Questions

1. Outline three (3) factors that contribute to a sense of community amongst teenagers.

2. What role does school play in the creation of teenage communities?

3. What are some of the typical places that teenagers like to congregate or ‘hang out’?

4. What is one of the most popular places for teenagers to congregate or ‘hang out’? What do parents think of this? What impact has this had on businesses in these locations?

5. Teenage groups play an important social role. What do they provide and contribute?

Tasks

Task 1

Many teenagers are frequent users of social networking sites such as Myspace, Facebook and Twitter. A social network service focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most social network services are web based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as email and instant messaging services. Social networking has encouraged new ways to communicate and share information. Social networking websites are being used regularly by millions of people. The main types of social networking services are those which contain category divisions (such as former school-year or classmates), and those which act as a means to connect with friends (usually with self-description pages).

Write a 100-200 word post that describes the way in which you use social networking sites such as Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, MSN messenger etc. In your response you should include the following:

- Which sites you use?

- How frequently you use these sites?

- How long you use these sites for in one sitting?

- Why you use these sites?

- Do you view this as being part of a community? Why/Why not?

Task 2
Write a 100-200 word response that describes a community that you are apart of. In your post you should include the following:

- A description of the community

- Factors that contribute to the sense of community

- A brief description of the space in which this community functions

Introduction to Teenage Communities

Skaters, Surfies, Homies, Punks, Goths and Web Geeks are terms familiar to most Australian teenagers. They are used to identify groups of teenagers that share similar interests. These groups can be distinguished by the clothes they wear, the music they listen to, the language they use and the way they spend their leisure time.

Factors Contributing to a Sense of Community

The factors contributing to the sense of community experienced by these groups include the following:
• neighbourhood—Most teenage groups have a neighbourhood focus. The local school plays an important role in bringing teenagers together.
• socioeconomic status—Neighbourhoods are often occupied by people with a similar socioeconomic background. This is frequently reflected in the nature of the groups formed within the neighbourhood.
• popular culture—Young people are attracted to elements of popular culture, especially music, clothing, recreational interests and the ‘lifestyle’ products that teenagers consume.
• demographic characteristics—Teenage groups usually consist of people of the same age.
• gender—Most teenage groups are gender-based, at least initially.
• ethnic background—While many teenage groups reflect the diversity of Australia’s multicultural society, some are dominated by teenagers from particular ethnic backgrounds.
Ethnic-based teenage groups (sometimes referred to as ‘gangs’) are common in those immigrant communities that have been in Australia for the briefest time. Group members find a level of acceptance that is not readily available elsewhere. Ethnic-based groups often have a strong spatial association with particular suburban areas.

The Role of School

In many cases school is a major focus of teenage socialisation; the playground being the context in which many enduring friendships and peer group associations are made. Sometimes the association with a particular school becomes a contributing factor to a sense of community that can last a lifetime. In some cases this attachment is passed from one generation to the next when children are enrolled in the schools their parents attended. This is more common in the private school sector.

Teenagers Use of Space

Geographers are interested in the way these communities or groups use space. The size of the area in which teenagers interact with each other generally increases with age. For younger teenagers the area of interaction may be confined to the local neighbourhood. With the social and physical development that accompanies the progress towards adulthood the area of interaction widens significantly to take in adjacent suburbs, beaches, large shopping malls and entertainment precincts. The area of interaction becomes even wider when group members become old enough to drive. Teenage groups often use space in ways that were not anticipated by the adults who designed them. Planned spaces, such as playgrounds and sporting fields, are often ignored in favour of ‘hidden’ spaces. Back alleys, building sites, vacant lots, areas of remnant bushland and river beds become places to ‘hang out’. Other favoured places may be more public, and concentrations of young people may be seen as threatening by local shop owners and other adults who would like to use the space. Shopping malls are a popular place for teenagers to meet and interact. These have the advantage of being acceptable to the many parents who see them as a safe environment for teenagers to socialise in. Business operators have responded to the demand generated by young consumers. Many large shopping centres have tenants who depend on the teenage market. Cinema complexes, fast-food outlets, electronic game arcades and surf shops are just some of the facilities catering for the needs of teenagers.

Social Role of Teenage Communities

Teenage groups play an important social role. They provide teenagers with a sense of belonging and acceptance. They also make an important contribution to the process by which young people struggle for independence. This struggle shows up among teenagers as a rejection of family-based activities in favour of adults and teenagers each increasingly going their own way socially, and each doing their own thing.