Subcultures of Boys Within Schools

By: Zein Holail

Edited by: Farris Al Qalam

 

According to the History Learning Site, all around the world subcultures inside of schools exist within each grade. After researching about subcultures within schools, the research shows that most students are choosing and following their peer groups because of similar topics they values. Some basic topics that most subcultures follow within schools are, sports, education, social media, friendships, and wealthiness. Within AIS-R I have been surrounded by all the different subcultures who contain of different students. When I came new to AIS-R I had been influenced to join a peer group that values a similar topic due to observing the different subcultures.

 

Within AIS-R subcultures exist just according to personal observations you can see the subcultures. There are many factors that can determine the subculture, such as academical value, similar race/nationality, your wealthiness, and topics that you values. For example there is a peer group within the 8th grade where all the students are more academically advanced boys who are from the U.S.

 

Within my peer group that I have been being around for now one year consists of students of similar nationality, similar religion, and students who value sports. According to a poll taken by my peer group the main topic that we value is sports. Students and teachers may believe that my peer group doesn’t care about our education, but according to the same poll taken by my peer group my peer group replied with strongly disagree and disagree. My peer group may think that they care about their education, but instead of putting education first they put sports and friendships before education.

 

My peer group says that they value sports. Whenever the whole peer group is together we are mostly playing soccer and hanging around. The students in my are definitely putting sports over education due to their average grades. 80% of my peer group has B’s and C’s and 20% have A’s and B’s. Sports have an impact to their grades because they are putting sports first then education.

 

My peer also thinks that they value our friendships. Every weekend we are spending at least five hours each day. They are leaving the homework away and leaving their houses to be with the peer group. My peer group values friendships to an extent that they are willing to cheat for another, willing to get into trouble together, and are also willing to not do their work just to be together.

 

Khalid Soudi was asked about his educational value and our peer groups educational value, he said “ He thinks that he puts his education first before sports and friendships because many times I stay inside his house when the rest of the peer group is going out, I think that there are a few people in our peer group that puts education first, but most of the peer group puts sports and friendships first.” Khalid is a student who spends most of his time studying and trying to get good grades. Also he has been in the peer group since childhood so he has been observing the peer group for a long time now.

 

Farris Al Qalam, a student in my peer group, was asked about the main topic our peer group values and our basic principles and had said, “The basic principle in our peer group is being all together and not letting anyone get in between our friendship. The main topic that we value as a group is sports and our friendship.”  Farris Al Qalam is an arab boy who has been in the peer group for 2 years and claims he has a clear image about the peer group.

 

Mrs Gally, a teacher who has been teaching in AIS-R for many years, claims that my peer group values social relations, sports, wealth, and possession. Mrs Gally is a teacher who has been teaching and observing students in AIS-R for many years so she has a clear idea of all the subcultures within the AIS-R community. She has also taught in many international schools before teaching in AIS-R.

 

Omar Al Khadra, a student outside of my peer group, has been asked about the main topic my peer group values as well as our basic principles and then had answered, “I think that your peer group mainly values sports, but mainly soccer and also probably the basic principles would be that your whole peer group has to remain together and not ditch each other and to have not good grades.”

 

Students around the world are choosing and following their peer groups due to similar topics that each student values. Within AISR just from observing in classes and in lunch you can see all of the different subcultures. There are many factors to determining the peer groups such as your race, nationality, wealthiness, academical value and topics that you value. In AISR you are convinced to follow or join a peer group that has a similar topic that you value. Within my peer group that I have been being around for now one year consists of students of similar nationality, similar religion, and students who value sports.