NCJ Number
173495
Journal
Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology Volume: 34 Issue: 2 Dated: May 1997 Pages: 175-206
Date Published
1997
Length
32 pages
Annotation
Grounded in a cultural-studies approach to youth subcultures and based on participant observation in a Western Canadian city, this study examined the meanings associated with membership for participants in a self-described "non-political" branch of the skinhead subculture.
Abstract
Participant observation and semi-structured interviews were conducted with skinheads living in a western Canadian city. Skinheads generally organize themselves into groups or "crews," often distinguished on the basis of their political orientation (i.e., racist, anti-racist, "non-political"). The Oi! skinhead crew in this study was identified by its members as being of the "non-political" variety. Fifteen skinheads considered themselves part of the crew at the time of the study. All except one were male. Subjects ranged in age from 15 to 26, with most being in their late teens. The length of time that they had considered themselves skinheads ranged from 8 months to 5 years. The participant observation portion of the study involved meeting with subjects weekly at their local "hang-outs." Data from the field consisted of notes that were written directly following each visit in the field. In all, 75 hours of participation were logged over a 4-month period. To tap information regarding the values and practices of the skinhead subculture, semi-structured interviews were conducted by using snowball sampling techniques. There were 18 subjects, including 2 females and 1 male who were associated with the group, not members per se. "Non-political" to crew members meant that they were not directly or formally involved in the political arena. In general, the conservative ideologies (albeit weakly acknowledged) and goals of these self- defined "non-political" skinheads were aggressively articulated and defended. This was particularly evident in their contempt for groups perceived to harbor liberal or left-wing values, including "overly liberal" governments whose policies on multiculturalism and immigration were held by the skinheads to be responsible for current economic retrenchment in Canada. Many of the Oi!skinheads' views on race, immigration, and employment can also be found in mainstream Canadian society. Sociological research has shown intolerance and racial stratification in Canadian institutions to be far from uncommon. Thus, far from being resistant or transformative in any significant way, skinhead groups may be a vehicle for "social reproduction," specifically with respect to views on gender, race, and ethnicity. 70 references