This is England

Youth Subculture Representation

• How the media represent groups of people in different ways

• How these representations can be seen as different to historical

representations of the same groups

YOUTH SUB CULTURE: SKINHEADS ERA: 1980’S BRITAIN

Youth sub cultures are a product of the era in which produces them. They are born out of the politics and events of their era or as a reaction to these things.

• Falklands: whole country swept up in nationalism.• Thatcherism: ‘self’ over ‘community’. Goes against working class values of community• England de-industrialising under Thatcher – mines and steel works closing. Massive unemployment.Working class especially affected.• Multiculturalism – immigrants into the UK.

HOW IS THIS YOUTH SUBCULTURE REPRESENTED:Gather evidence from the film.

HOW IS THIS YOUTH SUB CULTURE A PRODUCT OF ITS ERA?

You have some knowledge about how the youth sub culture originated and what

was going on in England at the time.

Remember that sub cultures are usually a reaction to what is going on in society.

The traditional skinheads were working-class. They outer appearance was visibly masculine, hard and also aggressive. Their short hair represented their proletarian (working class) attitudes and also differentiated them from the “feminized” hippie man of the 1960s (Brown 160).

When most people hear the word “skinhead” they immediately think of a bold, rough looking person with a white pride ideology. Although this might be true in most cases of today’s world, the Skinhead Movement did not begin as a right wing racially motivated phenomenon. Instead, according to various sources, it began in the late 1960s as a multicultural movement which modelled itself on mod culture. Whereas the mods were sharply dressed in expensive suits and upwardly mobile, the skinheads wanted to return to the roots of the mod culture and represent the working class.

In addition to mod culture, the rising skinhead culture received its inspiration from the Jamaican immigrants who modeled themselves on the rude-boy look of the Kingston ghettos of Jamaica (Brown 157). The roughness of the Jamaican culture and the cleaner, stripped down version of mods combined resulted in the look that became to be called with the term skinhead.

The original skinheads were proud listeners of Jamaican black music and also proud friends of the immigrants. They were the face of the working class.

Although clothing styles cannot be said to be straightly political, the concern of the traditional skins to stay true to their roots was most visibly emphasized in their insistence on the right kind of clothing and the right kind of music. Skinhead culture, like any other subculture, is still ultimately about being in the company of likeminded people. Their outer appearance was just one way of expressing to the others that there was a group in existence.

(The) second-wave skinhead […] appeared alongside the punk scene from 1976. In the United Kingdom, this was a period of economic decline and increased immigration and, given their territorially defensive predisposition, skinheads quickly became a target for recruitment by racist movements, such as the National Front and the British Movement, that were gaining momentum at the time. This racist strand of the skinhead movement was associated withthe use of Nazi symbols and Oi! Music. (190)

Shaun is seen reading a magazine in the corner shop and is told to leave unless he is going

to buy it otherwise the Police will

arrive and says he does not care

This signifies that he has no fear against the police and indicates to the audience that he has nothing to lose, especially after he has lost his dad. It also connotes that he has parts of his dad’s personality as his dad was aggressive and was in the military and he shows signs of his dad’s aggression.

This reinforces the idea of the area that Shaun is being bought up in and that the community has no morals and just constantly have aggression within their personalities.

This signifies that the youth at this time have been portrayed negatively and violence and aggression is a key highlight to their personality.

Another idea that could come along with this is that youth have no respect for their elders as it is shown in this part of the clip.

In the next scene , Shaun is bullied at school

because of his flared trousers and a comment is

made about his dad. He jumps on the bully and

hits him.

The idea of working class Britain is furthered here as Shaun uses violence to sort his problems out. This could be due to the fact he is grieving the loss of his father and simply loses his temper, but violence and aggression as a way of solving problems is also a stereotypical feature of the working classes.

These shots have further connotations of Shaun’s isolation from any group. We have yet to see him in a friendship group.

Representations of youth / sub culture:

In these shots youth is depicted as cruel (to each other) and bullying is highlighted as an issue.

Shaun is bullied because his clothes are out of fashion which signifies the importance of fashion to youth sub cultures.

• Violence / aggression• Family / sense of community (area live in)• Working class• Skinhead sub culture

• England in the 80’s

• The ideologies of Shane

Meadows

After Shaun is punished at school, he walks home through an underpass and meets the skinhead group for the first time. They ask him what’s wrong and try to make him feel better.

The stereotype of British working class is of ‘grafters’ or hard workers, but the youth in this film are just hanging around. This could be due to unemployment during this era, but most likely, the youth within this film are avoiding the responsibility that comes with unemployment.

In these shots, the audience’s first impressions of the group are formed. Woody in particular, is the first friendly character in the film.

Representations of youth / sub culture:

I found it interesting that when viewing this scene, I immediately felt apprehensive for Shaun as approaching a group of youths in such a confined space is intimidating and I’m so accustomed to the stereotype of youths hanging around, waiting to ‘start on’ innocent passers by. The representations of this group are immediately favourable then as instead of mocking or trying to hurt Shaun, the group try to make him feel better and even befriend him.

• Violence / aggression• Family / sense of community (area live in)• Working class• Skinhead sub culture

• England in the 80’s

• The ideologies of Shane

Meadows

Shaun goes home after the gang didn’t help

him to feel better but Gadget comes to his

house and invites him out where they start

smashing up an abandoned home.

The stereotype of the working class is contrasted in this scene as the members of the gang should be working as they are old enough but are entertaining themselves by smashing up an abandoned house. This signifies that youth can’t take responsibility in their own actions which is why they choose to entertain themselves through drinking and smoking and doing things like smashing up abandoned homes.

The working class are signified as irresponsible as they cannot take responsibility in working so they find other ways to entertain themselves.

This connotes that youth can be entertained and amused by the most pointless things and have nothing better to live for than to waste time in a gang drinking and smoking.

By them smashing up the abandoned home, it reinforces the idea of their personality being very aggressive and always violent.

Shaun returns home late and slowly walks in as he knows his mum

will be angry, She invites him into the room and they talk

about why he is late home and they discuss

what the issue is at home.

This signifies that youth do not care about family life or listen or respect their elders as they do whatever they want and don’t tell their parents where they are and return home whenever they want. It also signifies the family culture of the 1980’s and connotes that the females are not strong as Shaun has no father figure and his mother isn’t too fussed about where he is.

This signifies the family and sense of community back in the 80’s as the community dictate when kids go home rather than the family. Also connotes that family’s aren’t as diverse as they are now and not all families are close.

Through this scene the family aspects of the 80’s are portrayed as negatively as the conversation that is heard between Shaun and his mother, is negative and a lot of swearing is said by Shan signifying he has no morals and is constantly aggressive.