NCJ Number
179994
Journal
Youth and Society Volume: 31 Issue: 2 Dated: December 1999 Pages: 131-151
Date Published
1999
Length
21 pages
Annotation
In challenging the popular belief that the American "skinhead" subculture emerged primarily from social network connections between organized American racists and British "skinheads," this study analyzed music lyrics, primary subcultural artifacts, and secondary sources to show that the development of the American "skinhead" phenomenon largely was influenced by an indigenous and nonracist subculture known as "hardcore."
Abstract
Music lyrics and other sources suggest that the American punk rock scene spawned a critical splinter group known as "hardcore" during the late 1970's and early 1980's. These youth shaved their heads, and many of them donned traditional "skinhead" garb. Whereas some professed their affiliation with the American punk rock scene, others loosely referred to themselves as "bootboys" and "skinheads." Music lyrics reveal that early "hardcore" youth were largely militant, angry, and possibly violent. Moreover, lyrics imply that hardcore youth perceived themselves as united in opposition to alleged social, moral, and personal enemies. Music lyrics further indicate that the "hardcore" subculture fragmented during the mid-1980's. Specifically, sources show that a substantial number of "hardcore" youth aligned themselves with racism during this period. This paper thus proposes that the "hardcore" youth subculture facilitated the "skinhead" phenomenon's emergence in the United States. Theoretical implications of these findings are discussed. 8 notes and 64 references