What Is the Meaning of Subculture?
Cultures involve a shared group of behaviors, values and attitudes. Within major cultures, such as American culture, there are other cultures that are impacted by the dominant culture but have their own beliefs, goals and behaviors. These are considered subcultures.
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Dictionary Definition
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According to Merriam-Webster online, a subculture is "an ethnic, regional, economic, or social group exhibiting characteristic patterns of behavior sufficient to distinguish it from others within an embracing culture or society".
Context
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Subcultures tend to be based around common interests, hobbies and beliefs. Professions, religion, race, immigrant status and age all play a part in a group of people joining together and making their own subculture with characteristics that separate it from the dominant culture that surrounds them.
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Academic Origins
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In 1950, sociologist David Riesman first identified what he called "subcultures," distinguishing them from the majority culture; he also associated subcultures with what he called "subversive values." Today, when subcultures are mentioned, people often first think of subcultures who are considered to have subversive values (such as punks), though a variety of groups are subcultures.
Primary Characteristics
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Subcultures are usually distinguished from the dominant culture that surrounds it by a difference in dress, use of jargon or slang and an appreciation of different media, such as music, books and movies.
Examples of American Subcultures
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Throughout American history, there have been a variety of subcultures within the United States. Some of the most recent examples of American subcultures include:
-- 1950s rock-and-roll culture
-- 1960s beatnik culture
-- 1970s hippie culture
-- 1980s goth culture
-- 1990s online gaming culture
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