| Abstract [eng] |
The aim of this paper is to explore skinheads’ and neopagan youth movements in Lithuania which display ethnic identity. Subculture is a group of individuals who have a unique style, dress code, slang, ideology and a distinctive cultural identity. Such groups are formed on the basis of pleasure. In each country there are several types of identities – ethnic and national. Ethnic identity is related to more archaic ideas of the nation such as origin, language, history and culture, whereas national identity may be associated with the concept of a modern nation where everything, even culture and language, are controlled by the governing body. Both identities exist in the same area, i.e. state, and complement one another. At the end of the 20th century the understanding of the nation as well as national and ethnic identities changed due to various processes of globalisation. Now the choice of identity has become individual. The processes of globalization affect all areas of life, changing the attitude towards the nation and personal identification that is now understood as an option. Subculture is a global phenomenon because people in different areas cherish the same core values. However, it is possible to identify two subcultures that base their ideology on national identity – neopagans and skinheads. Neopagans base their ideology on ethnic elements, whereas skinheads base their ideas on national identity. In neopagan subculture the elements of ethnic identity may be associated with ethnoculture and the pagan traditions which existed in Lithuania before Christianity. We can identify those elements in their clothing, music and world outlook. In the skinhead subculture the national elements can be found in people’s clothing, music, symbolism (flags, banners), everyday life and the ideology they promote. |
