Assessment of the influence of counterculture symbols and images on the formation of individual identity

This article examines the process of forming individual identity in the context of interaction with countercultural symbols and images. The focus is on the idea that individual identity can develop in various social conditions, including both positive and negative scenarios of influence. Particular attention is paid to the role of initiation processes, including in the criminal counterculture, and their stages: pre-liminal, liminal, and post-liminal. The article analyzes how initiation rites and associated practices contribute to the emergence of new personal qualities and the formation of a new individual identity. It integrates insights from theoretical frameworks, including I.V. Vipulis’ concepts on the vital and thanatal aspects of initiation, alongside empirical findings from modern sociological data and insights from criminal procedural legislation in the Russian Federation. Additionally, theoretical contributions by K.Y. Dekan and V.S. Ishchenko regarding counterculture as a catalyst for social development are considered. The relevance of the article is due to the need to understand the mechanisms of influence of countercultural elements on personal development in the conditions of the modern social context.