Subcultures and My Life

Going into the semester, I was pretty interested in subcultures, it's always been something that I've thought about. I knew a lot of stereotypes about different subcultures, but I wasn't sure what the definition of one was or how they interacted with the mainstream. There were always groups that I associated with because of various activities I participated in, but I never considered myself a member of any particular subculture. I never had much exposure to radically different subcultures, but I was excited to learn more about them.

I definitely learned a lot this semester. Deviance was never something I thought about with subcultures, I always assumed it was a group of people with similar interests. Due to my heavy influence in music, I assumed the mainstream was inherently evil - the mainstream meant Justin Bieber, deviance meant James Blake. I never had an insane hatred of the mainstream culture, but I'm happy to say that through learning more about deviance and subcultures, I've gained an appreciation for the mainstream as much as I have for subcultures.

So anyway, does it mean anything? Have subcultures affected my life? I would say definitely yes, but not in any direct way. I'm not a member of a subculture, nor do I really know anyone who is, but I see the effects of youth cultures everywhere I go. Whether meeting people in a subculture or existing totally in the mainstream - whatever that means - subcultures reaching all the way back to the beginning of the 20th century have affected youth culture in general the way it is. The effects of subcultures on the mainstream (including its responses to them) has affected the way the mainstream developed over time.

I can't say I'm any more or less tolerant to different subcultures, since my real-life experience with them is still very little. However, I can say that I have a better understanding of why people decide to join a subculture and resist mainstream ideals - whether they do it intentionally or not. Through learning about my specific subculture (jamband), I've come to the conclusion that one doesn't have to be in a subculture to resist the mainstream. I've also decided that by resisting, it doesn't mean you're some kind of alternative-minded social rebel. Resisting is healthy in any form or fashion, and it keeps society fresh.