Wondering if a group out there aligns with your personal beliefs and values? Or maybe, you seem to be different from other members of your immediate society. Well, there is always a pack for every wolf. In the human sense, they are called subcultures, and today I will be showing you 21 best subculture examples.
The following are some of the best subculture examples that exist today:
- Emo
- Hippies
- Surf culture
- Hipsters
- Steampunk
- Graffiti Artists
- Haul Girl
- Apple community
- Ski Bums
- New Age
- Bikie
- Seapunk
- Gaming
- Skaters
- LGBTQI
- Grunge
- Hacker
- Influencer
- Goth
- Street Fashion
- Generation Z
Subcultures are people with norms, values, and other cultural patterns that separate them from the larger society. They are an identifiable group of people who have beliefs and interests that vary with those of a larger culture.
These days, subcultures are formed on various rituals and ideas that group members have adopted as a symbol or mantra. In the past, subcultures were included on the streets, but the online community is a significant faction of smaller subcultures these days. They are also usually associated with young people.
Emo
This subculture comes from the early 2000s. The emos are characterized by melancholic music designed to empathize with teen angst. It is a short form for emotional music. Emo, emotional hardcore or emocore, originated from Post-hardcore and hardcore punk in the mid-1980s. The Emos are known for their black outfits, skinny jeans, gauge earrings, and black dyed hair swept across their faces.
Hippies
Hippies started in the United States in the mid-1960s. It is a youth subculture characterized by free love, sex revolution, utopian socialism, and psychedelic art and music. The hippies’ movement came to a peak in 1969 and died out in the mid-70s
Surf culture
This subculture was built around the people, language, fashion, and lifestyle surrounding the sport of surfing. According to surfd.com, surf culture transcends just sport. It is a metaphysical, healing, and liberating pursuit that captivates you for a lifetime and enhances your life.
Hipsters
This is characterized by merging many identities, including skinny jeans, urban living, retro styles, artistic movements, checked shirts, vintage clothes, alternative fashion knit beanies, and many more. It also seeks to commodify the idea of rebellion or counterculturalism.
Steampunk
Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics. It is a subculture that combines Victorian and industrial era iconography such as gears and steam-powered machinery with futuristic science fiction. Women in the subculture often dress in bustled skirts, corset tops, jackets, mini top hats, goggles, and Victorian lace-up boots. The men often look like Edwardian gentlemen with waistcoats and top hats, shirts, and cravats.
Graffiti Artists
This is an underground counterculture with eclectic members. They, in many ways, represent delinquent gangs who claim territory by making markings on public infrastructures. They range from simple ‘tag’ spray paints in public spaces to more extensive political arts such as the famous wall art in Medellin’s Communa 13.
Haul Girl
This is a modern-day subculture that came from the use of social media. It is typically believed that it is a way of providing others insight into your style. Haul girls generally go shopping, and on all occasions, they post the items on the internet to let others into the kind of lives they live.
Apple community
These are a group of people interested in Apple Inc. and its products. They report various information on various media. The clubhouse application is prominent among the media outlets, especially for Apple users. This allows podcasts and, these days, have evolved to discussions in a broader range of topics other than Apple products..
Ski Bums
A laid-back approach to life characterizes this culture. Their culture overlaps with the surf culture. They have their vocabulary and are predominantly found in the Alps in Europe and the Rockies in North Australia..
New Age
This emerged as a religious and spiritual subculture in the 1970s. There is no unified doctrine for this eclectic set of people. However, the subculture is characterized by a holistic understanding of divinity and belief in communing with angels and the afterlife.
Bikie
They are a subculture that rides any bike. They do not like to be called motorcyclists because the word is uncool. They should not also be confused with bikers. They are characterized by tattoos, excessive black leather clothing, and long hair and beards.
Stoners
The contemporary stoner subculture gets its roots in the jazz clubs of the 1920s and 30s. It was later reformed as the Beat subculture of the 1950s. The subculture is a descendant of the hippies and Rastafarians combined with the hip hop movement of the 1990s. They are resistant to the capitalist structure and are well known for smoking.
Gaming
This is a contemporary subculture gaining grounds for using the internet to play computer games. Here, people can play games with each other over the internet. It has become trendy and addictive, especially amongst young adults.
Skaters
Skaters are a subculture that loves the sport of skateboarding. They grew from the second half of the 20th century and were particularly strong in the 1980s. There are two groups within the skaters. They are the vert and the street.
LGBTQI
This subculture comprises a broad range of smaller subgroups known for their non-heteronormative sexuality. They include all queer sexual preferences. It is most prominent among the North American people. It has slowly gained recognition in-laws in recent years and has a significant representation in politics that advocate the rights of its members..
Grunge
Often referred to as Seattle Sound, it is a West coast subculture. It is a hybrid of metal and punk. CriticalGuitar distortions characterize key Grunge band music. Famous examples include the Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl jam, and Nirvana. The anthem of Grunge music is the song: Smells Like Teen Spirit..
Hacker
These are a subculture of individuals who enjoy the intellectual challenge of outwitting other computer software users. Hackers are often seen as secretive nerds who know the nook and crannies of computer systems..
Influencer
With the rise of social media, so many people can affect the outlook of others through constant visual projections on channels like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and the like. So many have risen to fame primarily by their ability to influence followers with their world views and lifestyle.
Goth
Like the emos, goths enjoy the darker side of things. They like dark humour. They listen to death metal and laugh on odd occasions. They are neither depressed nor suicidal, contrary to popular opinion. Although they may look threatening, they are very individualistic people who stay true to themselves and may also be freaks.
Street Fashion
This is generally associated with youth culture and is most often seen in urban centres. They are even made more popular when they feature in prominent Magazines. There are variations of street fashion worldwide, but they generally consist of non-formal, stylish attires.
Generation Z
This is a colloquial term referring to those born after the millennials and before Generation Alpha between the mid to late 1990s and the early 2010s. Generation Z has grown up with the internet and is comfortable navigating them. They have been dubbed digital natives as they spend more of their time front of the screen.
FAQs
What are the most popular subcultures?
Ten examples of popular subcultures include:
- Hip Hop
- Hippie
- Hip star
- Goth
- Emo
- Bikers fashion
- Beatnik
- Glam rock
- Anime core fashion
- Cosplay
What are some ethnic subculture examples?
If you would like to join an ethnic subculture, the following are ethnic subculture examples:
- K-pop
- Reggae
- Hip Hop
- Africanfuturism
K-pop: Short for Korean popular music. The subculture grew as teenagers and young adults began idolizing this genre of music.
Reggae: This emerged from Jamaica. Its origins reflect the cultural hybridity for which the Caribbean is known.
Hip Hop: This is an African American-originated subculture. It is formed around rap music, the racial struggles of the black community, and poverty.
Africanfuturism: This is a sub-category of Science fiction directly rooted in African culture, history, mythology, and point of view.
Conclusion
I have created and discussed an inexhaustive list of subcultures as there are many, some spanning centuries and others formed in modern times. Music, fashion, trends, and sometimes, economic and political concerns are common factors that bring about subcultures. It is also interesting that subcultures evolve, with modifications as time goes by. What is your take on these 21 best subculture examples?
