While there may be a dominant culture in society, variations like subcultures (a culture shared by a smaller group of people within a larger culture that has specific cultural attributes that set them apart) and countercultures (groups whose members adopt cultural patterns in opposition to the larger culture) can often be found.
Variation in behavioral expectations and social norms can exist within a single culture. A subculture is a culture shared by a smaller group of people who are also part of a larger culture, but the smaller group has specific cultural attributes that set them apart from the larger group (e.g. the Amish, the Deaf community, Goths, etc.). A counterculture is a group whose members adopt cultural patterns in opposition to the larger culture and tend to acquire cultural messages from sources that are less mainstream than mass media.
Key Points
• Variation in behavioral expectations and social norms can exist within a single culture.
• A subculture is a culture shared by a smaller group of people who are also part of a larger culture but has specific cultural attributes that set them apart.
• Countercultures are groups whose members adopt cultural patterns in opposition to the larger culture.
Key Terms
subculture: a culture shared by a smaller group of people who are also part of a larger culture, but has specific cultural attributes that set them apart
counterculture: a group whose members adopt cultural patterns in opposition to the larger culture
culture: can be thought of as all the beliefs, assumptions, objects, behaviors, and processes that make up a shared way of life
mass media: any means of delivering standardized messages to a large audience
social norms: informal understandings that govern the behavior of members of a society