skinhead

skinhead, youth subculture characterized by aggressively masculine hair and dress styles, including shaved heads and heavy boots. In many countries skinheads are commonly viewed as extreme right-wing nationalists or neofascists who espouse anti-Semitic and other racist views, though the skinhead phenomenon is not always overtly political and not all skinheads are racists. The skinheads originated in the 1960s in the working-class neighbourhoods of London. They rejected the youthful counterculture movement—in particular its ethos of peace...