Friday, 7 March 2014

Post 1: The Geography of Subcultures

A 'subculture' is defined on Merriam-Webster's site as "a group that has beliefs and behaviours that are different from the main groups within a culture or society." 'Subculture' as a term is a blanket. A subculture can be:
  • a group that has a different ethnicity than the main part of the population in a place
  • a group that is different economically from others i.e. financially less well off
  • a group that is regionally distinctive - like different tribes within an area
  • a group that is socially different from the mainstream ideals of an area's culture
The term subculture is mainly used nowadays when referring to a group that is socially different from the others in its area - the 'outcasts', if you will. As you can gather, subcultures have been around for a long time, much longer than people would think.

It was first coined as a term in 1945 when used in anthropological and sociological writing. However, the meaning for which we commonly use the term was only made popular in the 1970s, using it to describe a smaller group in society's fashion, music and overall culture.

This blog will mainly be focusing on the socially different subcultures in today's society - in both the developed and the developing worlds. 

Source: http://www.artandpopularculture.com/Subculture

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