Subculture is understood as a special specific way of being based on the realization of a natural human need for personal development, self-expression, and understanding of one's own destiny.
Each subculture exists outside the framework of the social system of the economy or politics. Therefore, it is only to a small extent determined by material causes and objective factors of existence. From Latin, the term translates as "subculture." It is understood that it differs from the dominant one.
Signs of subculture and counterculture
Their carriers also stand out as a separate social group. Differences can be expressed in an alternative system of values, a particular language, manner of behavior, etc. Different subcultures can be formed on the basis of ethnic, national, professional, or any other communities.
But what does the concept of counterculture include? One can already guess from the definition that this is not an ordinary subculture, but rather sharply different from the dominant one, in conflict with traditional values. Counterculture in literature and in life is based on its own norms and moral principles of its representatives, trying to overthrow the prevailing attitudes in society. Vivid examples of the counterculture can be considered the youth revolution of the 60s of the 20th century, the movement of punks and hippies.
One of the classic, oldest, can be attributed to the counterculture of the criminal world. Its occurrence is due to the natural isolation of serving prisoners, divorced from generally accepted values. As a result, the dominant counterculture naturally arose in its very rigid variety with a clear hierarchy and well-defined laws.
About the similarity and difference of terms
Since the sixties of the last century, the concepts of "mass culture", "counterculture" and "subculture" began to converge. Young people are trying to rally against a common "enemy", seeing one in the person of society as a whole, or of individual social phenomena. But still, there is a difference between these definitions. Let's look at the main differences between youth subculture and counterculture as such.
The first of them exists, as a rule, in the atmosphere of the game, contrasting the concepts of "We" and "They." Representatives of youth subcultures are busy with quite constructive activities. Their goal is to create their own special world. They do not seek to fight the enemy and most often take a passive position.
The concept of counterculture implies the existence of a rally. It implies the presence of a common adversary against whom one should fight. The basis for the existence of the counterculture is activity of a destructive nature, the purpose of which is to defeat the enemy. It comes to open confrontation and a very real declaration of war against the hostile values of society.
As a rule, these differences are characteristic of pure forms of counterculture and youth subculture. In practice, there are many intermediate options that combine elements of both forms. The most striking examples of subculture and counterculture are given below.
The main causes of youth subcultures
Western sociologists, exploring the emergence of these forms of social life, see their origins in the need to develop fundamentally new standards of behavior that correspond to modern difficulties. Traditional forms of organization of society and family are not able to satisfy the aspirations of youth. Its representatives, shocking society with an unusual lifestyle, appearance and behavior, cannot achieve adequate self-expression in the existing reality.
Any subculture has a number of characteristic features, the set of which is mandatory for it. In the center of each of them, an initiative block, which carries out ideological support and generates new ideas, is certainly found. It is characteristic that representatives of one or another youth subculture, as a rule, can be found only in megacities and large cities. In small towns, informals are an exotic phenomenon. They usually only copy characteristic attributes, which makes imitation conditional and quite superficial.
What gives the subculture of youth
As you know, the occurrence of any phenomenon always has very specific causes and is designed to solve a number of social problems. What, from this point of view, is the meaning of youth informal associations? The main functions of the counterculture are psychological. This is an increase in the status of a rebellious teenager in his own eyes and an attempt to get out of parental control.
Thus, the period of stay in the conditions and framework of the youth subculture for a teenager becomes a transition from a child to an adult, a meaningful perception of life. An important lesson that is learned in the process of immersion in the world of youth movements is the development of the necessary social rules and skills.
Faced with certain forms of behavior, a teenager either accepts or rejects them. As a rule, the average period of rotation of a teenager among informal people does not exceed three years.
Why is this environment so attractive
In addition, staying within the framework of an informal movement takes the time of adolescents, teaches them to structure their own leisure time and, ultimately, leads to greater organization.
It should be noted that a considerable number of youth representatives are characterized by the absence of a clearly defined personal self-identification. Most of them are dominated by behavioral stereotypes, which ultimately leads adolescents to the ranks of informals. Any youth counterculture for 80-90% consists of amateurs who are not able to defend their own personality.
The simplest reason for adolescents to join representatives of a particular subculture is to search for people who are close in conviction. Outrageous, as well as external attributes, are secondary in comparison.
Counterculture: examples from life
Some youth movements have already sunk into the past. The most striking example is the hippie movement that existed in the United States in the 60s of the last century. Its scale was so large that thousands of young people lived together in hippie communities. No other subculture has ever encountered such cohabitation. The sexual revolution of those years was based on hippie ideas about free love.
The basis for an alternative way of life for the current trend was the emergence of a network of apartments (“flat”), where everyone could get into an overnight stay or temporary residence (“fit in”). The hippie social institution was characterized by the denial of the traditional values of the surrounding society, a principled observation position, pacifism, sexual freedom and extreme asceticism in everyday life.
Subculture and counterculture on the example of Russia
Another example of the disappeared subculture that existed in our country is the lovers. So called the representatives of youth groups of a criminal nature. Initially, they appeared in the suburbs, in the city of Lyubertsy.
A characteristic feature of such groups is a focus on a healthy lifestyle, combined with the "adjustment" of social reality in the perestroika years. She expressed herself in the persecution of the “dregs of society” (homeless people, alcoholics, prostitutes) - they were beaten and in every possible way tortured.
The appearance of the luber spoke of an immediate readiness to enter the fray. Often organized groups traveled to Moscow and other cities and organized massacres, which had to be pacified by the police.
Dangerous counterculture
Other examples of subculture and counterculture are even more "serious." Similar to the lovers are the modern radical groups of an extremist nature, which have a fundamentally different level of organization and ideology (for example, skinheads). Skinheads can be attributed to socially dangerous subcultures. Their first representatives appeared in England in 1968, they "taught the mind" of relaxed hippies and drug addicts.
The skin style of the skinheads was developed taking into account the need to adapt to fierce street fights: black tight pants, army boots with thick soles that help in the fight, short jackets without a collar. Skinhead's clothes were spared any details allowing the enemy to cling (badges, bags or glasses). For the same purpose, shaved bald.
Their followers - Russian skinheads - appeared in the 90s of the 20th century. They copied external attributes from Western "colleagues", the ideology and field of application of forces were based on national Russian problems. This subculture can be attributed to the most aggressive. Skinheads profess typical Nazi ideas, leaving no chance for dissenters. The ideology of skinheads is based on the idea of racial purity. They often organize pogroms among those who differ in appearance (for example, long hair, skin color), or representatives of a different sexual orientation.
Satan Fans
Examples of counterculture are very diverse. Another dangerous phenomenon is the so-called Satanists. They stood out in a separate flow from the metalworkers' movement, uniting with fans of the church of Satan in the early nineties in our country. The satanic subculture now has several independent directions. These include anti-Christians who pervert the Bible and practice actions that are directly opposite to the biblical commandments (often bullying and vandalism).
Another direction is orthodox Satanists. Those claim that the power of Satan is equal in power to the power of God. They have their own rites and rituals, although sacrifices are usually not performed in this environment. The direction in Protestant countries is developed.
There are Satanist philosophers - they are the only ones who have an officially registered organization. Their main values include self-indulgence in selfish needs based on Nietzsche’s idea of a superman. Other followers of this teaching mainly observe only external attributes (wear jewelry with an inverted cross and dye their hair black).
Other youth movements
In the 80s of the 20th century, the movement of “Gopniks” arose in our country. There were especially many of them in the middle Volga region. Gopnik declared themselves enemies in relation to representatives of most other youth subcultures - rappers, bikers, hippies and so on. Any of the above could be beaten and robbed by them.
Other, less dangerous representatives of youth subcultures can be considered football fans. In their midst, the division into fans of various sports clubs is customary.
Representatives of another trend - punks. It is easy to recognize them by their characteristic appearance: leather jackets, piercings, exotic hairstyles. On the head most often flaunts a classic mohawk, or she is shaved bald.
Punks imitate their favorite rock musicians, bullies, drink, smoke weed, rarely wash, advocate the ideas of anarchy. Their main slogan is "There is no future." The pessimism of punk ideology allows them to express themselves in extreme forms related to violence, alcohol and drug abuse. Examples of the punks counterculture are perhaps the most characteristic among youth informal movements.
Interest Association
Representatives of other subcultures are united on the basis of a commitment to a certain lifestyle. A striking example of this is bikers (motorcyclists). They exist in their own special world - the world of movement at tremendous speeds.
But there are other examples of counterculture, for example, the sphere of hip-hop. This course refers to complex cultural entities. It includes dancing in a special style (break dance or rap), graffiti, streetball (street football), rolling (roller-skating in a specific technique).
The growth of hip-hop culture fans has improved the youth environment. Teenagers were distracted from drugs and alcohol and began to compete in street dances and sports. All these activities require considerable physical preparation, which is incompatible with poor health and bad habits.
Another thing worth mentioning is the flow of diggers. This is the name of those who explore underground communications. "Inhabitants of urban caves" spend time in mysterious, intricate labyrinths, they are surrounded by a halo of secrecy, they do not seek fame or expand their ranks.
Game and creativity
Are there any positive examples of counterculture? Perhaps one of the most psychological healthy, creative and socially prosperous representatives of it can be considered roleviks. Who are they? These include people who devote all their free time to the reconstruction of a certain historical or literary era. These are reenactors, animeshniki, as well as other similar communities.
Their activity takes place in the form of theatrical performances played in the lap of nature, as well as home or city role-playing games. Adherents of this trend regularly organize historical or reconstruction festivals, engage in equestrian sports, fencing and general physical training.
They have their own parties for the purpose of communication and the search for like-minded people. The huge appeal of role-playing games lies in the possibility of avoiding everyday reality and the realization of creativity. Among roleviks it will be easy to put on clothes of the chosen style (historical, medieval, Wild West style). Girls have the opportunity to choose an old or romantic outfit.
Among the roleplayers, certain attributes are extremely developed, especially between fans of Tolkien's work. Fantasy artworks are a kind of counterculture in literature, which provides its supporters with a huge scope for the game.
Music and more
It also makes sense to mention the movement of mobbers (flashmobbers). They arrange short-term promotions, organize the process using the Internet, through which precise instructions are sent to registered users on a particular site about the time, place and nature of the next flash mob.
Many subcultures are based on specific musical addictions. There are fans of the group "Alice", Viktor Tsoi (group "Cinema"). Fans strive to imitate their favorite soloists in the smallest details of their appearance.
A separate trend is metalworkers representing a widespread informal subculture. Very, very many listen to "heavy" music. It’s difficult to unite fans of “heavy metal” by any common feature these days, they are so different.
