Youth as a Social Class and Phenomenon Review

Youth as a Social Class and Phenomenon Review

The given selection of the articles has been chosen based on two criteria: they deal with the youth and they explain different aspects and issues connected with media education. There is no denying the fact, that technological progress and the changes in political, economic and cultural spheres of society affect people of all ages, but it is evident, that the youth should receive special attention, as young people in the future of the world. Our task is to analyze the youth as a social class and to consider the phenomenon of media education.

It is not by chance that the article by P. Lestina comes first in the list of articles we have to study. The author presents the general information on the way “class structures and struggles” influence the youth of the world “as they face a history of, and increasing subjugation to, the economic, political, and cultural logic of capital” (Lestina par. 1.1). The author throws light on hard economic conditions that are created in contemporary society: unemployment, which is the result of “capital flight and global outsourcing”, absence of government protection, and exploitation of labor (Lestina par. 1.5). It is commonly known that children and the youth are the most vulnerable social layers that require special treatment and care. The seriousness of the current situation is proved by statistics: about half of the population of the earth is under the age of 25, 11 million of the young die each year because of such problems as lack of food, bad sanitary conditions and unsatisfactory housing conditions.

Lestina’s article deals with the same problems that are discussed in the article by H. Giroux. The latter enlarges on obstacles that are faced by the youth, he elaborates on the way how conservatives are “dismantling the parts of the public sector that serve the social and democratic needs of the non-affluent majority of the American populace” (Giroux par. 1.1). He also stresses the problem of militarization of schools, which may be evidenced by such measures taken as the adoption of security systems and the carrying out of raids in American public schools. Giroux also disapproves and stresses the harmful influence of “zero-tolerance policies” and “criminalization” of “problem” young people, which is the main focus of the author’s work (par. 2.1 – par. 2.3). Both researchers mention racism as a “socio-political construction” that hampers natural development of society and contributes to the exploitation of labor (Lestina par. 2.7), (Giroux par. 2.4).

One more problem, which is elucidated in Lestina’s article and, is, certainly, of great importance, is the problem of class warfare, which is the result of new conservative agenda (par. 3.1). Its essence is in the fact that all participants of the educational process (parents, teachers, teacher unions, etc.) are deprived of the slightest possibility of making decisions. The only aim of the creators of this agenda is to sell it and gain considerable profit; what is more, this marketing operation is being held under the hypocritical cover of globalization, competitiveness, and efficiency. To struggle against these oppressive conditions of contemporary society, the author suggests fostering the development of political consciousness among the younger generation, which may be implemented due to cooperation of teachers and students, and by means of the students’ participation in political bodies.

On the whole, the main message of P. Lestina’s article is that there is vital necessity of the victory of politics over the “tyranny of market force” and the creation of theoretical approach to life for the youth (p. 5.2). We agree with the author on the idea of the paramount importance of class awareness and political awareness for the young. They are starting points for them to establish control over various spheres of life.

The central concept of the youth as a social class and the urgent problems of the young people are also discussed by S. Aronowitz in the article “Against Schooling: Education and Social Class”. The approach of this researcher may be characterized by more practical orientation in comparison with the above-mentioned authors who present theoretical points of view. The author’s main contribution to the concept of the youth as a class, that supplements the views presented above by his colleagues, is that he suggests abolishing “high-stakes standardized tests that dominate the curriculum and subordinate teachers to the role of drill masters and subject students to stringent controls” (Aronowitz par. 7.1). However, the scientist has no intention to eradicate the necessity of evaluation and evaluative tools in educational process.