| dc.description.abstract | Skateboarding and subcultures in general have usually been associated with youth, but with the changes in society comes also changes of the cultures within. People are getting married and have children later in life then the generations before. More people are getting education than before and the youth period is getting prolonged. These changes allow for a longer affiliation with subcultures and lifestyle sports. This means that for example twenty years ago it would be much more difficult to find participants for this research, because the phenomenon of ageing in skateboarding was not as frequently present in society as it is now. I did thirteen qualitative interviewees with older skateboarders and the created data show how they are ageing in the context of skateboarding.
The theoretical background in this thesis consists of different theories that are necessary to understand the reality of lifestyle sports and subcultures. Those are the theories about subculture identity, subculture career and authenticity. The results show that the subculture identity of my interviewees underwent significant change during their life course and subculture career. From understanding of skateboarding as something that is practiced daily, gives to its performer a certain social status, and allows for creation of a deeper social bonds, to something that gives a feeling of fulfilment, has a therapeutical effect or is a source of one’s income. | |
