What is dominant culture: definition. Subculture. Counterculture

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

Dominant culture: definition

To begin with, the cultural space is very heterogeneous. It can be highly modified depending on the region, religion and ethnic composition of the population. However, if we consider a certain society, then it is always possible to identify certain generally accepted norms and customs.

Simply put, the dominant culture is the aggregate of moral, spiritual and legal values acceptable to the majority of members of a given society. Some scholars also call this order dominant.

Mechanisms of culture and its functions

The dominant culture is formed under the influence of historical factors and at the same time it never ceases to evolve. It is being perfected, and thanks to this humanity can develop with it. But it should be understood that such influence can lead to both a spiritual rise and a moral fall.

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 of their strength and power, the Romans never saw the moment when their society began to degrade and decay.

And yet man and culture are needed to each other. Check this statement is very simple. To begin with, culture can not exist without people, because they are its source. But we also can not be ourselves, having lost the spiritual world. From this it follows 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 can not be complete. It is divided into many classes and groups. The reason for this is social, age, ethnic and religious differences. These factors lead to the formation of new layers in society that have their own laws and rules.

That is, a subculture is a small world existing within a certain dominant culture. He is a kind of modification of habitual being, "sharpened", as it is fashionable to say today, a concrete social cell is needed. For example, it 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 former never aspires to seize the second - it only wants to gain full autonomy.

Features of youth subculture

Young people are more emotional than adults. Because of this, conflicts often arise between them, especially in matters related to cultural heritage. Such a tendency can be seen at all times and ages, as evidenced by historical books and chronicles.

Therefore, it is not surprising that many subcultural movements were founded by young leaders. In addition, this age allows people to easily communicate with each other, so that new ideas are carried around the neighborhood, like a fire. However, the same mechanism leads to the fact that new social formations sometimes disappear very quickly. This is precisely what lies in the main features of the youth subculture.

Counterculture: Definition

As stated earlier, in most cases the subculture does not pretend to be the supremacy of the society. But sometimes some local movements still begin to introduce their ideals into the broad masses. It is at this moment that a special social phenomenon called counter culture is born. What is it about?

In the broad sense of the word, counterculture is a new direction in culture aimed at suppressing or destroying established norms and traditions. That is, it is a kind of opposition, only a little in another sphere.

The emergence of the counterculture and its consequences

Conditions for the emergence of countercultures can be different. In one case, it could 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 does not stop at the very beginning, then ultimately it will be the settled culture that will change. The dominant counterculture will certainly affect it, even if it itself suffers from metamorphosis. In fact, this social phenomenon is a powerful catalyst that can change both age-old traditions and generally accepted values.

Historical examples of countercultures

The most significant coup in history was the establishment of Christianity in the expanses of the Roman Empire. When, it would seem, a small group of believers could turn the cultural foundations of the entire nation. Moreover, later it was Christianity that assimilated all European ethnoses, eradicating their former beliefs and traditions.

Another vivid example of the counterculture is the hippie movement, which arose in the early 1960s in America. Then it beckoned people to turn away from their capitalist future and return to the bosom of nature. And although the movement itself was a failure, its tracks are still traced in American culture.

Marginal culture

With the advent of the twentieth century, the world has undergone tremendous changes. First of all, this was due to the close contact of different cultures caused by the global resettlement and the emergence of telecommunications links. 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 derived such a notion as a marginal culture. By this word today mean those social cells that combine the values of both cultures. They readily accept new teachings and traditions, but they can not let go of their old habits.

Here is a simple example of how a marginal culture emerges . The ethnic group moves to another region, where their laws and rules prevail. Naturally, in order to settle in a new society, it needs to adopt them. However, in view of their beliefs or attachments, they can not 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.