Youth-Scenes: The Scene-Model


Current youth studies prove that 3 out of 4 teenagers feel appertaining to a youth-scene. But not all of them are absolute insiders. Those who enter a youth culture by the age of 12 or 13 approach very slowly from the outside to a scene of their choice. First they have to learn the scene-code and they have to gain respect from those who are already "members" of the scene. Therefore: not all scene-teenagers do experience the scene-life in the same intense way and they're not all on the same "scene-level".

The scene-research makes a distinction regarding the scene-formation between 3 levels of intensity, further a youth-scene is analysed - based on the intensity-levels - as a zone-model:

  1. The innermost zone is called the "core-scene"; the core scene is the place of the absolute insiders who live for the scene and nothing else matters to them. The core-scene is small, but nevertheless nice!
  2. The circle of the active consumers is much bigger: they take issue with the styles and codes, which are typical for the scene, they know the scene-code; they don't live as uncompromising as the real scene-insiders. The scene is a very important social orientation-system, which is not of importance 24 hours a day, but in their leisure-time.
  3. The mainstream-scene - the outermost zone - has a very superficial access to the scene. For the teenagers whose place is the mainstream-scene, means "being in the scene"

THE SET-UP OF A SCENE

  • The core-scene:
    • the absolute insiders
    • the scene is their world
    • they're the idols of the scene
    • they care for cultural innovation an they give the scene a tendency
    • they're DIYers (do-it-yourselfers)

  • Scene of the active consumers:
    • the scene-surfers: they identify themselves with several scenes
    • nevertheless they know the scene-codes
    • they're authentic multipliers of the scene with an affective proximity to the core-scene

  • Mainstream- or leisure-time - scene:
    • they're not so much engaged with the scene-life
    • nevertheless the scene-code has a certain meaning for them
    • hey're imitators of the scene
The core-scene gives the scene form and tendency, defines trends and styles; makes the scene-labels (which are very important for the active consumers). The core-scene does change the scene codes in the very same moment, when the mass takes the code up and imitates it. The core-scene is the home of the producers and activists of the youth-culture: those who make music themselves, those who like to skate or to snowboard, those who organise lan-parties. So the core-scene harbours the creative people who call the scene-clubs their home and for whom the scene is "real life". They're unadulterated insiders. They keep supra-regional scene-contacts up and they know exactly, what's up in other scenes. And they go online "with" the scene. So virtual communities can develop on the Internet, where communication between congenial people is not dependent on a material base of a common residence anymore.

The real scene-insiders are very movable in "reality" as well. For a cool scene-event they would travel hundreds of miles with their cars, by train, etc. The scene has no geographical border to them, to "be in the scene" is supra-regional.

In a mitigated form, this concept works for the "active consumers" as well. Supra-regional scene-events are important for them too. Whereas for real insiders these events are a must, the active consumers don't see them as a duty. Nevertheless the scene-life is of an immense importance to them. They identify themselves very strongly with the view of life, the values and feelings originated from the scene-insiders. They orient on the style of the core-scene and are very important multipliers. This means, that they expand the radius of action of the scene and make the scene popular for those, who're no unadulterated insiders yet.

The heart of a scene has - regarding the scene-code - a representative function towards the adjoining fields. The more one moves away from the core-scene, the more the scene-code fades. The active consumers still know the scene-code well. They keep an eye on the core-scene - and copy the insiders as soon as they invent something new. In the mainstream-scene things are different. Here it is not important to know what is happening in the core-scene. Here everybody knows the "theme" of the scene, that's enough. A common philosophy of life - which is important for a team spirit in the core-scene - doesn't matter here. As well, the scene-code is not an expression for a feeling towards life of a certain scene, the code is only superficially practised and interpreted.

Summing up: for the core-scene and the active consumers, the scene is authentic. For the mainstream- and leisure-time - scene it is rather a juvenile supply.
To be even more precise: the core-scene and the active consumers are a community of congenial people whereas the mainstream- or leisure-time - scene is simply a community of equally styled people.