Within any large society, smaller groups develop their own style, music, language and values. These groups are called subcultures, and they are especially important for young people.
What is a subculture?
A subculture is a group within a wider society that shares many of the main culture's values but also has its own distinctive norms, styles and interests. Members often recognise each other through dress, music, slang or shared activities. A subculture is part of the wider culture, not separate from it.
What a subculture is — and is not
Marks are routinely lost by assuming a subculture means trouble. It does not.
| A subculture is | A subculture is not |
|---|---|
| A group within a wider society | A group standing outside society |
| Sharing many of the main culture's values | A rejection of everything the culture believes |
| Marked by its own norms, style and interests | Automatically criminal or delinquent |
Members often recognise one another through dress, music, slang or shared activities — and many subcultures are entirely law-abiding, built around music or fashion.
True of subcultures, or a myth about them?
- It shares many of the wider culture's values
- It has its own distinctive style and slang
- It is part of the wider culture, not separate from it
- It always involves breaking the law
- It means rejecting society completely
- It only exists among troublemakers
Peer groups and identity
For young people, the peer group, friends of a similar age, becomes a powerful agent of socialisation. Peers influence:
- tastes in music, clothing and language;
- attitudes and opinions;
- how much a young person conforms or takes risks.
Belonging to a peer group gives young people approval, confidence and a sense of who they are, sometimes separate from their family for the first time.
Why youth subcultures form
Sociologists suggest several reasons young people form or join subcultures: to develop an identity of their own, to find a sense of belonging with equals, to express creativity, and sometimes to react against adult expectations. Most young people move on from these groups as they grow older and take on new statuses such as worker or parent.
A balanced view
It is easy to see youth subcultures only as rebellion or trouble, but that is one-sided. Many are simply about style, friendship and shared interests, and members usually keep the wider society's key values, including those of family and, for many, their faith. A young person can belong to a subculture and still be a caring family member and a committed believer at the same time. Subcultures are therefore a good example of identity being actively built by young people, not just handed down to them, as they choose how to combine their own style with the values passed on by their families and communities.