how those were perceived. “Raggare” were considered a major social problem in society. The material in the study comes from eight qualitative interviews and literature of previous research of the current youth culture. The material also comes from a document study, which shows the social problems in connection with the youth cultures celebration of the midsummer festival in Öland. We have analyzed and clarified the image of “Raggare” past and present and found mechanisms that changed the “Raggare” culture from being a major social problem to the accepted as a pastime today. Our theoretical framework builds on previous research of the current youth culture, subcultures, deviant, symbols and symbolic interaktionism. We assume that theorist Zygmunt Baumans discussion of "we" and "them", Stanley Cohens term "moral panic" and Erving Goffmans dramaturgical perspective reflect our study in an informative approach.