What is subculture?

By definition a subculture is:

Merriam-Webster:

An ethnic, regional, economic, or social group exhibiting characteristic patterns of behavior sufficient to distinguish it from others within an embracing culture or society

David Riesman, Author of The Lonely Crowd:

"A 'subculture'...actively sought a minority style ... and interpreted it in accordance with subversive value."

Bruce Conforth, University of Michigan Professor:

Subcultures are noise:

-they interfere in the orderly sequence of society and culture

-they challenge mores and norms

-they challenge traditional beliefs

-they act as a temporary block of the normal order of things

Dick Hebdige, Author of Subculture: the Meaning of Style:

"A group of like-minded individuals who feel neglected by societal standards and...develop a sense of identity."

With these standards, it may be difficult to identify subcultures unless you are a part of one. However, there are certain features that can make subcultures distinctive. They all have a close relationship to style, which embodies clothes, music, art, language, age, religion, sex, geography and general behavior. These outward expressions help define and categorize different subcultural movements and their ideals. It only takes a few people with common, unique interests to create a subculture.

Typically, music is a very important component of subcultures. Oftentimes, it's not only a component but the very foundation that supports it's development and growth. This is due to "audiotopia...music's utopian potential," which Josh Kun defines as, "[the] ability to show us how to move toward something better and transform the world we find ourselves in...The emotion and the sensibility that music offers is what leads to a change in who we are, who we want to be, and how we want the world to be." This perfectly embodies the goals of must subcultures; they are unhappy with popular culture and want to change it in someway, or exist in a place outside of it. Music and the audiotopia's it creates allows for an escape, a refuge to a more comfortable place. This is why music is critical to so many subcultures. Additionally, it helps 'outsiders' understand and attempt to explore the different set of ideas.

There have been numerous subcultures that have existed throughout the United States over the past century. In this blog two different subcultures will be explored. This first is the hippie movement. At its peak in the mid-1960's, the hippies created a lot of music that helped explore their desires using a musical style that was very unfamiliar at the time. The second subculture is one that has formed around music and geography. Appalachian bluegrass/folk pre-1970 explores the joy of the Appalachian mountain range and created a style for people in the area to become a part of.

In the third playlist I explore, what I believe, to be the lack of subculture. There are two ways for a subculture to end, the members stop being active members and it falls apart or it becomes exploited by the mainstream. The one true characteristic of a subculture is existing apart from the mainstream, so once the art/music/language/clothing becomes available and recognizable by the general public, it can no longer by definition be a subculture. This happens very frequently when popular culture is trying to identify the new 'hip' or 'cool' trend. To find these trends they often look into the margins of society, subcultures, and quickly expose their style as the new 'up and coming' thing. With this action occurring all the time, plus the addition of the internet and a more accepting mainstream culture then ever before, I believe it is nearly impossible for subcultures to exist today.