Youth Study CB IIM Kashipur 2014

UNDERSTANDING the INDIAN YOUTH AND

TEEN

IIM Kashipur/Consumer Behaviour/Term IV/Instructor: Dwarika Prasad Uniyal

India: Understanding the Youth and Teen Culture

Research Study Outline

We are seeking to understand youth/teen culture in India. The focus is on 13-19 year olds

with a heavy male skew. Ultimately, the target is “teens that would like to navigate &

positively Impact the “system” by expressing themselves in authentic / effective ways”

As such, we would like to get a read on what’s going on with youth culture as well as

what’s just starting to emerge that could be a broad trend over the next 1-3 years.

Emphasis on understanding the role that Music, Art, Street Culture, and Technology

play in their daily lives is critical. We also want to explore other areas where youth

express themselves most visibly, and what is influencing them within this context.

The Assignment: To write a well-researched analytical article on the various aspects of

Indian Teen (each group is given one aspect)

Total number of students: 77

Total Number of groups: 7 (you can form smaller sub groups and divide work)

Total students in each group: 11 (ideally 3 sub-groups within each group)

Type of Research: Exploratory Qualitative Research using secondary sources

Possible Sources of information for secondary research: Blogs, portals, magazines,

newspapers, books, news channels, films, TV shows, academic journals, industry

reports, social media groups, twitter handles of celebrities, popular leaders, web analytic

reports on trends, trendwatching reports on India, euromonitor/datamonitor reports, other

industry databases as listed in the library portal.

Deliverable: a Literature driven comprehensive report on the themes given.

Follow the referencing as given per APA style (refer to any article in Ebescohost). Please

Do not plagiarize (we will be using turnitin), do proper referencing in your report.

Font: 12, Times New Roman, single spacing

Format: MS Word

Page Limit: 10 (not including references)

Please attach annexures separately.

Time Line: Friday 4th July, 5 PM

TOPICS FOR SECONDARY RESEARCH ARE GIVEN BELOW IN FRONT OF

EACH GROUP AS MENTIONED IN NEXT FEEW PAGES:


TEEN


Group 1

Overarching socio-cultural dynamics:

What are some key facts about India that will be important for us to

understand and might help us understand the context of youth culture,

specifically regarding?

1. Sociological trends – e.g. demographics of this region, social

landscape, the economy, education, public transportation, etc.

Technological Trends: what is the current state of technology in this

region (e.g. access to internet, mobile communication) Political

Trends: what is going on with government (State and National) and

politics that might affect culture overall and youth culture

specifically?


TEEN


Group 2

Youth/Teen Popular Culture

2. Are there major regional differences in youth culture in India? If so

we need to understand these regional differences by activity and the

reason for these differences. Who are the influencers that have a

strong impact on youth and teens? (this can be a person or people, or

even a movement) What are popular activities that youth and teens

engaging in now? What are the main settings in which these activities

happen (e.g. Schools, public parks, social n Malls, neighborhood

streets, social networking sites etc)

Include Sports/Fashion/shopping/e-shopping


TEEN


Group 3

3. What roles do the following play in the lives of teens? Specifically –

when and where do teens engage in related activities? What trends are

happening in each of these areas that have specific relevance to teens?

Why are they important (or not important)?

Music Art / “street” art/ Street culture: (by “street culture”, we

mean public life in urban or other out-of home settings where

people socialize, gather or participate in activities) Technology /

Are there other spaces we are missing?

What popular culture trends are happening now? What underground

or cutting edge trends are happening and how do you think these will

evolve in the next 2-3 years? What’s driving these trends? What

countries (or cities) does India get its youth/pop culture cues from? Is

there a particular place that seems to have the most influence on this

country? Are there different influencer countries for different types of

culture?

o Provide examples and details about why they are influential.


TEEN


Group 4

Self-Expression and Social Tensions

4. Where is teen self-expression most visible and in what ways? (include

real-world locations as well as digital/social locations). For example:

do teens use personal style and fashion to express themselves in

public spaces, if so, what are popular fashion styles and where are

they typically seen / worn? Do they use sports? Dance? Music?

Avatars or online identities/second life?

o Why and in what situations is self-expression critical?

What are the barriers to self-expression for teens (Who or

what)?

o Why - what are the reasons for these barriers?


TEEN


Group 5

5. There are certain types of teen activities that are fairly “universal”,

such as : hanging out, gossiping, flirting, joking around, playing

pranks, adrenaline-seeking / physical risk taking (especially for boys),

jockeying for status, etc. What are some common ways teens engage

in these “typical” teen behaviors in this India? Are there certain ways

teens do these things that might be unique to this region? Are there

other such “typical” teen behaviors that might be unique to this

region? Are there certain cultural rules or other realities that either

restrict or enhance these behaviors? Can you share some of those

with us?


TEEN


Group 6

Evolving Context of Self Expression for Teens

6. Often times teens – especially teenage boys – are challenged to

respond to “heat of the moment” situations that, depending on how

they respond to those situations, can have significant impact on their

immediate or even longer term future. This is the dilemma of being a

teen – knowing when to “keep your cool” in spite of social pressure

from peers to conform or act a certain way, and even biological (e.g.

testosterone, raging hormones) circumstances. What are some

common situations where teens are faced with very specific, tense

moments and challenges related to their interaction with peers or “in

the moment” decisions with outcomes that could have an impact on

their future? What are some of the ways teens who are more self-

assured or “cool” might manage these situations? Are there unique

cultural or social realities in India that might pose some unique

tensions or situations for teens? How is self-expression changing in

India? If you were to make a list of ‘heroes’ that most teens in this

country would identify with and respect, who would be on that list

and why? Finally – are there any specific elements of youth culture

that you think are relevant, important or interesting as it relates to how

teens express themselves?


TEEN


Group 7

7. Social Media and Brands

What are the social media, mobile and other digital platforms that are

prominent avenues for teen self-expression? Why?

o Social Media

o Mobile

o Other Digital Platforms

o Which platforms do they NOT use / Would Not Use and Why?

How do brands participate in these platforms? Provide examples of brands

who are engaging in a relevant manner and that are respected in teen culture.

What about these brands makes participation in digital platforms a relevant

way to reach teens?

In general, what brands are seen as most appealing to teens? What about

these brands makes them relevant / successful at reaching teens?

What are examples of brands that are perhaps attempting to reach teens but

are perceived as “out of touch”, or don’t get it?

What makes them irrelevant?

Documents

Youth Study CB IIM Kashipur 2014