Subculture vs. Counterculture

Subculturenoun

A portion of a culture distinguished by its customs or other features.

‘The goth subculture has its own mode of dress, and it has a characteristic musical style.’;

Counterculturenoun

Any culture whose values and lifestyles are opposed to those of the established mainstream culture, especially to western culture.

Subculturenoun

(biology) A culture made by transferring microorganisms from a previous culture to a fresh growth medium

Counterculturenoun

a culture with lifestyles and values opposed to those of the established culture

Subcultureverb

(biology) To transfer (microorganisms) to a fresh growth medium in order to start a new culture

Counterculture

A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores. A countercultural movement expresses the ethos and aspirations of a specific population during a well-defined era.

Subculturenoun

a social group within a national culture that has distinctive patterns of behavior and beliefs

Subculture

A subculture is a group of people within a culture that differentiates itself from the parent culture to which it belongs, often maintaining some of its founding principles. Subcultures develop their own norms and values regarding cultural, political, and sexual matters.