ABSTRACT
Turf wars over authenticity and culture characterize the competing factions present in myriad subcultures. Despite mainstream public perception of a single, uniform group, skinheads are far more heterogeneous than many understand. When the term skinhead enters into public discourse it’s often to single out a racist and xenophobic element to advance, through violence, a white separatist agenda. This characterization is largely accepted by the majority and speaks to the frustration expressed by some subcultural members. Media reports, along with coverage in the academic literature, fuel this perception and account for a distorted view. Violence within the subculture does make for sensationalist news, but when you begin to unpeel the homogeneous presentation you find a varied group that also includes nonracist and antiracist factions.
