Which one are you?
Beatniks, hippies, yuppies, and beyond: 10 subcultures decoded
Image: Cottonbro Studio
Unlike generations, which can be easily grouped by years, social labels attached to groups of people with similar interests are not as rigid. Their boundaries blur into each other, and intersections appear. Aesthetic reasons, like music and clothing, bind some of these groups, philosophical reasons bring together others, and some, like hipsters, don’t even recognize themselves as such. Do you recognize yourself as a member of one of the following subcultures?
1
Bohemians
Image: Kinga Howard
Bohemianism, an original subculture that ended up lending its name as an adjective often used to describe other subcultures, is a social and cultural movement that embraces a way of life away from society's conventional norms and expectations . The term comes from the French bohème , and it was used to describe mid-19th-century non-traditional lifestyles, especially those of artists, writers, journalists, musicians, and actors.
Today, the term is used to describe anyone who shows disdain for money, dresses in hippie fashion (more on this later), and appreciates everything art-related.
2
Greasers
Image: Alberto Bigoni
Think John Travolta in _Grease_—yes, Grease . Think Biff Tannen in the 1950s segment of Back to the Future . Greasers emerged in the 1950s and early 1960s from predominantly working-class and lower-class teenagers and young adults in the United States and Canada.
An interest in cars, motorcycles, leather jackets, jeans, and rock music was the common theme among greasers. According to some sources, the subculture’s name was applied to its members partly because of their characteristic greased-back hair.
3
Beatniks
Image: Clem Onojeghuo
The first subculture on this list to adopt the adjective "bohemian," beatniks were a mid-20th-century social movement that embraced an anti-materialistic lifestyle, rejecting consumerism and expressing themselves through art, spirituality, drugs, and sexuality.
The term "beat" was first used by Jack Kerouac in 1948 to describe his group of friends and fellow writers, including Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, and Neal Cassady. Kerouac said that "beat" had multiple meanings, such as "beaten down," "beatific," "beat up," and "beat out." Beatniks are often stereotyped as wearing black clothing, and speaking in hip slang that incorporates words like "cool," "dig," "groovy," and "square."
4
Hippies
Image: Trevar Skillicorn-Chilver
One of the most famous countercultures of all time, hippies are deeply associated with the 1960s. The term "hippie" originally came from "hipster" (more on this later) and was used to describe the aforementioned Beatniks, who were "hip" to all things sophisticated and fashionable. In fact, early hippies adopted much of the language and values of the Beat Generation.
The festivals of Human Be-In (1967), Monterey (1967), and Woodstock (1969) popularized hippie culture, with its fashion and values influencing culture, popular music, television, film, literature, and the arts. Since the 1960s, mainstream society has assimilated many aspects of Hippie culture.
5
Mods
Image: Michael Schofield
The Mods were a group of stylish, London-based young men and women in the late 1950s, named for their preference for modern jazz. This subculture was known for its distinctive fashion, including tailor-made suits, as well as its love for music and scooters.
By the mid-1960s, their musical tastes had shifted toward rock and blues, with bands like The Who and Small Faces gaining popularity among Mods. Mod fashion was a defining element of the "Swinging London" era, and during this time, the subculture spread to other countries, becoming emblematic of the larger youth culture of the period.
6
Punks
Image: Viktor Forgacs
Another popular subculture, thanks in no small part to its striking visual component, is the punk movement, which encompasses music, fashion, ideologies, dance, film, and visual arts, among other forms of expression. Its strong anti-establishment views, stances on individual freedom, and DIY ethic make punks easy to identify.
Punk fashion includes T-shirts, leather jackets, boots, distinctive hairstyles such as brightly colored hair and spiked mohawks, as well as cosmetics, tattoos, jewelry, and even body modification.
7
Yuppies
Image: Nick Fewings
Anyone who has seen the movies Wall Street (the one with Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas) or American Psycho knows what a yuppie is. The term stands for "young urban professional" and was coined in the early 1980s as a way to describe young professionals living in a city.
Those labeled as yuppies generally dislike the association, because this characterization often suggests a very materialistic approach to life in general and a cutthroat attitude towards the workplace environment.
8
Skaters
Image: Parker Gibbons
An offshoot of the punk subculture, skater culture rose to prominence in the 1980s when a massive drought in California left numerous empty pools, which skaters used to practice their sport. The rise of magazines like Thrasher and stars like Tony Hawk helped the movement transition from an underground scene to a mainstream sport.
Its aesthetics centered around the preferred type of clothes for skateboarding: baggy and sturdy pants, sneakers, and oversized shirts. Its music was shared by the punk and hardcore movements.
9
Straight Edge
Image: Evgeniy Smersh
Going deeper down the rabbit hole, we encounter the Straight Edge subculture, an offshoot of both skater and hardcore punk cultures. Its followers reject the excesses of the punk scene by abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, and recreational drugs . Many also refrain from casual sex, follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, and avoid caffeine or prescription drugs. The name "Straight Edge" was inspired by the 1981 song "Straight Edge" by the hardcore punk band Minor Threat.
Overall, Straight Edge culture promotes a lifestyle of self-discipline, health, and community, and it continues to evolve while maintaining its roots in the hardcore punk scene.
10
Hipsters
Image: John Fornander
The final entry on the list is dedicated to the most modern subculture in it: the hipsters. Mostly associated with perceived upper-middle-class white young adults who gentrify urban areas , hipster culture has been critiqued for lacking authenticity and focusing on consumption.
As mentioned earlier, members of this subculture typically do not self-identify as hipsters, as the term’s connotations are often unflattering. It is no coincidence that the term evokes the previously mentioned Beatniks, as that subculture can be seen as an early precursor to hipster culture.
