It is often the case that people will group together based on similar interests, styles, and personalities to form smaller cultures within the vastness of mainstream society. In a culture as diverse as America, there are many definitive groups which may be deemed subcultures, but perhaps the most interesting groups are those who find themselves at the fringes of what may be defined as a subculture. So, what exactly outlines the requirements that makes a group of people to be called a subculture? There are a few main prerequisites that must be met for a group of people to be classified as a subculture.
First, subcultures are unified around a specific social identity or a few similar identities. The members of a group must be united around a …show more content…
According to Christy Branston, research has found that 69% of teens reported playing video games and 25% reported playing at least 11 hours or more per week (Branston 24). These high percentages indicated that gamers are far from a minority of those in society, but gamer subculture does not necessarily encompass everyone who plays videogames. With the rise of mobile gaming and the dominance of casual games, those who are part of the gaming subculture are a much more niche selection of the broad scope of gamers. The individuals who participate in LAN parties and play games competitively are part of the gamer subculture proper. Seeing as many casual gamers and people who play mobile games do not identify as “gamers”, the bond between competitive gamers is very strong. Thus the difference between more casual gamers, who do not identify with the group, and those who identify with the gaming subculture may allow for the subculture to exist, even though playing videogames is a mainstream way to pass time. In this way, gamer subculture successfully meets the requirement of being a minority group, not because people don’t play video games, but because the subculture in question refers to a dedicated group of individuals who identify with the subculture rather than those who refuse to identify with
First, subcultures are unified around a specific social identity or a few similar identities. The members of a group must be united around a …show more content…
According to Christy Branston, research has found that 69% of teens reported playing video games and 25% reported playing at least 11 hours or more per week (Branston 24). These high percentages indicated that gamers are far from a minority of those in society, but gamer subculture does not necessarily encompass everyone who plays videogames. With the rise of mobile gaming and the dominance of casual games, those who are part of the gaming subculture are a much more niche selection of the broad scope of gamers. The individuals who participate in LAN parties and play games competitively are part of the gamer subculture proper. Seeing as many casual gamers and people who play mobile games do not identify as “gamers”, the bond between competitive gamers is very strong. Thus the difference between more casual gamers, who do not identify with the group, and those who identify with the gaming subculture may allow for the subculture to exist, even though playing videogames is a mainstream way to pass time. In this way, gamer subculture successfully meets the requirement of being a minority group, not because people don’t play video games, but because the subculture in question refers to a dedicated group of individuals who identify with the subculture rather than those who refuse to identify with