Subcultures

By: Isabel Díaz

What is a subculture?

A subculture is a group of people within a larger culture, such as a country, who have values and norms that are distinct from those held by the majority. They might share religious or political beliefs or be science fiction fans, for example.

Subcultures in Australia

  • Sharpies:

The “Sharpies” were a youth gang of the 60’s and 70’s, widely considered the first home-grown Aussie subculture. Named for their “sharp” dress sense, they also had a distinct hairstyle and dance (the “Sharpie Shuffle”). On top of that, they were known for being pretty violent, constantly starting fights with people that dressed, danced or acted differently to how they did. Sharpies loved music and encouraged the sort of distinctly Australian sound in bands like Skyhooks and AC/DC.

  • Bikie gangs:

The bikie subculture has over 170 chapters and almost 5000 members across the country and membership is going up. Bikie culture brings for many people a sense of community and belonging and mateship. Many clubs were formed by WW2 vets seeking to recapture the adventure and camaraderie they found in battle. But in spite of this, there’s no doubt there is a serious criminal element to bikie membership: offences range from assault and kidnapping to possession of illegal weapons and substances and even murder.

  • Naturists:

The Australian Naturist Federation says membership of nudist clubs has fallen from about 10,000 members during the 60’s & 70’s to about 3000 members today. But while the subculture hasn’t grown, it’s evolved. People aren’t just heading to designated nudie resorts and beaches but they’re embracing nudism in unusual places - like Big Nude Boat cruises, walking tours and art galleries.

Newcastle hosts an “Art in the Nude” event and Melbourne holds an annual “Nude Bike Ride”, raising awareness of body acceptance and freedom of expression. In an attempt to bring Naturism out of the retirement home and into the realms of the youth, you can now do nude sailing, surfing and skydiving and in New Zealand, there’s an annual game of Naked Rugby.

Subcultures in the UK

  • New Romantics:

New romantics were a fashion marriage of the neoclassical and glam rock. Establishing itself in its own right at the end of the 1970s, the movement evolved throughout the 1980s. A generation of Bowie, Roxy and the original punk kids fell in love with Bowie’s Scary Monsters incarnation and designers such as Sue Clowes and Vivienne Westwood went to town with flouncy shirts with balloon sleeves and wild prints. London’s Blitz Club became synonymous with experimentation in androgynous, sexually liberal stylisation and new wave electronics. This “cult with no name” soon became the movement for cool kids.


  • Hippies:

The hippie movement of the 1960s based itself on the concept of not conforming to socially approved patterns of behaviour and indulging in a form of gentle anarchy. Nakedness was celebrated and shopping for pre-worn items at jumble sales and charity shops was commonplace with long-discarded military uniforms and ethnic dress mixed and matched to create a unique style. The music was heavily folk inspired, peppered with political messages promoting peace and love. The aesthetic created a platform on which social change could be promoted and the surreptitious agenda of conflict exposed for all to see.


  • Punk:

In the late 1970s, punk changed everything. The expensive creations of Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren spawned a DIY revolution that allowed a generation to express themselves through self-cut and dyed hair, artistically ripped T-shirts, jewellery made from safety pins and dog collars and charity shop trousers made into bondage strides. The photocopied, hand-folded record covers, posters produced on an art college Gestetner machine to promote bands made up of creative individuals who often hadn’t picked up an instrument in their lives were testament to an empowered youth.

Subcultures in New Zealand


  • Urban Exploration:

Urbex communities have a unique perspective on what is seen through their eyes when it comes to visiting old abandoned and derelict places. It's all about exploring and enjoying the disused and unseen places, whether it be a hospital, tunnel or old house. These communities won't let them be forgotten as they see the beauty in the decaying and rotten structures.

Subcultures in the United States

  • Skater:

As a subculture, skaters value creativity, risk, and freedom. Whereas traditional sport is organized and run by adults, skateboarding is not. There are “no referees, no penalties, no set plays. You can do it anywhere and there is not a lot of training” (Beal & Weidman, 2003). Within skateboarding comes the space to make decisions, challenge oneself, and not have to abide by strict guidelines about what is acceptable or how to be successful. Within the skating subculture, like most subcultures, there are hierarchies of authenticity.


  • Hip-Hop:

The genre began in the 1970’s resonating from the Bronx; it is defined as contemporary rap music that allowed urban black youth to express themselves in a rhythmic form (Charnas, 2010). The hip-hop subculture has grown in awareness and popularity as a musical expression and artistic culture, differing in opinions.


  • Vaping:

Not only do member of the vaping community have shared identity, but they construct meaning out of the activities, ideas, and objects they interact with, within the community. For example, some members of the group participate in vape competitions where they compete to see who can make the biggest cloud (Vapor Dynasty Expo, 2015) or can do the coolest tricks (Vape Capital, 2016) using the vapor from their electronic cigarette (Mickle, 2015). And these events are not rare. This competitions happen across the United States and the globe. To many, producing a cloud of smoke that is 6ft long versus 5ft long is not a big deal, but to the “Cloud Chasers” this can be huge. Those who create larger clouds, are able to move up the social ladder within the community. They tie themselves the activity and construct meaning within their vaping community.


  • Hacker:

Cyberspace has given young individuals an environment that transcends space and time while also providing an anonymity that the physical world cannot reproduce. It has its own set of limits, interactional rules, and avenues for both deviant and criminal behavior. Many people envision hackers as egotistical losers, attempting to steal innocent bystanders’ personal information for their own anarchical pleasure and from the comforts of their mothers’ basements (Richet, 2013). Countless media outlets draw connections between hacking and criminality and largely contribute to the creation of this inaccurate stereotype. In reality, hackers are simply individuals who love to play with their computers (Thomas, 2002). Rather than spending their time playing video games, members of the hacker subculture would design and create hacks that expose the flaws within the videogame’s software. Like any community, there are malicious subsets of hackers. Even though the vast majority of hackers do not fit the negative stereotype that people hold as truth, overgeneralizations of the few hurt the reputation of the many (Thomas, 2002).

Subcultures in South Africa

  • Smarteez:

The Smarteez, a South African fashion collective from Soweto township, have garnered a lot of interest over the past few years. They are known for their bright colours, outlandish designs and don’t-give-a-damn attitude. They aim to break stereotypes, both from within and without their communities. They’re the voice of the first generation that has had the opportunity to be creative in whatever way they please. It’s therefore no surprise that their style is transgressive, flaunting the rules society holds dear.


  • Train surfers:

The illegal "sport" attracts many of the community's young men, who perform tricks and dance moves on top of moving trains. They don't really care about the risks, because if they do dangerous stuff on top of the train, others will respect them.

Bibliography