Youth subculture

Youth subculture is a youth-based subculture with distinct styles, behaviors, and interests. Youth subcultures offer participants an identity outside of that ascribed by social institutions such as family, work, home and school. Youth subcultures that show a systematic hostility to the dominant culture are sometimes described as countercultures.^[1][2]

Youth music genres are associated with many youth subcultures, such as hip-hop, punks, emos, ravers, juggalos, metalheads, and goths.^[3] The study of subcultures often consists of the study of the symbolism attached to clothing, music and other visible affections by members of the subculture, and also, the ways in which these symbols are interpreted by members of the dominant culture.^[4]

Socioeconomic class, gender, intelligence, conformity, morality and ethnicity, can be important in relation to youth subcultures. Youth subcultures can be defined as systems, modes of expression or lifestyles, developed by groups in subordinate structural positions in response to dominant systems, which reflect their attempt to solve structural contradictions arising from the wider societal context.^[5]

The term, scene, can refer to an exclusive subculture or faction. Scenes are distinguished from the broad culture through either fashion; identification with specific (sometimes obscure or experimental) musical genres or political perspectives; and a strong in-group or tribal mentality.^[6] The term can be used to describe geographic subsets of a subculture, such as the Detroit drum and bass scene or the London goth scene.