Subcultures, according to Dick Hebdige, are a way for young people to express opposition to society through clothing, music, makeup, and drugs. Stan Cohen argues that the media can blow situations out of proportion, condemn certain behaviors, and create moral panics to maintain social control. Jimmy in Quadrophenia is fully dedicated to the mod gang as it gives him identity, but he risks losing himself to the gang. In contrast, Steph takes being a mod less seriously and feels no loyalty.

1. Key Theory Summary
Dick Hebdige
Subculture- Hebdige says that subcultures are a way for young people to express
their opposition to society, and to challenge hegemony. This is mainly expressed
through clothing, music, make up and drugs.
Stan Cohen
The media blows up a situation (like the London riots) and condemns that
behavior and creates a moral panic among people who intern go against
the condemned and keep social control.
Deviance amplification is where a deviant act can blew out of proportion
in the media, or amplified, which intern can create a moral panic to keep
social control.
Quadrophenia
Jimmy
Jimmy is represented as being a mod and fully dedicated to the gang as it gives
him an identity, which is a constant motivation for him. On the other hand as he
is trying to get further and further into the gang he becomes more like a mod and
starts to just look like any other. The main difference that makes him different to
the others is that he takes it a lot more seriously and his identity ends up being
all he has left. This means that he becomes a part of the teenage subculture of the
mods, which is heavily into the mob culture, for example, the riots on Brighton
beach and the chants of ‘we are the mods’.
Steph
Steph takes mod life a lot less serious and holds no loyalty to anyone. This is
shown when she goes down the alley with Jimmy and later refers to it as a bit of
fun