High and Popular Culture Vocabulary

Concepts and definitions related to cultural subsets, including subcultures, high culture, popular culture, multiculturalism, and countercultures.

Subculture

A unique culture shared by a smaller group of people who are also a part of a larger culture, containing distinct norms and customs not found in the broader culture.

High Culture

A subculture shared by the elite in a society, often associated with activities like attending the ballet or collecting museum-quality artwork.

Popular Culture

The dominant subculture shared by the majority of a society's population, consisting of elements that have mass accessibility and appeal.

Melting Pot Metaphor

A view of national culture as a blend of many cultures that, like soup ingredients, contribute to the whole and are difficult to separate from each other once mixed.

Multiculturalism

The view that cultural differences should be respected and celebrated, focused on the preservation of separate individual cultural traditions and customs that co-exist peacefully.

Counterculture

A type of subculture that strongly opposes one or more elements of the dominant culture and rejects conventional values or behavioral norms accepted by the majority.

Polygamists

An example of a counterculture whose belief in marriage to more than one person contradicts the value and law of the dominant American culture.