The Adoption of Hip Hop Culture by Youth: An Analysis of Selected Daystar Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore how Daystar University students adopt hip hop culture and reasons for adopting it, and to describe it's impact on their attitudes, values and behaviour. The respondents were undergraduate students in both Athi-River and Nairobi campuses aged between 18 and 28. Data were gathered through a self-administered questionnaire, focus group discussions, in- depth interviews and non-participant observation. The study found that hip-hop culture impacted youth in Daystar. Another key finding was that the youth are avid consumers of mass media programming and are exposed to hip hop culture. This study also found that the mass media were the primary source on hip hop culture ideas, especially fashion trends, but influ- ence on the adoption of hip hop culture depended upon information networks, in this case friends of the participants. This study therefore recommends that hip hop music and other hip hop cultural elements be used to promote not only valuable cultural ideals in place of violence, crime and pornography, but also to propagate positive ideals in a global world, like spreading awareness on the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Hip hop music stars serve as a role models for the youth and as their message impacts the youth, this study challenges musicians to be responsible in the dissemination of positive messages for youth who aspire to be like them.