Subculture vs. Counterculture: Read pages 51-52 and identify the difference between the two groups. Also, provide examples of subcultures and countercultures. Occupational subcultures Recreational subcultures Ethnic subcultures "Reefer" ... refrigerated trailer "Big Road" .... Highway "Flip Flop" ... return trip "Chicken Coup" ... truck scales "Bear" ... Police "Back Door" ... Behind "Lot Lizard" ... truck stop prostitute In your groups make a list of 5 youth subcultures we have here at the high school: ◦ Identify what shared values/ideology the group embraces ◦ Identify what shared aesthetics the group embraces (music, dress, hairstyles, body modifications, pastimes, etc.) ◦ Identify what shared vernacular the group uses (slang terms or specialized language) Members of countercultural groups are… ◦ Usually outsiders ◦ Alienated ◦ Don’t fit the mold of what American cultures says is “normal” Gives people a place where they are empowered Connects likeminded people Makes invisible people visible Allows people to escape the identity they are born into Gives people a place to construct identity What is a “cult” A group that is considered to be abnormal or extremist, can be religious, members often live outside of a conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader. Scientologists? Westboro Baptist Church? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Authoritarian: central leadership in one person or small group of individuals. Oppositional: values, beliefs or practices at odds with dominant culture. Exclusivistic: only the group has ''the truth,'' usually based on new insights or revelation. Legalistic: a tightly structured framework which governs spirituality and the smallest details of daily life. Subjective: undue emphasis on experience and emotions often resulting in anti-intellectualism. Persecution-Conscious: the belief that their group is singled out for persecution. Sanction-Oriented: stern sanctions issued for anything less than total obedience. Esoteric: an emphasis on secret, hidden or inner truth. Jonestown: Founded in 1956 James (Jimmy) Jones founded the “People’s Temple” in Indiana, moved to California then moved 900+ people to South America to live in isolation. Congressman, Leo Ryan visits the “People’s Temple” Heaven’s Gate Overview: Heaven’s Gate was founded in the mid 1970’s by Marshall Applewhite (Do) and Bonnie Lu Truesdale(Ti). The two claimed to have arrived via UFO from another dimension (a level above human). At its peak, HG reached several hundred members. Beliefs: Planet Earth was going to be recycled, suicide would transport members to a “safe” world --- the next level if… •Group members gave up material possessions and lived a life without indulgences •Left their families and abandoned individuality HG’s claim to fame came in March of 1997 when 38 members including Applewhite committed suicide in San Deigo, California. The mass suicide of HG members is said to be one of the most widely-known examples of cult suicide. This event has led sociologists and other social scientists to study countercultures.