Молодежные движения

Youth movements.

Young people are active participants in their own history. Past generations of radical students have played a part in protests and revolutions against the existing order of society. A youth movement in this sense has an ideological or political character. The term ‘youth movements” is so wide that it can refer to Punk rockers as well as the Young Conservatives. The world’s first voluntary youth organization was the Church – Based Boys’ Brigade.

It was founded by Alexander Smith in Glasgow, Scotland in 1883, and dedicated to religious education. It developed the habits of Obedience, reverence, Discipline and Self-Respect. In the 1900s in Germany appeared a movement of middle – class students who took part open –air tramping. In England there was founded the Boy Scouts, the Girl Guide Movement, founded in 1910 also has a large membership worldwide.

These organizations train boys and girls in various skills. Young people have contributed to mass political movements of both left and right. In the 1930th there functioned youth Fascist Organization in Mussolini’s Italy and Hitler’s Germany. In Britain some young people joined the Black- Shirts. The Austrian Red Falcons were an active socialist movement in 1930^th.

Soviet Russia had young communist groups: Octobrists, Pioneers and Komsomols whose aim was political education of young people. Besides such organizations there were different groups and subgroups with special interests. In the early 1960s came new groups such as Mods, dressed in Italian style clothes, the Rockers associated with motocycles. Skinheads, combining elements of both Mods and Rockers are associated with racism of the far right. Punk Rockers vivid make-up and aggressive music appeared in the late 1970s.