Skinheads

Origins

The origins of the subculture call into question popular perceptions and further make clear the contentious ground that is skinhead identity. Skinhead groups trace their lineage to working-class youth in post–World War II England. In the early 1960s, West Indian immigrant enclaves surfaced in Britain's working-class neighborhoods. Their presence soon influenced youth culture and contributed to a precursor subculture, the mods. Skinhead lineage can be traced to the mods, and before them the teddy boys, whose roots are also tied to England's working-class neighborhoods. Like the teddy boys, the mods emphasized style. Mod groups created and projected their vision of affluence through elegance and a sophisticated image. They attempted through appearance to overcome the economic circumstances of their neighborhoods.

Although mods were influenced by the Edwardian, aristocratic style of teddy boys, their working-class backgrounds were not completely subsumed. Additionally, observant of their surroundings, they also drew on their West Indian neighbors who introduced them to the musical genres of ska, rocksteady, and reggae. By the late 1960s, the mod subculture had fractured into “hard mods” and “fashion mods.” Hard mods remained loyal to the groups' original musical genres and began to reconnect with their working-class backgrounds. In contrast, fashion mods were drawn into London's acid rock and fashion conscious cultures. While working-class elements were diffused in the hard mod subculture, they did not fully accept the working-class background and image.

The “original” skinheads first emerged in 1967 and borrowed elements from the mod style that included a shared connection with Jamaican ska along with parts of dress such as the button-down polo shirts and boots. During this period, skinheads helped propel the musical genre and were further influenced by the rude boy subculture imported by an influx of Jamaican immigrants in the 1960s. Of significance, and a point of distinction with their mod predecessors, skinheads fully embraced their working-class backgrounds. Unlike the mods, skinheads were far from flamboyant and developed a style that expressed their vision of the everyday working-class man. Many of the cultural objects adopted by the group are utilitarian and, coupled with the clean-cut look of the rude boy and mod subcultures, make for skinhead style: work boots, suspenders, jeans, and plain or striped button-down shirts were to be used for work and recreation. The adoption of specific cultural elements, such as clothing, music, and language, is important within the subculture. Although a layperson may at first note the similarities in appearance between skinheads, there are cultural markers that serve to delineate factions.

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