Culture can be defined as the set of characteristics that give a group a sense of identity. It can be defined by the language spoken by a group of people, their religion, customs, music, arts and various forms of social interaction. There can be a variety of cultures within a society.
Subculture can be found within a dominant culture, it may have its own beliefs and norms but it would still be part of a mainstream culture. People belonging to a particular subculture may stand out in terms of their mannerisms but they are not at odds with the society in general. ‘Goths’ can said to be a subculture in contemporary America. These people wear black clothes and pale makeup, their fashion maybe stereotyped as dark, eerie and mysterious.
Counter cultures, on the other hand, are more like movements aimed towards social change therefore; counter cultures are different from mainstream cultures and their values and norms usually negate the main culture. The feminist culture and suffragette movement are some examples of counter culture. Both suffragettes and feminists fought for equal women rights and against gender discrimination, hence, these cultures challenged the status quo and went against the mainstream culture.
The Goth culture is considered to be a subculture because it is more about moods and aesthetic values rather than political ideologies. Their values contrast with the more adult, conventional and dominant culture. (Henslin, 1972) There does not exist any particular belief system for the Goths, they do not follow any major religion but rather possess their own spiritual beliefs that are of a private nature. Thus, the Goth culture can be argued to be a subculture, as it does not follow any systematic dominant religion of the world.
References
Henslin, J. M. (1972). Down to earth sociology; introductory readings. (10th ed.). New York: Free Press.
