subculture
Niche social group
A subculture is a group within a larger culture that distinguishes itself through shared interests, values, or practices: punk subculture, gaming subculture, the drag subculture.
The term implies both belonging to the mainstream and standing apart from it.
Members often signal affiliation through style, language, or behavior that outsiders don't fully understand.
Raw, fast rock genre
- gothMelancholic music subculture
- emoConfessional rock subgenre
- hipsterAggressively alternative person
- indieProduced outside majors
grunge · skate · surf · mod · rockabilly · psychobilly · steampunk · cyberpunk
Artistic nonconformist type
- hippieSixties counterculture member
- beatnikFifties counterculture member
- radicalRoot-indicating symbol
- rebellionDefiance of established power
protest · dissent · anarchism · activism · nonconformity · underground · resistance · avant-garde
Formal organizational connection
- belongingState of fitting in
- self-expressionConveying one's inner world
- authenticityQuality of being genuine
- lifestylePersonal living pattern
values · worldview · ethos · aesthetic · code · ritual · jargon · slang
Current popular trend
- aestheticConcerning beauty or art
- lookDirect one's gaze
- dressSkirted one-piece garment
- hairstyleArranged head covering
makeup · accessories · streetwear · vintage · retro · thrift · DIY · customization
punk
Raw, fast rock genre
indie · grunge · skate · surf · mod · rockabilly · psychobilly · steampunk · cyberpunk · rave
bohemian
Artistic nonconformist type
- hippieSixties counterculture member
- beatnikFifties counterculture member
- radicalRoot-indicating symbol
rebellion · protest · dissent · anarchism · activism · nonconformity · underground · resistance · avant-garde · iconoclasm
affiliation
Formal organizational connection
- belongingState of fitting in
- self-expressionConveying one's inner world
- authenticityQuality of being genuine
lifestyle · values · worldview · ethos · aesthetic · code · ritual · jargon · slang · symbols
fashion
Current popular trend
hairstyle · makeup · accessories · streetwear · vintage · retro · thrift · DIY · customization · uniform
tribe
Social group sharing ancestry
collective · fellowship · network · clique · circle · sect · movement · in-group · enclave · faction
- culturemusic taste, beliefs, food preferences, custom, festivals
- cultural historyart history, music history, social history, collective memory, literary history
- social groupsdemographic groups, community, clan, ethnic groups, age groups
- "Sub-" wordssubway, submarine, subtract, subject, suburb
- cultural conceptstrends, movements, icons, fads, phenomena
- culturesMediterranean cultures, underground, bohemian, African cultures, monoculture
subculturemainstream
Dominant cultural current
dominant culture · mass culture · popular culture · cultural hegemony · status quo
- youth subculturesYoung people's distinctive social movements