Influence of Hip-Hop Culture on Youth, Essay Example

Introduction

Hip-Hop is unquestionably more than just a category of music; it transcends its origins more from the urban settings directly into the mainstream. Children, regardless of their respective race or socioeconomic background experience some impact daily from the hip-hop culture. Because hip-hop is continually becoming popular, it is appearing in the media targeting primarily the youth for instance magazines, commercials, television programs, and video games (Fernandez 575-608). This phenomenon is growing, and the youth continue to be the target experiencing more of negative effects than the positive. Hip-hop has made notable social impacts since its initiation in the early 1970s (Derek 4-19).

Orlando Patterson, a professor at Harvard University described the phenomenon of the way hip-hop spread rapidly globally as abject diffusion. There are arguable facts that in underdeveloped nations or regions, this is where hip-hop has been of greater influence (Mary 525-552). Professor Patterson in his argument tells that the government, wealthy, and businesses in Third World countries relatively control mass communication globally therefore, the reason why hip-hop has not been of exceptional influence because of the control. His argument credits mass communication as the global creator of the hip-hop culture among the many cultures. This is evident mostly in American culture where black Americans rank as the mostly influenced people into the hip-hop culture. Mary contends that the youth are the mostly influenced group within cultures by the hip-hop culture (525-552).

The study will be determining the influence of hip-hop culture on the youth deriving both negative and positive effects and how they apply among the youth. The study will also be looking into the means through which hip-hop takes and influence in the youth, with a bias on the media as the main source of influence (Derek 4-19). It will be cross checking the life of the youths before and after an experience with the hip-hop culture. The study also purpose at the end to provide recommendations necessary in handling the hip-hop culture and its relative influences on the global youth.

Theoretical framework

This research will be basing on the concept of culture relativism. Mary argues that cultural relativism is a school explaining culture development and its effect to a particular society (525-552). Its argument majors on the explanation that different cultural groups feel, think, and act differently. Additionally, there are no specific scientific standards considering a scrupulous group as fundamentally superior or inferior to the other. Studying the different cultures among societies and groups presupposes an exact position of cultural relativism (Fernandez 575-608). It certainly does not entail normalcy for oneself, or involve one’s society. It, however, requires judgment when one deals with particular societies that highlight differences from one’s own. Information regarding the nature of cultural differences between groups or societies their roots, as well as their consequences must precede action and judgment. The study will access the truthfulness of this concept assessing hip-hop culture as inscribing in the society and the influence it has in changing the culture of the youth.

It also has a strong basis on the concept of culture change. According to a study by Mica, the values of culture within a society are stable on temporarily over a period, and they generally exhibit signs of regular change in simply a slow but gradual process (234-256). Likewise, the study by Mica indicates that the human culture, as quit a dynamic entity, has the capability of modifying itself and changing to develop other characteristics (234-256). Moreover, culture can reshape drastically by making changes on the existing circumstances as well as the immediate environments that surround societies (Derek 4-19).  Such views are in further support of Derek, whose argument maintained that people travel or migrate to other countries experiencing strong effects from other cultures, which they interact with in the process of their travel (4-19). In the concept of this study, it will be assessing the application of this concept to the hip-hop culture influence as a new culture adopted by the youth in many parts of the world (Derek 411-432).

The research also reflects on the concept of culture assimilation. The concept describes the changes on the hosting cultures from other foreign cultures happing and featuring mostly in behavior, language, political and commercial fields where the exchange happens (Alex 75-101). In addition to this argument, the works of Mary develops a confirmation that a particular society inherits its outstanding cultural values, for instance equity, care, legal and political structures, as well as responsibility assimilating to the values of the foreign culture (525-552). Therefore, with the inheritance of such cultural values, the society experiences an effect from the same playing vital roles despite the changes caused by the globalization, global market policies and by the remarkable development within the communication technology docket. The research on hip-hop will be assessing how the culture assimilates into the youth culture globally.

In this research, the concept of culture patterning will also feature. Cultural patterning expounds that people in a given society think and live in ways forming definite patterns. In this case, they have to develop particular living ways in which they follow. This affects individuals of a particular society in every feature of their lives. In reality, the individuals have to conform to what they feature as right from the society (Mica 234-256). Even when interacting with other societies, these individuals have to develop some form of identity with the immediate society. In application to study, the ideas of hip hop influence the youth will be mainly supporting the argument that it has to use particular patterns that individuals identify with therefore, establishing a strong influence (Derek 673-709).

Methodology

The purpose of the study will be determining the level of influence that hip-hop has on the youth. Two most prominent research questions guiding the research will be what the foremost influence of hip-hop culture is on youth and what impact hip-hop has in the culture changes within particular societies. The study area selected for data collection will be particularly in schools where most of the youths are and influence each other peer to peer through the hip-hop culture. Schools selected for the study will be expected to hold both blacks and whites and from various indigenous groups to allow diversity in the research. The participants involved in this research will be not below 11th grade students who are well able to provide information and have undergone the influence in various avenues of life. The study will incorporate three schools with each school providing at least 10 students for the research study.

Data Collection Methods and analysis

The study will be conducted using qualitative methods of data collection since most of the data is qualitative in nature. Prior to study, the sample of students will be given each a questionnaire including five questions concerning the influence of hip-hop on their social lives, their attitudes towards hip hop and any observable changes in their cultures with the inception of hip hop in this new century. A group of six students (two from each school) will go through an interview session with open ended questions almost similar to the questionnaire but with an open ended format to provide more information on the hip hop influence topic. After data collection through interviews and questionnaires, qualitative data analysis will be the basis of the study in data analysis and presentation. Content analysis will be of use in this case since most of the collected data will be qualitative and requiring tabulations later for better analysis and conclusion.

Assumptions and Limitations

The assumptions of this study are that the respective students have ever been into the hip-hop culture in a way (Derek 4-19). It also assumes that the students can identify changes in their attitudes, behaviors and other personal attributes and characteristics following their integration into the hip-hop culture. The research also assumes that the students have the knowledge and will complete the questionnaires appropriately and return them on time for analysis. The major limitation of the study is the time assigned since it is short and might not be enough to provide enough information for analysis and evaluation of the thesis statement.

Conclusion

This paper details a proposal for a study on determining the influence of hip-hop culture on the youth deriving negative effects as well as how they apply among the youth. The paper also presents the proposal looking into the means through which hip-hop takes and influence in the youth, with a bias on the media as the main source of influence. It also crosschecks the life of the youths before and after an experience with the hip-hop culture. The paper also purpose at the end to provide recommendations necessary in handling the hip-hop culture and its relative influences on the global youth. The paper portrays the media as arguing that hip-hop has a negative impact on the youth. The main details show hip-hop as enhancing racism, prejudice, gangs and other negative behaviors including drug additions, armed robbery and suicide.

There is however, other works of scholars focusing on hip-hop positively as opposed to the media negative reflection. Professor Thandi of Hip-Hop in his book “Hip Hop development” argues that there has been use of hip-hop in preventing substance abuse as well as other programs focusing on HIV (H2P) curriculum (Thandi). The programs have been fruitful in coordinating community efforts and strengthening students by giving the life skills. It has therefore had a very positive influence among the youth by developing their life skills training, helping them with problem identification, and facilitating community connections.

Works Cited

Alex, P. “Hooligans and Heroes: Youth Identity and Hip-Hop in Dares Salaam, Tanzania” Africa Today, Vol. 51, No. 4 (summer, 2005), pp. 75-101

Derek, C. “Hip-Hop vs. High Art: Notes on Race as Spectacle” Art Journal, Vol. 63, No. 2 (summer, 2004), pp. 4-19

Derek, P.  “Hip Hop as Pedagogy: A Look into “Heaven and “Soul” in São-Paulo, Brazil” Anthropological Quarterly, Vol. 80, No. 3 (summer, 2007), pp. 673-709

Derek, P. “Writing in the Margins”: Brazilian Hip-Hop as an Educational Project”, Anthropology & Education Quarterly, Vol. 35, No. 4 (Dec., 2004), pp. 411-432

Fernandez, S. “Fear of a Black Nation: Local Rappers, Transnational Crossings, and State Power in Contemporary Cuba” Anthropological Quarterly, Vol. 76, No. 4 (autumn, 2003), pp. 575-608

Mary, B. “Youth and Cultural Practice” Annual Review of Anthropology, Vol. 31, (2002), pp.     525-552

Mica, P. “Race Bending “Mixed” Youth Practicing Strategic Racialization in California”  Anthropology & Education Quarterly, Vol. 35(3) 234-256

Thandi, H. Hip Hop Development: Exploring Hip Hop Culture as a Youth Engagement Tool for  Successful Community Building. (2008), from, http://hip-hopdevelopment.ning.com/