This thesis presents an ethnographic report of the subculture of skateboarding in the city of Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province. Through interviews as well as both participant and not...Show moreThis thesis presents an ethnographic report of the subculture of skateboarding in the city of Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province. Through interviews as well as both participant and not participant observations, the author has immersed himself in the local skateboarding scene to discover the peculiarities of this movement as well as the links that connect skateboarding in this mid-sized city to declinations of this subculture around the country and the world.Show less
The collapse of the Soviet Union has been explained as the result of political, economic and military factors. The social underpinnings of the collapse have drawn less interest. ''Is It Easy To Be...Show moreThe collapse of the Soviet Union has been explained as the result of political, economic and military factors. The social underpinnings of the collapse have drawn less interest. ''Is It Easy To Be Young?'', the 1987 documentary from Soviet Latvia, reveals political disillusionment among the youth. The film includes interviews with those members of society which have previously not been represented in state-controlled culture, for example, members of the punk movement and war veterans who feel alienated by society. Political opening in the framework of perestroika and glasnost allowed the documentary to come to light. I chose the following question to guide my work: ''How did the portrayal of youth discontent and political disillusionment in the 1987 Latvian documentary ''Is It Easy To Be Young?'' contribute to the declining legitimacy of the Soviet system?'' I argue that the release of this film worked against the authorities since it depicted some of the core issues in the USSR in the 1980s. These were persecution of those who opposed the dominant way of life, political disillusionment caused by stagnation and the use of rigid ideological notions by the Communist Party, as well as the social costs of involvement in Afghanistan. ''Is It Easy To Be Young?'' gained recognition abroad, where it was received as an exposé of the Soviet system, which further contributed to the decline in legitimacy the film caused for the authorities of the USSR.Show less
