Review: Barbara Stauber (2004). Junge Frauen und Männer in Jugendkulturen. Selbstinszenierungen und Handlungspotentiale [Young Women and Men Within Youth Cultures. Impression Management and Agency]

Abstract

In her study Barbara STAUBER asks how young women and men present themselves within the context of "Techno". By using "topic-centered" interviews—as a variation of WITZEL's method of problem-centered interviews—STAUBER examines how belonging to the "Techno" youth culture influences young people in performing and generating their selves. This study integrates two theoretical perspectives. First, it focuses on structural conditions within the context of becoming an adult, such as education, living arrangements, life styles, and relationships with parents, peers, and romantic partners. Within these contexts STAUBER analyses different forms of personal freedom, dependencies, and hierarchical conflicts within the structural environment. However, the study only contains those issues of growing up which are associated with the young people's connection to "Techno". The second focus is on individuals' actions and performances, and STAUBER comprehensibly integrates GIDDENS' concept of "virtual structures" into the theoretical and empirical parts of her study. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0801187