What is a Subculture?

            Culture can be defined in many ways. I personally think that culture defines a person and therefore molds each and every individual. Once a person involves oneself in a specific culture they are then able to pick and choose the factors that suit them, thus creating a subculture. A subculture is, as Dick Hebdige stated in his article, “Subcultures: The Meaning of Style”, when culture is “swept aside to be replaced by a new, superficially less class-ridden system” (Hebdige 74). It is possible that a person can interpret the creation of subcultures as a form of rebellion. Yet in my opinion, it is just the changing of lifestyle and tradition and instead of disregarding culture it is simply creating a new form. Scholars such as Stuart Hall state that culture is a “level at which social groups develop distinct patterns of life and give expressive form to their social and material experience.”  An example of this is youth communities that are originally viewed as rebellious, but make beneficial contributions to their surrounding communities and economies. This notion also shows how subcultures are now turned into commodities. As there is a market that comes with each subculture, such as clothes, music and other material goods. Clothing is a large contributor to subcultures it allows for people to identify visually amongst their peers. It can be argued that buying into certain apparel reflects the culture that people associate themselves with. Clothing can also be seen as a tool in protesting against the “establishment”.

            Subcultures can help create an individuals identity, as well as communicate, through signifiers of fashion. It is also through fashion that Willis argues about gender definitions, in terms of what is considered masculine versus feminine. Furthermore, this definition is constantly changing. Style allows person to carve out a specific identity for themselves. For example, if an individual wears leather jackets and spiked belts they are considered a punk. What is interesting about this notion is that while an individual may believe that they are being original, in actuality they are the opposite. They are merely buying into the subculture known as “punk.” This person, who wishes to define himself as an individual, is merely becoming part of the masses and buying into a large market of popular culture and stereotypes.