The objective of this paper is to examine the patterns of leisure activities and satellite and musical preferences of Tehran's youth, as components of modern social differentiation and identification, using field research data. In particular, the aim is to probe the fact that whether activities, pertaining to the sphere of the youth consumption, follow from a particular mode(s) and social structure. On other words, whether can we speak of the formation of youth subcultures in the society? Alternatively, not these activities are individualized.
The findings indicated ten patterns in terms of leisure activities, three patterns in terms of musical preferences three patterns with regard to satellite interests. These activities and patterns are generally having statistically significant association with the respondents' situational backgrounds. The analysis of the data rejected the hypothesis that the respondent's leisure activities and tastes have individual character. Instead, the hypothesis, emphasizing that these activities and tastes are often affected by social structure, were confirmed. The findings made clear that these activities are conditioned much more by structural constrains. That is, the respondent's leisure activities and tastes have social character and are taken place in a social context where they can find a chance to form their own identity and accordingly to obtain their independence from their parents. With regards to differential patterns in the respondent's leisure tastes, art and media consumptions, the paper concludes that the society are experiencing the emergence and promotion of a new phenomenon so-called the youth culture within the dominant culture. This, in turn, implies the fact that the country's youth formal cultural policies have not been so successful in harmonizing the youth tastes and interests with the society's dominant culture.
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