For the purpose of this thesis, the understanding of authenticity correlates with Giddens concept of “the reflexive self”, where “the self is ‘made’, rather than inherited or just passively static” (Giddens, 1991, p53). Self-identity is therefore created without being bound by the restrictions of tradition and culture.

This thesis aims to portray to the reader the complexities of authenticity within a music subculture and they way in which subculture is signified and represented to create meaning. The use of the music video as a form of mediation to society offers great insight into the understanding and comprehension of the subculture of skate punk, its ability to inform further ideological discourses within society, and it’s impact on sociological and cultural understanding.