Emergence of the Skinhead subculture
The history of the subculture called skinhead is intertwined with the large number of countercultural movements that emerged between the 1960s and 1970s in the UK. Although these days they are commonly associated with neo-Nazi and far-right movements, the skinheads have a huge number of representations of political ideologies and positions several.
The first signs of the emergence of skinheads began to be seen in 1967 in English cities. It all started as a response to the also growing “hippie” movement, which arose among the middle class and spread across the world. The skins, as they were also popularly known, were young working-class people who became identify with certain aspects of Jamaican culture brought by Afro-Caribbean immigrants arriving in England. Skin culture was built through music, such as reggae and ska, different clothing and ideologies that each group adopted. The shaved hair, well-groomed shoes and well-ironed clothes that the first skinheads adopted contrasted with the carefree and relaxed image of hippies, which was seen by the skins as an image effeminate.
The movement initially had no intention of racial segregation between black and white people. However, from the 1970s onwards, the economic crisis that was intensifying in the United Kingdom began to weaken relations with immigrants. As Pakistanis, for example, began to arrive in large numbers, the number of jobs dwindled and competition became ever greater.
This context led to the emergence of dissident groups from the original movement, which now carried the flag of hate of immigrants, especially in relation to those who came from Pakistan. Violence against immigrants was on the rise, and the incidents were generally linked to far-right groups, that is, those who defended or defended conservative ideas, such as maintaining the social hierarchy, are against the notion of egalitarianism and advocates of the idea that groups that believe they are superior should, by right, dominate and exploit groups seen as inferior. Right-wing ideals are also linked to ultra-nationalism and fascism, another extremist ideology that understands that authoritarian domination of a state and military discipline applied to society are the only legitimate forms of government of a nation. Some groups that can be used as examples of this type of ideology are the “British Movement” and the “National Front”, which, at that time, gained strength in numbers and in the aggressions aimed at Pakistani immigrants and even Jamaicans, who had been a fundamental part in the foundation of the first skinheads.
Skinheads in the Americas
In the 1980s, skin culture crossed the seas and gained ground among the youth in the United States. Spreading initially through the underworld of punk culture, far-right skinheads began to gain notoriety for their acts of vandalism and violence against Latino immigrants, Jews, homosexuals and blacks. The group that had started out as multiethnic was now known for the Nazi-fascist context of the far-right groups, which were gaining more and more prominence in the media.
Although skinheads are more associated with Nazi ideology, which is the culmination of the far-right ideals we saw above, it is important to highlight that there were and exist several strands of the skin style. You "redskins” are an example of a skin group that adopts a completely antagonistic posture to the infamous “naziskins”. Already the "trans skins” are the group that still identifies with the traditional view of the skinhead movement, when reggae, ska and Jamaican influence were strong.
In Brazil, the movement exists, but it never gained strength like the groups that existed in the United States and England. Brazilian skinhead groups are generally linked to far-right ideologies and neo-Nazis. There is still a strong rift between the members of the punk movement and the “Naziskins”, due to the strong libertarian ideology that exists in the punk milieu.
by Lucas Oliveira
Graduated in Sociology