A subculture is a group whose members share beliefs and behaviors that are different from those of the dominant culture.
The term subculture is not included in the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy . The notion, however, is very common in sociology and anthropology . The concept is used to name the group of people who share behaviors and beliefs that are different from those of the dominant culture of their community .
A subculture is arguably a distinct group within a culture . Its members may come together for a variety of reasons, including age, ethnicity, sexual identity, musical tastes, or aesthetics, among others.
It is common for a subculture to define itself in opposition to the dominant culture . There are times, however, when this opposition is not radical.
Characteristics of a subculture
Members of a subculture often share a similar appearance that identifies them, such as a certain hairstyle (a mohawk for punks, for example) or the color of their clothing (black for goths or emos). Within a subculture, people often speak a particular dialect or use terms that are not common in other groups.
The emergence of a subculture is established by the existence of shared symbols . This differentiates simple groups of people who come together for common tastes from subcultures, where symbolic interaction exists. In the aforementioned case of the Gothic subculture, its members resort to black clothing and white makeup to convey their skepticism and lack of hope regarding the development of humanity.
It is known as an urban tribe , in turn, to the group of people that acts as a subculture within a city .
The punk subculture is very numerous.
Prejudices
Like any trend that pushes people away from the path pre-established by society , subcultures are a very frequent target of prejudice and discrimination. Since there are many and very diverse ones (as much as punks and floggers , who don't seem to have much in common) the contempt comes from an infallible basis and is often used by our species in its fight to divide and exclude: they are not normal .
This rejection, common to all subcultures, is followed by particular issues, sometimes related to the way people dress, to hairstyles and make-up, or to lifestyle ; all of this, it should be noted, based on assumptions generated in the minds of those who have never really come close to individuals who are part of the groups they attack. Why is a person dressed in black and wearing white make-up irresponsible or disrespectful? Why should they frighten those around them? There are no sensible answers to these questions.
And this brings us back to the beginning: they do not fit the norm . Humans fear the unknown and tend to believe that we are part of a large group that makes us feel safe, ignoring the diversity present within each class , those characteristics that make us unique. Perhaps this attitude is natural in living beings, as a defense mechanism that alerts us to the presence of someone or something strange; the problem exists when, after that first encounter, we develop hatred , a persistent and harmful rejection.
A social look at subcultures
We are all responsible for the judgments we make and the way we relate to other living beings; however, there is a very powerful organization above us, which is in charge of targeting those who threaten the monotony that we usually call life: studying, getting married, procreating and working until we grow old to support our offspring.
Proof of this is found in the term subculture itself: the prefix "sub-" according to the Royal Spanish Academy indicates inferiority, being below something or someone, being secondary. Therefore, how can we expect people to perceive subcultures in a positive way if their name indicates that those who are not part of them enjoy a certain superiority?