What makes a subculture?
Punks and metalheads aren’t the only subcultures. Calvin Ross Carl breaks down what every subculture shares, from beliefs and rituals to heroes and enemies.
Summary
Calvin Ross Carl defines a subculture simply. Punks and metalheads are obvious examples, but almost everything has its own. A subculture is a group of shared beliefs, aesthetics, language, rituals, and symbols, with a group of people who stand behind them and give them meaning. Subcultures also usually share heroes and enemies.
Highlights
- Almost everything has its own subculture.
- Subcultures share beliefs, aesthetics, language, rituals, and symbols.
- They usually share heroes and enemies too.
Key insights
Meaning comes from the group
Symbols and rituals matter because a group stands behind them. Without the people, they’re just decoration.
Heroes and enemies give shape
Knowing who a group admires and who it pushes against tells a brand where it can stand.
Detailed analysis
This is a working definition brands can use. Each element, from language to heroes, is something a brand can study in its audience’s culture and reflect back with respect.
Conclusion
A subculture is shared meaning held by a group. Learn its parts before you try to join it.
We all kind of get the idea of a subculture. Punks, metalheads, those are subcultures, but everything kind of has its own little subculture. So really, all a subculture is is a group of shared beliefs, a shared aesthetic, shared language, rituals, symbols, all of those kinds of things, and a group that stands behind them and implies meaning into all of those things.
The other really important part about subcultures is they usually share heroes and enemies.