Boy Racer Culture: Youth, Masculinity and Deviance

On the public roads boy racers are a foreboding presence, viewed with suspicion and derision by the respectable motorist. The problem of the young (male) driver is one which has plagued authorities and governments due to youths acclaimed propensity to engage in deviant and dangerous driving behaviours.

“Boy Racer Culture” sheds light on the boy racer phenomenon through ethnographic research with the notorious Bouley Basher culture in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland, and the moral panic on the part of outside groups including the local community, police, politicians and media. This book examines the creation of masculine and feminine identities in a traditionally male-dominated subculture through car-related rituals such as modding, subcultural media and events, and the quest for celebrity status via public performances.