The so-called "subculture" refers to the niche culture that exists outside the mainstream of society, also known as "subculture" or "non-mainstream culture".
For example, in the category of individual appearance - hanbok, cosplay, JK uniforms, beauty makeup.
For example, in the niche performance category - rap, stand-up comedy, niche musical instruments.
For example, street skills - street dance, graffiti, tattoos, roller skating, skateboarding, parkour, flash mob.
All of these things are basically played by young people, but if you think that "subculture" is only the domain or territory of young people, you'd be wrong.
Take the street skills category, for example, young people like street dance is a "subculture", and you can't say it's part of the mainstream culture of square dancing, which can be seen everywhere by the elderly.
Also, the following subcultures are probably not the domain of young people - for example, feng shui circles, metaphysics circles; for example, car modification circles, network key political circles, war and neglect, and historical geeks. ......
So, in fact, "subcultures" are all around us, not only often rubbing shoulders with us, but also wrapping us up in them accidentally, even if we ourselves are participants and experiencers.
If I may say so, the cool guys and gals who like street dance, don't look down on the square dance of the grandpas, because we are all on the street, and we are all part of the "subculture".
On the other hand, if you go dancing every day, don't think that the young people practicing skateboarding next to you are stupid enough to fall on a horse and sit on a pier, and don't forget that these kids are playing with the gold medalists at the Winter Olympics, and that the project they're playing with is actually the same!
Also, a lot of the "righteous" people are always looking down on anime and gaming, thinking it's a bad idea and that it's destroying young people.
In my opinion, you don't have to take that view.
For one, if you're old enough to remember the classic cartoons "The Greatest Show on Earth," "Nezha in the Sea," and "The Wonderful Book of Heaven," then I'll tell you that they were the superb cartoons of their time. His idol, the director and painter of Shanghai Fine Arts Film Studio back in the day, the producer of The Greatest Show on Earth.
Thirdly, rap and e-sports, street dance and skateboarding, all have their own world championships - and if we Chinese win, it's a gold achievement.
Lastly, there was no anime or gaming in the Qing dynasty, and none of this so-called "bad business" stuff, right? But at that time, the eight banners children play eagle tease birds play cricket and even smoke cigarettes, all of the Qing ruling class of the "mainstream culture", the results of the Qing dynasty played a rotten through the top, the people into a numbness, almost the Chinese people thousands of years of "national sentiment" are to The first thing you need to do is to play the game!
So, "subculture" is not a poisonous snake and beast, and playing "subculture" is not the same as not doing one's job.
That said, even if you like the subculture you're playing in, it's not mainstream culture. Even if some of the healthier, more artistic categories make it to the top, it's still genetically "niche".
On the other hand, even if you don't like it, "subculture" is part of society and culture, and it's all around us.
In other words, "subculture" itself is a neutral term - those who like to play don't think it's a good idea to elevate it, and those who are stubborn don't think it's a good idea to stomp it down.
As a serious popularization of knowledge, I really spent some effort to sort out the 7 characteristics of "subculture" - so that you can "know what it is, and why it is". "
Subcultures are the most common and most common of all.
1. Niche
Subcultures exist only among a few people, and the majority of society is not receptive to them, or is not interested in them, or has never even heard of them.
2. Localization
Most "subcultures" occur and are prevalent in small groups.
3. Uniqueness
A "subculture" is a circle of people who may be in the same geographic location, who may have the same beliefs and values, and who may have the same interests.
4, Breadth
In the context of the dominant culture of any society, there is a wealth of "subcultures".
5, volatility
A "subculture" may be created, overstayed, or disappeared overnight; it may undergo different degrees of change; and "subcultures" are They can change to varying degrees, and "subcultures" are constantly being created and lost.
6. Influence
Because the dominant culture is dominant, subcultures will change in the face of the impact of the dominant culture; this change may be a positive improvement, or a negative resistance.
7, convertibility
Mainstream culture and "subculture" can be converted into each other, and "subculture" may replace the mainstream culture in an era. The mainstream culture of an era can also become weak and become a "subculture".
Before we get into the many subcategories of "subculture", I'll make a bet with you - let's not say you've played a few of them, but I'll wager you're unlikely to have heard of all of them.
1, hanbok
Hanbok is the traditional national costume inherited by the Han Chinese people for more than 4,000 years, and it is the crown system of the Four Books and Five Classics, which is based on the Confucian classics, the "Rites of Enlightenment" of the Tang Dynasty, the Twenty-four Histories of Public Opinion and Dress and other classics and histories of the people, and the necessary composition of the inherited etiquette and culture.
The Han clothing system demonstrates the hierarchical culture of Chinese civilization, the culture of kinship, the culture of politics, the emphasis on the first person over the commoner, the emphasis on the eldest over the youngest, and the Confucian ideology of benevolence and righteousness.
In the last decade or so, the Hanbok movement has emerged, with the theme of restoring Han national costume, and there are different factions subdivided in the circle, including the Restoration Party, the Improvement Party, the Production Study Party, the Fairy Party, and so on.
2, Lolita dress
In 1976, Japan's first Lolita brand was born; in the nineties, Lolita dress gradually became an independent fashion style.
So, Lolita clothing originated in Japan in the 1970s and 1980s, and its clothing is based on the Japanese Harajuku street clothing style, a blend of Victorian, Rococo, Gothic European court elements, and then combined with Japanese aesthetics to produce a new category of clothing.
Circle has a sweet system, Gothic system, Chinese wind and other style subdivisions.
Today, Lolita is not only a style of clothing, but also a way of life - cute, sophisticated, and with a sense of ceremony.
3, JK uniform
JK for the Japanese buzzword, meaning girls high school students, so JK uniforms for girls high school students uniform.
JK uniforms are generally two types of western uniforms and sailor uniforms.
Veteran players can even categorize JK uniforms into Japanese Kanto sash, Kansai sash, Nagoya sash, Sapporo sash, and so on, based on their different school uniform characteristics.
4, Cosplay
cosplay is the abbreviation of "costume game", which refers to the use of costumes, accessories, props, and make-up to play the role of anime, games, paintings, and film and television works of the characters; and playing the "costume" is the most important part of the game. The person who plays "dress-up" is called a cosplayer (cosplayer).
Based on this definition, you can imagine how broad the field is to play with - because there's always an area of interest in the characters that costumers play, so much so that many people have cosplay beauty shots on their phones.
5, Crossdressing
Crossdressing is when a man or woman gets a special kind of fulfillment from dressing in the clothing of the opposite sex, as well as mimicking the speech and mannerisms of the opposite sex.
This group includes a number of bloggers or podcasters who have been successful in attracting web traffic.
6, beauty circle
How to say, "beauty circle" in Europe, the United States, Japan and South Korea belongs to the mainstream culture, but with the emergence of a large number of beauty bloggers, it is also gradually in China to get out of Asia into the main.
Beauty makeup refers to the use of cosmetics and tools, to take the steps and techniques in accordance with the rules, on the human face, the five senses and other parts of the rendering and painting, adjusting the shape and color, to conceal the defects, so as to achieve the purpose of exquisite beauty.
By the way: don't ever think that this circle is just for women. It's important to realize that there have been more and more male beauty bloggers in recent years, and that men's beauty spending continues to rise.
7, Anime Otaku
Anime otaku are not a small group - they love and study anime culture, are always up for experiencing the latest releases, and love to collect such things.
The mantra of anime otaku is: the mantra of anime characters, second chance, going to comic conventions, watching LIVE, and buying hand-me-downs.
8, the American comic circle
Around the United States Marvel, DC, Daredevil, Dark Horse and other comic companies produced a large number of works produced by the "subculture" group, along with the Justice League, The Avengers and other movies in the mainstream market after the big hit, the United States comic circle gradually expanding, began to produce organized parties, the United States, the United States, the United States, the United States, the United States, the United States, the United States, the United States, the United States and other countries.
But as the so-called "lighthouse state" exposes more and more of its truths, and the audience for Marvel movies in China isn't as hot as it was before, the circle is bound to be affected in some way.
9, Gamers
Genuine gaming geeks - if I must emphasize "genuine" - are Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo.
Of course, gaming geeks also include audio players, P players, wanna players, Galgame players, Roguelike players, Mugen players, and other niche gaming circles.
Strictly speaking, players of Honor of Kings and Eat Chicken do not belong to gaming geeks.
10, the net circle
The net circle is a lot of web sites as the center of the activities of web authors and readers, to know that this circle basically can not be used to "niche" frame - according to the CASS survey, the whole of China's economy, the number of people in the world, the number of people in the world, the number of people in the world, the number of people in the world, and the number of people in the world. -According to a survey by the Academy of Social Sciences, there are more than 450 million netbook readers in China!
So, with the manufacture of a large number of net works and film and television adaptation, coupled with the gradual entry of the post-1990s crowd into society, the group is gradually mainstreamed, and the future will be a subculture group of the main.
Of course, in the last three years, due to the impact of the epidemic and the turmoil in the entertainment circle, the speed of the film and television conversion of online literature has been greatly affected.
11, homo sapiens circle
The so-called homo sapiens, that is, readers from a work derived from other works.
The homo sapiens circle has given rise to a very popular game - script killing.
People in this circle usually have a relatively high level of loyalty - you should know that this group angrily played a line against Shaw War fans back in the day and won over the vast majority of the roadies.
12, the V's
The V's are for "VOCALOID," a voice synthesis software program developed by Japanese musical instrument maker Yamaha to create electronic music.
VOCALOID is a voice synthesis program developed by Yamaha, a Japanese musical instrument manufacturer.
VOCALOID was originally popularized in Japan, and its success led to the popularization of the Vocaloid software, represented by the song Shake Onion.
In the Hatsune Miku - Songstress Project game, Hatsune Miku is the protagonist of the opening animation.
13, Ghostbusters Circle
First of all, don't confuse this term with that little movie that some people love to watch.
With the promotion and popularization of small video playback software such as Jitterbug and Shutterbug, the influence of this cultural circle has begun to gradually amplify.
14, table games circle
Table games originated in Germany, the content of the war, trade, culture, art, city construction, history and other aspects, most of the use of paper materials coupled with the aid of beautiful models.
It is a kind of face-to-face game, which emphasizes communication. So board games are now a great way of communicating with families, friends, and even business people on many occasions.
Well-known works in the circle include Marvel, Game King, Dungeons and Dragons, Call of Cthulhu, etc.; now out of the circle of the works of the Three Kingdoms, werewolf kill, Hearthstone Legends, etc.
The game is a kind of face-to-face game, which emphasizes communication.
15, niche culture works enthusiasts
This circle has a very broad coverage, but also very niche.
This niche cultural works, including cult films, feature films, experimental music, rock, heavy metal, electro music, ballads, musicals, opera, stage plays, Takarazuka, opera, waka, waka, Rakugo, manga, haiku, black fairy tales, light novels, Bengali reasoning and other enthusiasts.
In fact, many of the above cultural categories are mainstream cultures abroad, but are still niche cultures at home. With the promotion of entertainment programs, manga, rock, and experimental music have slowly begun to cut their way into the mainstream.
16, niche jewelry circle
The scope of this circle is actually not small.
Including the handmade circle: that is, the production and modification of accessories, small objects, handicrafts.
The Handbook Circle: a fully decorated and organized notepad.
As well as enthusiasts of fire-painting, heraldry, rubber stamps, framing, foreign calligraphy, drip glue, wool felt, and so on.
17, niche diet circle
Including red wine circle, whiskey circle, craft beer circle, homebrew white wine circle, niche coffee, Lao Tie circle, meal replacement circle, military food circle, and other niche diet enthusiasts.
Well, it's not just about food, it's about life.
18, niche animal and plant circles
There are some people who are keen on breeding rare exotic pets, reptile pets, insectivorous plants and other small species of plants and animals, and accidentally study and practice - how to build a small ecosystem for them in their own homes. small ecosystems for them in their own homes.
19, niche collection circle
This circle is not limited to age, because it includes but not limited to toys, star cups, sneakers, stationery, animal bones, fossils, meteorites, amber, transparent skeletons, steam insects, soldiers, vintage small things and other niche collection.
Most people in this circle are not obsessed with whether their collection is worth anything.
20, Steampunk
Steampunk refers to a kind of overhead worldview set close to the Victorian Industrial Age, with steam machinery mania as a backdrop.
Some of its core elements refer to steam, flames, brass, machinery, leather, used equipment, and so on.
By the way, the age coverage of people in this circle is large, including 70, 80, 90, 00 after the mechanical art fans.
21, Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is also a worldview - usually with colors of black, purple, green, blue, red as the main color to depict the future, built on the "combination of low-end life and high technology. "
Cybercrime is also a worldview - usually with colors of black, purple, green, blue and red to depict the future.
Cyberpunk literature is strongly anti-utopian and pessimistic.
22, Post-Apocalyptic
Because they focus on discussing the world after the end of the world, such as the concept of the wasteland in it - suppose the world is destroyed by a nuclear war?
This circle of people covers the 80s, 90s and 00s group of enthusiasts who fantasize about the future world.
23, Occult
This field has a large scope, including grimoires, witches, alchemy, hypnosis, sorcery, international conspiracy theories, symbolism, religion, rituals, extraterrestrials, UFOs exploration, and many other sub-fields.
24, earthy
This circle is a kind of "subculture" popularized along with the network short video, which comes from the folk, has a very strong local flavor, called "earthy culture". "
These are the most popular of the short videos on the web.
In fact, the "earth" in this does not mean vulgar, it may be out of fashion, but at the same time may also be very aesthetic value - you know, "grounded You know, "grounded" can be a kind of "grounded" in itself.
25, Language C
This is a circle that, if you haven't heard of it before, you can think of as "theater".
People in the "C" community use online communities to gather together to play characters from certain works and use those characters' identities to communicate and advance the plot.
26, LaoGe
It's a circle of people who have lost their jobs, families, and possessions for a variety of reasons, and who are ready to "run for the hills with a bucket of cash" in order to work out the day's end of the odd job.
I don't know if you see these people on the streets of your city and think - well, they have a defined circle?
27, the modeling circle
is a circle of people who are not only interested in plastic models, but are also passionate about putting them together, sanding them, remodeling them, and painting them - models here are mainly military equipment models and Gundam models.
The modeling scene is predominantly male, covering the age range of 30-50 years old, and senior players must have considerable financial strength.
28, baby circle
Don't get it wrong - "baby circle" is not a circle of "sunshine party piling up together", but a circle of people who are interested in the ball and chain.
Don't get me wrong - a "circle" is not a "circle of sunbathers", it's a circle of people who view, make up, dress up, and remodel all kinds of dolls, including ball-jointed dolls.
Well, it's a rich hobby, dominated by women aged 15-35, basically from middle-class urban families and above.
29, the Tuning Circle
As the name suggests - this circle focuses on the modification of motor vehicles and modification.
A class of modified cars and motorcycles to increase vehicle performance; a class of transformation of the appearance of the vehicle to increase the beauty of the vehicle; a class of modified caravan to increase the comfort of the vehicle.
This group of people generally love off-road and traveling.
30, the e-sports circle
Around the e-campaigners, tournaments, anchors, commentators and other elements generated by the e-sports enthusiasts group, 15-32 years old hobby of e-sports games for young people.
It has been said that the e-sports world is the largest production base for "foul language" on the internet.
Other categories
The more common and understandable categories, I will not expand on them one by one.
For example, the idol circle (and the freakishly developed rice circle), the live broadcast circle (and certain live hosts who go to vulgarity for the sake of traffic), and the bandwagon circle (and certain people or celebrities who do false advertisements and still refuse to admit it).
For example, military fans, key political circle.
Like the emoji circle.
Like the poor traveler circle.
Let's say street circles - street dance, graffiti, tattoos, roller skating, skateboarding, parkour, streetball ......
Let's say niche gigs - rap, stand-up comedy, stand-up comedy, niche musical instruments ......
Like niche toys - Rubik's Cubes, flower cuts, pen twirlers, finger gyro circles, Buckyballs, robots, drones, traversing planes, airplane models... ...
There's also the tech geeks, the crafting party, the card circle, the wool party ......
There's also a hacker circle within the tech geeks.
Although this article summarizes 30 non-mainstream "subculture" branches, there are far more than 30; and there are some unhealthy, even aberrant, categories that this article omits to mention.
In addition, in the face of the enormous scope of "subculture", even if I were to write more, I would still not be able to summarize it all.
But understanding all of these things is not only interesting, it also makes us feel that in this world, there is a wide variety of colorful and wonderful.
Still, "subculture" itself is a neutral term, and it's the quality, the excitement, the variety that enriches the world and enriches our lives.