The term chav is defined in the oxford dictionary as: "a lower-class person typified by brash and loutish behavior and the wearing of developer clothes. " It is described as a casual derogatory word in United kingdom slang. The website, www. urbandictionary. com, which is known for its meanings of British isles slang words, rather than define the term chav, depicts the image of the 12 calendar year old boy using an imitation tracksuit whilst smoking a cigarette and concurrently revealing his jewellery. The website identifies young boy's attitude as arrogant walking around "as though he is 8 feet high and mouthing off to strangers that walk by. This site does a great job of posing a truthful image of just what a chav is deemed to be.
The need for cultural criminology is situated within understanding human social behaviour through the popularity of ethnical factors which permits theorists to view behaviour as powerful rather than decided giving rise to different views on transgressive behavior. The activities of the children considered to be chavs on a daily basis can be considered as part of their lifestyle, which has subsequently lead to the increase in the word chav subculture. The term subculture is employed to describe a culture with characteristics that differentiates them from a more substantial culture, for example the chav culture within United kingdom culture. The attributes that this chav subculture observes that differentiates are; a different fashion sense mainly tracksuits and football caps; the putting on of plenty of 'bling' which is generally gold jewellery whether imitation or real; and basic loitering (going out) in public places such as avenue edges, town centres.
Cultural criminology is aimed at looking at criminal offense in the context of its culture. It is designed to show the partnership between advertising culture, youth culture and offences. It is the idea that the explanation for committing an offence due to the thrill received. This can be due to extreme boredom so this means offenders have to holiday resort to offense as their only way to obtain pleasure. Cultural criminologists argue that offenders are influenced by press, and are in the mindset of this is the best way to behave. In the framework of the chav phenomenon they would argue that the chav trend has occurred through choice, generally for youngsters to fit in with their surroundings. An example of this can be seen through chav fashion and style. The Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies details style as a means of resolving structural contradictions; however ethnic criminologists, such as Martin, take this a step further and illustrate style as a means of connecting an individual to modern culture. By following fashion fads, and wearing developer gear, irrespective of its legitimacy it is an make an effort by chavs to connect with contemporary society. Fashion may be observed as a kind of exclusivity, with the elite wearing exclusive creator labels; an art with an agenda of keeping the non-elite at a distance. I think that the subversive use of Burberry wear by chavs is undeniably an attempt by chavs at attaching with society; by separating themselves from normal fashion and creating their own rebellious trends.
Taking into consideration Bennett's notions of lifestyle, I'd argue that the choices considered by the working course youth are an attempt to achieve an personality, to be realised and accepted in a community in which they believed they are really ostracised. This bottom line was also attracted by the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies who believe the chav phenomenon can be "a reaction to analogous transformations in working-class identity, community and culture, now taking place in the framework of consumer capitalism. "
Chavs have a tendency to socialise or loiter in places which are open public such as town centres, road corners anticipated to boredom. Really the only form of entertainment available to them is shouting mistreatment at passers. This deviance is conceived as the 'thrill of transgression' and 'self-transcendence' as 'a way of overcoming the conventionality and mundanity typically associated with the banal exercises and practicalities of everyday regular life. I really believe the reason why chavs travelling flaunting their developer gear a bet receive attention that's not obtained elsewhere.
The term 'chav' is connected to communities that contain suffered public deprivation. Lawler will take this a step further and details them as "the poor and dispossessed. " Furthermore, Cohen and Ainley explain chavs as a "post-industrial youngsters underclass". However I do not believe what chav and underclass are totally synonymous. I dread "underclass" is the word that has perplexed caused arguments regarding category prejudice. Skegg notes that "terms such as cultural exclusion and the underclass have been cynically marketed and employed by successive British Government authorities and policy designers, and have speedily taken the area of conditions such as working class. " It really is this point that illustrates the fact that despite post 1980s studies of culture that proved a decline in the examination of social course; class distinctions have never disappeared rather they have been changed. As the acknowledgement of category inequalities has been buried so have category identities making the work on social course seem out of place. Nevertheless the simple fact that the economical polarisation reached its pinnacle in the 1980s intended that the working school became the new 'underclass'. That is echoed by Sayer who deems that the term working class is becoming one of embarrassment and shame after having a decline in to the issues of school equality.
Moran asserts that the 'chav' sensation surfaced as part of the 1980s change towards neo-liberal thinking and business culture. Moran cases society was regarded as groups comprising distinguished tastes and standards of living, which further became known as 'yuppies', 'toffs', 'boffins' and 'chavs'. Despite various research about the declining importance of course, the creation of such groupings has lead to stereotyping resulting in new classes. One way of distinguishing the low classes is their crass and flashy style illustrated in the clothes they wear, the jewellery they wear and the music they listen to.
News press has been one of the excellent means through which the chav depiction has been made up and constituted. An example can be an article entitled "Sites to check out if you chav what it can take" which appeared in the Edinburgh Night News 2004, where writer Gina Davidson declares: "And we will know them by their dress. . . and path of fag ends, dazzling white trainers, baggy tracksuit trousers, branded athletics top, gold-hooped earrings, sovvy jewelry and the ubiquitous Burberry football cap". Essentially, writers such as this label and define the new underclass known as chavs. She creates, "Call them what you would, identifying them is simple. " Furthermore statement, she carries on in a defaming manner by stating that girls wear too much yellow metal plated jewellery that they will end up adding H Samuel out of business. She labels them as the dole-scroungers, petty criminals, soccer hooligans and teenage pram-pushers. Davidson's description demonstrates the way the chav label has become an umbrella which encompass a string of older stereotypes of the white working classes.
However the media distinguishes the actual fact that the chav image has a characteristic that makes it unique from past images of the underclass; the attention paid to the exaggerated use of consumer goods, types of such as cheap jewellery, branded sports products and the increased use of Burberry wear. This has been acknowledged by Hayward and Yar who claim that the "chav trend reiterates the discursive creation of the underclass, while all together reconfiguring it within the area of commodity usage. "
Through descriptive illustration of chavs, the news headlines media has created a account, and someone who fits the account or is comparable to the profile will be characterized as a chav. The multimedia has created a class that people may be pigeonholed solely predicated on their foreground; with no regard whatsoever concerning their background.
Furthermore, theoretical writers such as Lawler, Skeggs and Tyler have laid emphasis on the actual fact that the portrayals of the 'chav' plastered with a feeling of disgust which leads to efforts of distinctions by the center school who are insecure about being tarnished with the same clean as the low category. An illustration of the antipathy is shown in a quote from a website regarding chavs:
"I am so glad I've money and am not obligated to are in local authority enclosure. This image just makes me realize how blessed I am to be an educated, cultured member of the center classes. "
This disregard for the backdrop combined with the sense disgust created by the mass media towards this new underclass is exactly what separates the middle/higher school with the chav underclass. I commend Billig's critique that these unhelpful mass media accounts of chavs have an underlying objective "to make a disgust which is not only reactive but is constitutive of social course. " The appearance of disgust within mass media portrayals of chavs must be observed as conscious and not unintentional. The chav physique has produced a increase of condescending scorn targeted at the low classes by not only the higher class however the middle class as well.
I would dispute that from the view of ethnical criminologists, it is this ostracisation that breeds the chav culture and affects the youth to act in such way that contravenes the traditional norm exhibited by world. These transgressions are what offers these chavs their individuality. Modern studies on junior frequently put emphasis the idea that class is becoming less important in shaping young people's futures has turned into a powerful discussion in sociological writing on youngsters. Nonetheless it is this notion of category itself that figures the youth to pick a culture to follow. The chav culture is just new option that adds to the set of other youth cultures such as Goth, Emo and Urban.
Taking the viewpoint of normal criminologists, when analysing the new underclass they might take into account the undeniable fact that chavs predominantly result from neighbourhoods that show community disorganisation and physical deterioration. The neighbourhoods in which chavs develop up are usually estates which can be mainly possessed by the local authority or areas or rented cover. These areas are high in proportion of solo parent young families. These areas also show socio-economic deprivation. The parents of the youths in these areas are basically unemployed, a report for the Centre of Community Justice shows that between 1981 and 2006 the percentage of social casing tenants of working get older in full-time work halved from 67% to 34%. Parents also generally have histories of medication or alcohol maltreatment and backgrounds associated with criminality. Families living in these areas tend to lack good connections between children and their parents with the parents missing good parental skills resulting in dysfunctional family members with high tendency of family malfunction. In turn the children of the parents have consequently of poor parenting and cultural upbringing been remaining with no or little public skills or work ethic and may be impossible to educate. These youths screen lots of individual factors such as hyperactivity, impulsive reactions, mental and/or physical health problems and a minimal self-confidence. It leaves these youths with poor educational performances in their colleges, due to regular time losing through disruptive and competitive behaviour. Their insufficient discipline and company can result in poor attendance in classes and early departing.
Edwin H. Sutherland put forward the idea of differential connection which asserts that legal behaviour is learned through interaction, it emerges whenever a person is exposed to "more social communication favouring do than pro-social text messages. " He argues that criminal behaviour is an expression of basic needs and prices exactly like non criminal behavior. If we take away the criminal factor out of this theory, it could be applied in the context of chavs; the reason for their behavior such as loitering or the reason why they conform to a dress code is basically because chavs wish to express themselves equally top of the classes do. They too feel the need to follow a fashion, craze or culture as much as everyone else.
Another theory that can be applied to the chav happening is the theory of anomie and tension produced by Robert K. Merton. This theory when applied to the chav trend indicate that chavs divulge in transgressive behaviour therefore of culture and the composition of world itself. He echoes the actual fact that of society stocks the same values and goals. The idea asserts the explanation for chav behaviour is because of a retreat from public norms because of unequal interpersonal opportunities causing the junior to drop into deviant subcultures. Taking this theory a step further we could interpret the culture of chavs a rebellion, which aspires to seek new goals, such as creating a new identification or culture exclusively to identify themselves from those who distance themselves from chavs anticipated to ignorance.
Furthermore, the idea of delinquent subculture could be applied, developed by Albert K. Cohen. He believes that the explanation for delinquent behavior was an uprising against the center class society's understanding of what world should be. He declares the delinquent subculture, "took its norms from the bigger culture, but becomes them upside down. The delinquent's do is right by the criteria of his subculture exactly because it is incorrect by the norms of the bigger culture. "
In fact, I believe the chav happening as subculture has happen due to circumstances as well as choice. I believe the choice to adhere to this subculture made by the youth does not come only by free will, but is based after the circumstances and factors that surround these children, leading them to conform to a culture. This would lead me to state that the view considered by ethnical criminologists that chav culture is a choice or a rebellion would not be true if removed from the context of the argument submit by classic criminologist. I really do not assume that chav label entirely depicts someone following a culture. We have observed in the media, people who have result from chav like backgrounds remain regarded as chavs such as Jade Goody and Coleen Rooney. Although no more displaying chav-wear, the fact that they come from chav backgrounds has permanently branded them as chavs with Jade Goody being regarded as the best chav. The actual fact that the she moved out of the deprived living conditions she once resided in the label has jammed with her despite her getting into a middle class society. I really believe this has lead to a interpersonal labelling and almost public prejudice against people who result from areas filled with chavs.
What people neglect to see the is what's covered behind veil known as chav, the real communal underlying problems which have lead the junior to make those choices to check out this culture. Jade goody, labelled the ultimate chav, was ridiculed for her lack of general knowledge on nationwide television, but a closer look at her background discloses that her upbringing was one of hardship and difficulty. She was brought up within an environment full of crime and assault, with her dad was a long-term medication addict and her mother a thief, it had not been an rearing full of prices and ideals.
Tyler and Bennet declare in their article on super star chavs that "Press portrayals of the celebrities use con- notations of the undeserving poor to be able to create accounts of the undeserving star. "
In reality I really believe there is more to the chav occurrence than just a culture, it's been introduced into world as a school; a class that you will be given birth to into and cannot leave. A class that is produced as a by product of the drop of category and fashioned to create fluid identities also to compensate for the change in political strategies. A course that the young ones choose to be in simply because they fit in no other course.
