M.A. (Industrial Sociology) / Identity construction amongst the youth is a vital process as it shapes who they are and what they want to be. Rapid social change contributes a great deal to the ways people create and shape their identities. This study focuses on youth identity construction in South Africa, specifically among young people at The Zone, a shopping mall in Rosebank, Johannesburg. In South Africa much research has been done on youths mainly focusing on delinquency. There is thus a knowledge gap with regard to youth identity and the positive aspects of life. This study, therefore, aims to shed light on the positive aspects of identity construction among the youth. Previous studies on youth identity construction have shown that youth identities are constructed in a world where popular culture dominates people’s existence. The construction of youth identity at The Zone is examined by focusing on music, fashion and technology as the main elements of popular culture. The theoretical framework of this study is derived mainly from scholarly work on identity formation, popular culture and youth culture at The Zone. For this study, both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in which the following data gathering processes were applied: focus groups, semi-structured face-toface interviews, and questionnaires. The findings of the study show that identity construction amongst the youth is done through their interaction with one another as well as the images, styles and entertainment that form part of popular culture. Democratic South Africa has opened doors of choices for young people. Within certain constraints, they are able to do what they like, become who they like and explore their identities. The findings show that even though they come from different backgrounds, their aspirations to be hip and sophisticated, as dictated by popular culture, are similar.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:10691 |
| Date | 15 April 2014 |
| Creators | Nkuna, Lucert Promise |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Johannesburg |
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