16922

SoSe 22: Youth and Youth Culture from the 1880s to the 1930s

Anna Lena Kocks

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Subject: In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the topics ‘childhood’, ‘youth’ and ‘adolescence’ reached an unprecedented and lasting prominence. Although the perception of youth as a distinct, important phase in one’s life had influenced philosophical and pedagogic discourses long before, it now received great attention in society, politics and culture and inspired the arts as well as the emerging consumer society. The turn of the century saw a boom in toys, fashion, books, magazines, youth organizations and leisure pursuits for children, adolescents and young adults. At the same time, especially in urban surroundings, different forms of youth culture emerged as a subculture. Generational conflicts became more tangible and politicized, while concerns about rebellious teenagers and fears of juvenile delinquency or youth-related political extremism grew and fuelled public discourses. Program: This course combines approaches of social and cultural history. It traces the impact of industrialisation, urbanisation and democratisation on growing up and coming of age. The course will analyse living conditions and experiences of everyday life of children, teenagers and young adults from different social backgrounds in a European context. We will investigate the interrelation of youth and popular culture, discuss views on adolescence published in the early 20th century and take a closer look at examples of youth culture and of political movements which aimed at mobilizing the younger generations. Is this course suitable for you? The course is open to students from the Social Sciences, Cultural Studies, Arts and Humanities. Students should be prepared to study a number of academic and literary texts as well as historical sources in English and should be interested in discussing and analysing aspects of social and cultural history. Workload and Assessment: In order to obtain 5 ECTS credits, students will have to attend the course regularly, participate actively in seminar discussions and group work, give a short presentation (15 minutes) that requires independent research, study the weekly course materials and pass the written examination (90 minutes). close