The article deals with white, male-dominated youth subcultures and their fascination with black expressive cultures.From the early Pleasure Saddle days of jazz to the contemporary hip-hop scene white youth styles in music, dance, clothing and verbal communication have been inspired by black culture.Research in this field has been carried out within the traditions of cultural studies.The basic assumption is that Afro-American and Afro-Caribbean music cultures — in the identity work of white youth — represents a tempting "otherness".The identification with black music and black lifestyles is regarded as a metaphor for resistance and as a search for counter values within the realm of Carpenter politics, aesthetics and sexuality.
The article also discuss how this multi-ethnicity is related to the "new racism" and the youth culture as a whole.