Youth subcultures scales

The research of drug features of existing subcultures was carried out with the use of comparison of the subcultures members' self-reports and external rating of its representatives' behaviors. The data were received through in-depth interviews with the representatives of various subcultures. 
The general map of youth subcultures of Ukraine, as well as in the majority of post-soviet states can be drawn in several scales.

3.1. Normative scale

The subcultures differ by the extent to which they accept or reject common social norms of behavior. The denying and acceptance of norms can be both declarative and real behavioral. One of hypotheses of the project is that for many marginal groups alcohol, drugs and tobacco use became one of few factors linking these groups with general culture, with common youth subculture. Dynamics of various subcultural groups, where injecting drugs use is permitted, show that these groups, despite difference of their ideology, after some time of the same drug use become similar in their external performance, behavioral strategy, views. Step by step drug users from such subcultures move to the subculture of injecting drug users.
Musical subcultures declare nonconformism, however it is displayed in behavior only by external attributes (hippy, punks). The political subcultures frequently display no external attributes, however their moral principles differ from common ones.
We distinguish three categories by their acceptance of common social norms:

1. Hyper-conventional - the representatives of these groups show they are in favor of patriarchal values, frequently their views are racism and conservatism. They even could support fascist slogans. Hopniks, skinheads, rappers belong to this part of spectrum. Peculiarity "of double morals" is shown in this case in their attitude to consumption of illegal drugs. These groups postulate conventional status of legal drugs in the culture. They encourage smoking and drinking much, while declare non-acceptance of drugs perceived negatively in traditional culture. At the same time many representatives of such subcultures are illegal drugs users, including injecting ones.

2. Loyal to general social norms - breakers, tolkienists (followers of writer J.Tolkien, they play knights battles, etc.), bikers, representatives of social and political groups, orthodox religious groups. Such groups often declare to have anti-drug views. However real abstinence behavior is observed only in some religious communities, where norms of religion are strictly followed.

3. Nonconformist groups. The punks, hippies, ravers, acids, and also left-radical political groups, such as anarchists declare such position. However most principles of such groups were copied from the West-European ideological analogues. In real life of the representatives of these groups ideology is often perceived as something external, unimportant. This conclusion is supported by member transfer from one group to another, based on opposite ideological values (hippy, punks, yappy) 

3.2. Scale of consumption / abstinence from substances of abuse

Several questions of our questionnaire deal with substance of use/abuse by the representatives of the subcultures. The attention was given rather to the description of average group member's behavior, than to the behavior of the respondent. The question "What substances are accepted in other groups?" enables to trace external attitude to pro- or anti-drug behavior of the given subcultural group.
The following features of substance use were observed as typical ones: 
· Bikers use beer.
· Rockers use alcohol and hard drugs.
· Ravers use ecstasy, LSD.
· "Acids", hopniks, skinheads drink vodka.
· Hippy smoke marijuana.

We can distinguish three types of subcultural groups according to their attitude to intoxicants.
1. Attitude to intoxicants or a certain intoxicant is an attribute of the subculture. It is a systematic sign of the group and is openly declared and can determine whether new people join it or not. The examples are various. On the one end there are temperance groups openly declaring sobriety ideals. On the other end there are groups in favor of certain legal or illegal drugs. As an example of such attitude we can cite some bikers' statements about beer:
· It is a drink of youth
· It is simply tasty and cool.
· It is possible and cool to ride motorbike under beer.
· Beer is drunk by the Slavs for a long time, just as Englishmen and Americans.
· Beer is basic.
Another example is rastaman subculture where marijuana is material part of their religion. However for some members of these subcultures the specific symbolic drug could be just a gateway for other drugs while in such case they could leave the subculture.

2. Attitude to intoxicants is not openly declared in a subcultural group, but their use is strongly imposed. The group is likely to influence its new member's attitude to intoxicants and their use. The issue of double moral is very essential in these groups. When asked directly most representatives deny the importance of a certain drug but observations from outside prove its use. 
There is a number of examples of double attitude to drugs in certain subcultures:
· Ravers are known to use ecstasy, but they deny it.
· Hopniks, skinheads declare to drink vodka, but most of them use hard drugs too.
· Hippy are known to smoke marijuana, but they declare that this is not important at all.
As psychological mechanism of denial usually accompanies substance abuse problems we suggest that substance abuse problems in these subcultures can be most severe.

There are some specific myths about substances.
· Beer is not an alcohol. 
· Everyone smokes herb (marijuana). It is not a drug either, herb in comparison with harsh is a children's play.
Rather specific about these groups is that most of them have specific kind of drugs and very often it is a gateway for poly-drug use.
3. Attitude to intoxicants is neither declared nor influenced by a subcultural group. A new member of a group may continue to perform the same attitude to drugs as before entering the group. 
Some groups declare themselves as drug-free or appreciate abstinence. It is typical for some religious groups. Tolkienists state that even wooden sword could be dangerous and during plays all members should be sober. However outside the group their members could practice different behavior concerning legal and illegal drugs, but these subcultures prefer to ignore such behavior. 

3.3. Scale of openness 

1. Closed groups like hopniks and skinheads (or Communist party in the past) are difficult to join and even more difficult to leave. They have declared values, proclaimed for the others, and internal rules, which should be followed by members of the group without discussion. These values and rules differ much and double moral is obvious. Drug taking becomes obligatory. Such groups have clear enemies (usually people of other nations) and fight against enemy serves as justification of double moral and drug taking.
2. Semi-closed groups like bikers or ravers are easier to join if a new member is ready to accept the declared rules. It is possible to abstain from any drugs and remain a member of such a group while some rituals and features make consumption of specific drugs (like beer among bikers or ecstasy among ravers) very common among the sub-culture members.
3. Open groups like tolkienists and some political groups have rather simple rules to join them. They wish to attract many new members and usually follow most of their values because otherwise new members leave them very soon. They usually do not have strict rules about drugs. Drug-free behavior is appreciated while most of their members prefer to follow general culture attitudes to legal and illegal drugs.
Our observation about these subcultural groups brings us to conclusion that the more closed the group is the greater is the place of double moral and drug use. The more open is the group the closer are the declared and really followed rules.

3.4. The scale of subculture's origin