Subculture. Photo by Dion. (CC BY-SA 2.0).
WHAT IS A SUBCULTURE?
A subculture is a group of people with distinctive beliefs, values, tastes, and habits that make them different from the mainstream culture.
Objectively, the term covers a wide range of varied groups: occupational, religious, immigrant, computational, fandom, etc.
Nevertheless, they are still part of the society and it’s interesting to get to know them better (in fact, the boundaries between subcultures and mainstream culture are rather diffuse and permeable).
HOW DO SUBCULTURES DEVELOP?
The term subculture was first coined in the 1920s by the Chicago School to refer to marginalized groups, their initial studies on the subject were based on the human ecology theory.
The Birmingham School amplified the subcultural theory later by studying how young individuals managed their status problems by establishing new subcultures with different rules.
Burgess Model (Subculture theory)
Nowadays, this approach is considered controversial and many sociologists consider we are living in a post-subculture era.
Source: Grinell.edu
HOW DO SUBCULTURES INFLUENCE CONSUMERS’ BEHAVIOUR?
The internet has changed the rules of the game. The once marginal and obscure subcultures are expanding and getting attention with the help of social media.
RELIGIOUS SUBCULTURES AFFECT CONSUMPTION DECISIONS.
A special case is the different religious subcultures and their dietary habits and celebrations.
SUBCULTURE AND ONLINE BUSINESS
Subcultures have entered the online playground too. As they grow and evolve, there is potential in business for them.
Sharing a passion with others is a good starting point to create something unique (and profitable). As the mainstream consumer cultures are often missing (or misinterpreting) the signs, others with more expertise can fill the blank.
Moreover, alternative business models based on goth, steampunk, gaming, hipster and hip-hop (among other groups) have experienced a substantial growth in the last decades.
Find more statistics at Statista
Clearly, there is space for more creativity and innovation.
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