Introduction: Rethinking Youth Cultures in the Age of Global Media

Abstract

Most of the chapters in this book were originally presented during a two-year seminar series funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council. Under the title ‘Rethinking youth cultures in the age of global media’, our discussions ranged across a set of key themes, including the history of research on youth culture, the impact of globalization, youth participation, the role of digital media and the place of youth in the commercial market. By way of an introduction, we would like to explore some of the challenges that are implicitly posed by our title. Do we need to rethink youth cultures in the age of global media — and if so, why?