What is a dominant culture: a definition. Subculture. Counterculture

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:45

Man and culture are inseparably linked. Throughout history, they have gone hand in hand, experiencing ups and downs. Therefore, one should not be surprised that today culture is presented as a complex mechanism that obeys its own rules and laws. And in order to better understand them, it is necessary to understand the bases on which it is built. What is the dominant culture? Based on what criteria is it divided into subcultures? And what impact does it have on society?

Dominant culture: definition

Let's start with the fact that the cultural space is very heterogeneous. It can vary greatly depending on the region, religion and ethnic composition of the population. However, if we consider a certain society, then it is always possible to single out certain generally accepted norms and customs in it.

Simply put, the dominant culture is a set of moral, spiritual and legal values that are acceptable to most members of a given society. Some scholars also refer to this as the dominant order.

Mechanisms of culture and its functions

The dominant culture is shaped by historical factors and yet never stops evolving. It is improving, and thanks to this, humanity can develop along with it. But it should be understood that such an influence can lead to both spiritual rise and moral decline.

For example, the Renaissance gave us great thinkers and inventors. Thanks to their work, people were able to forget about the horrors and scholasticism of the Middle Ages and began to move forward towards a brighter future. However, the same cultural mechanisms once led the Roman Empire to its tragic decline. Confident in their strength and power, the Romans failed to notice the moment when their society began to degrade and decay.

And yet man and culture need each other. It is very easy to check this statement. Let's start with the fact that culture cannot exist without people, because they are its source. But we are not able to be ourselves, having lost the spiritual world. It follows from this that all the mechanisms of culture are based on the human factor, which means that they are quite tangible with the help of logic.

What is a subculture?

Even the most balanced society cannot be whole. It is divided into many classes and groups. The reason for this is social, age, ethnic and confessional differences. These factors lead to the formation ofnew layers with their own laws and rules.

That is, a subculture is a small world that exists within a certain dominant culture. It is a kind of modification of the habitual being, "sharpened", as it is fashionable to say today, for the needs of a specific social cell. For example, this can be expressed in a special style of clothing, unwillingness to cut hair, belief in new gods, and so on. At the same time, the subculture and the dominant culture are always closely intertwined. However, the first never seeks to capture the second - it only wants to gain complete autonomy.

Features of youth subculture

Young people are more emotional than adults. Because of this, conflicts often arise between them, especially in those matters relating to cultural heritage. A similar trend can be seen at all times and eras, as evidenced by historical books and annals.

Therefore, it is not surprising that many subcultural movements were founded just the same by young leaders. In addition, this age allows people to easily communicate with each other, thanks to which new ideas spread around the neighborhood like a wildfire. However, the same mechanism also leads to the fact that new social formations sometimes disappear very quickly. This is where the main features of the youth subculture lie.

Counterculture definition

As mentioned earlier, in most cases, the subculture does not claim to be the leader in society. But sometimessome local movements nevertheless begin to introduce their ideals to the broad masses. It is at this moment that a special social phenomenon called the counterculture is born. What is it about?

In the broad sense of the word, counterculture is a new trend in culture aimed at suppressing or destroying established norms and traditions. That is, this is a kind of opposition, only in a slightly different area.

The emergence of the counterculture and its consequences

Conditions for the emergence of countercultures may be different. In one case, it may be a religious upheaval, and in the second, a fashion revolution. Nevertheless, the principle of its maturation is the same: a new idea spreads from one community to another, displacing part of the local order.

And if this snowball is not stopped at the very beginning, then it is the established culture that will eventually change. The dominant counterculture will certainly affect her, even if she herself suffers from metamorphosis. In fact, this social phenomenon is a powerful catalyst that can change both centuries-old traditions and generally accepted values.

Historical examples of countercultures

The most significant upheaval in history was the establishment of Christianity in the vastness of the Roman Empire. When, it would seem, a small handful of believers were able to turn the cultural foundations of the entire nation. Moreover, later it was Christianity that assimilated all European ethnic groups, eradicating their former beliefs and traditions.

Moreone notable example of a counterculture is the hippie movement that emerged in America in the early 1960s. Then it called people to turn away from their capitalist future and return to the bosom of nature. And although the movement itself was a failure, its traces are still traced in American culture.

Marginal culture

With the advent of the 20th century, the world has undergone tremendous changes. First of all, this was due to the close contact of different cultures, caused by global migration and the emergence of telecommunications. And if some people calmly accepted the changes, then they were given to others with great difficulty.

And it was during this period that scientists first deduced such a concept as marginal culture. Today, this word means those social cells that combine the values of both cultures. They readily embrace new teachings and traditions, but are unable to let go of their old habits.

Here is a simple example of how a fringe culture emerges. An ethnic group moves to another region, where their own laws and rules reign. Naturally, in order to settle in a new society, she needs to adopt them. However, due to their beliefs or attachments, they cannot forget the old patterns of behavior. Because of this, such individuals have to live at the junction of two cultures, which sometimes leads to strong emotional upheavals.