Researching Youth Subcultures: A Rights Based Approach

Abstract

This article critically engages with the conceptualization of youth culture as a subculture, emphasizing the deficiencies of existing frameworks in addressing intersectionality. Highlighting the inadequacies of established categories such as adolescence and youth, the article proposes a novel perspective—contemporary children's culture. The author argues for an interdisciplinary, rights-based approach that places the child at the center, challenging traditional research paradigms and advocating for the active involvement of young people in the research process. The framework presented comprises three voices: institutional voices about children, institutional voices for children, and children's own voices. By looking into each, the article contributes to advancing research methodologies in the study of youth culture.