SUBCULTURE S WHAT IS A SUBCULTURE You will
SUBCULTURE S
WHAT IS A SUBCULTURE? • You will find the term subculture mentioned quite a lot in sociology – it is a really important idea – and we are all members of them to some extent. • There is a bit of a problem with the term subculture though – as it implies a power relationship in society, like it is a culture which is not worthy of its own status – is just a bit of a subset. So there are problems in identifying which groups are subcultures. If we call Black Culture a subculture, then we are implying that the culture is subordinate to White Culture. • Some sociologists and anthropologists have referred to other significant groups in society as “co-cultures”, but this surely is a bit redundant, could just say cultures. • Anyway, we live in a multicultural society
DEVIANT SUBCULTURE • There are different types of subculture, there are thousands of different subcultures, far too many to even think about listing. But a significant set of subcultures we are looking at within this topic is deviant subculture. • So, to be clear, not all subcultures are deviant – they are not all operating outside the norms of society, there are plenty of subcultures like geeky people and gamey people. • Deviant subcultures however, are formed of people who are outside the norms and values of society.
• There is an inherent power relation in the forming of subcultures – they tend to be formed in groups who feel excluded in some way from the dominant culture. • There are many different types of subculture, although there is a pattern of them forming in younger age groups. This again may be to do with power relations in society which tend to favour older generations. • Some subcultures are formed in response to a lack of ability to achieve success in dominant society – as measured in the usual ways – money, status, educational success, physical prowess, popularity etc. • However, this really isn’t always the case. For example, Emos tend to be very high achieving students, and tend to come from white, middle class backgrounds.
POWER AND STATUS • From these examples you can see the power relationship that is inherent in the formation of subcultures. • Some groups have more power than other groups in being able to claim an identity for themselves, and then being able to “other” different people. They have the power to allocate identities to other people. • Poor, unemployed and ethnic minority people have little power and little ability to achieve success within the usual accepted ways in society, and so within these groups they may have reduced ability to choose identities for themselves.
INTERNALISATION • Deviant subcultures may internalise the identities that are assigned to them by more powerful groups in society and develop their own norms and values, as a way of achieving success on their own terms and reclaiming power for themselves.
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