Skinhead research

Skinhead research

Skinhead culture

When?

1968-present

Where?

London

Politics

Most commonly, skinheads are known to have practiced Neo-Nazi opinions and viewpoints, and preached white power, generally being a very racist community of youths. They are known to have performed racist acts of violence against immigrants, most commonly South Asians (which they referred to as ‘Paki-bashing’.

Style:

Skinheads emerged after ‘Hard mods’ were introduced (also known as peanuts/lemonheads/gang mods). By 1966, hard mods were becoming known as Skinheads. Despite this, when the 70s started, skinheads were dropping from society and being replaced by ‘Suedeheads’, ‘Smoothies’, and ‘Bootboys’. The late 70s got the Skinhead scene booming again with the introduction of Punk Rock.It was not only a mod-influenced movement, but Skinheads also took aspects of their look from Jamaica, and the ‘Rude boy’ style (this is also where some of their music tastes originated from such as reggae).

Why become a skinhead?

People became skinheads, as they believed that white people owned Britain, hence showing racist intolerance of other races entering Britain from overseas.

How were they defined?

The role of young women/men in the emergence of the culture:

 Young people were unemployed and angry. Left with nothing to do, they were the face of the Skinhead culture.

 Has it changed?

The Skinhead culture has changed substantially from when it first emerged. Instead of being Neo-Nazi, fascist and racist, they are now most commonly against racism, with groups such as SHARP (SkinHeads Against Racial Prejudice), and the Redskins and anarchist skinheads, still stressing the working-class image, but not discriminating.

How were they perceived?

 

Mass media:

• 1969 - Slade wear the Skinhead look to get the public's attention.
•  Late 1977 - Gary Hodges and Tom McCourt start a Skinhead revival.
• 1979+ - Skinhead culture gains attention due to football hooliganism. More exxaggerated looks.
• Skinhead, a book by Nick Knight
• 1991 - Spirit of '69: A Skinhead Bible By George Marshall,a Glasweigan Skinhead

Does it still exist?

Some elements of fashion in present day revolve around the old Skinhead look, but they don't follow the Skinhead ideologies, or preach Neo-Nazism, or aren't actively against fascism. 

Subcultures

How are youth subcultures defined and when and why do they emerge?

All teenagers go thought identity crises, a wanting to belong some were be a part of something. The majority of youths define themselves mostly depending on the social class and ethnic background as well as characterized by its adoption of a particular music genre. This impact on the way they dress as well as their shared attitude towards things politics.

What are the defining features of youth culture?

For example:

Rastafarian, Rasta’s - They come from a black Jamaican subculture, it’s a religious movement

Teddy boys - A British youth subculture first appeared in the 1950s. Mainly from unskilled teenagers, with whom adopted a pseudo Edwardian dress code and listened to rock’n’roll music, they were involved in race riots in the United Kingdom. In ways similar to skin heads.

Boot boys, Skinheads - a youth subculture that appeared first in England in the late 1960s as a working-class reaction to the hippies. Hair was cropped close to the scalp, almost bald and wore work-shirts and short jeans with braces to hold them up and heavy red boots/ doc martins. They were involved in many violent racial attacks, traditional skins heads extreme racists.

How to play chaos: 

Firstly stand in a circle than one after an other say the name of someone else in the circle. Once you have said that name you must remember it and then the person whose name has been said must put there hand up to show there name has been said so no one else says it then one after an other each person in the circle repeats that till all the names have been said. 




Secondly take a ball and each person in the circle passes it to someone. Remember who you passed it to as you will need it for the next step.




Now, for the final step in a completely new order one after you need to walk up to someone in the group and touch then on the shoulder. Once you have done that, the person you have touched must walk and touch someone else until everyone in the circle has done so.

Finally you must pass the ball around the circle in the same order as you did before but while doing this say the names of the person you said in the first stage and touch the person you touched in the last step all at the same time then repeat the exercise a few times until as a group you feel you have done this successfully. If someone does drop the ball instead of seeing it as a negative thing simply just pick it up without yourself or anyone else in the group reacting in anyway and simply just carry on from where you where. This teaches everyone that it's alright to make mistakes and helps you to overwrite the natural reaction to see something as a negative.