What is subculture?

Sociologists define subculture in the following way: any system of beliefs, values and norms which is shared and actively participated in by an appreciable minority of people within a particular culture. It should be pointed out that the relationship of the subculture to the so-called dominant culture has been identified as one of sub-ordination and relative powerlessness.

Subcultures have been examined in terms of ethnicity, class, deviance and youth culture. The subcultures such as ‘rockers’ and ‘punks’ serve to establish individual and group identity. There are some stylistic expressions such as language, demeanor, music, dress and dance. The subcultures show specialized linguistic phenomena, varying widely in form and content that depend on the nature of the groups and their relation to each other and to the dominant culture.