The Birth of Subculture
COM/172

The Birth of Subculture

According to many psychologists, being accepted by a group peers is essential to achieve emotional well-being. On the other hand, many people find it necessary to express their individuality in order to be happy. So, how does someone maintain his or her place in a group while conveying his or her independence as a person? Many people have found themselves in this exact situation. Although many people strive to be different, there is still a deep desire to be accepted as part of a culture resulting in the birth of subculture.
The Want to be Different
A person’s desire to express his or her individuality can be a driving force for many life choices. It can be as simple as a pair of shoes or as complex as spirituality. Many people have a basic want to express themselves, to show others who they are, what they believe in, and how they are different. This is what makes them special and unique. Even choosing not to make bold statements is a way of expressing someone’s personality.
So what creates this inherent need to be different than everybody else? It could be environmental influences, past experiences, or even genetics that contribute to this need. According to David P. Barash in We need a general theory of individuality, “Generalizations about behavioral individuality are, at this stage in our knowledge, difficult to support.” (2010) The answer may be challenging because there is no control group from which to determine what is different and what is normal. Normal is subjective. Whatever it is, there is no denying that many people feel it necessary to express their individuality in one form or another.

The Need for Acceptance
According to Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, belonging to a group or culture is part of the social needs that motivates human behavior. Humans are social creatures by nature, driven by a need to belong. he extent to which we feel socially connected may determine our level of self-esteemIn The Need to Belong: Desire for Interpersonal Attachments as a Fundamental Human Motivation, Roy Baumeister and Mark Leary stated “…human beings have a pervasive drive to form and maintain at least a minimum quantity of lasting, positive, and significant interpersonal relationships.” (Baumeister, R.F., Leary, M. R., 1995) According to their research, Maslow was correct in his findings, however, he underestimated the importance of belonging to a group or culture. There have been negative effects on self-esteem and all around wellbeing when this need is not met.
Culture is the behaviors, beliefs, and characteristics of a particular social, ethnic, or age group. Many people are familiar with ethnic cultures, especially in the melting pot of America. Many big cities have specific areas where someone can go experience what an ethnic culture has to offer that is unique, for example, China Town. There is also no denying that age groups have their own cultures. Many teenagers can seem like they are speaking a foreign language to adults, however they seem to understand each other just fine. But, what if someone doesn’t feel as though he or she fits into mass culture?

The Birth of Subculture
Not so long ago, being an outsider meant being a loner. Thinking differently was not readily encouraged, it was better to just agree with the masses. However, with the civil rights progressions in mid-century America, many people discovered freedoms that were not there before. People were standing up for themselves. They were able to begin expressing themselves new ways. As a result, subcultures began popping up. Subculture is defined as a cultural group within a larger culture usually at a difference with the larger culture.

A big motivator in the birth of subculture was music. There were many new changes on the airwaves in the 1950s and 1960s. The birth of rock n roll gave a voice to those that went against the grain. Early Elvis with his big pompadour and swinging hips, gave a look into the Rockabilly subculture; a mix between hillbilly music, blues and rock n roll. This subculture is still fairly big today. Every year in, Las Vegas, Nevada, Rockabillies flock to The Orleans hotel and casino. They are easy to spot. They dress like it is still 1955, but heavily tattooed. In this case, it is easy to spot another member of the subculture. There is almost a sense of brotherhood/sisterhood. There are modern bands still making music for this subculture, but many won’t be so easy to find on iTunes.
Many people are familiar with the Punk Rock subculture, but back in the late 1970s it was just emerging. Typically young, white males, they rebelled against corporate suburban America. Many cut their hair into mohawks and pierced their ears with safety pins. Punks were met with disdain and ostracized. However, with many young people feeling the same way against conservative practices, punk music grew in popularity and numbers. Now many people wouldn’t even bat an eye at a purple Mohawk.

A person’s desire to express his or her own individuality, along with the need to be accepted as part of a culture creates an interesting paradox. Luckily, today there is not as big of a machine to rage against as the ones from the past. Subculture is everywhere. There are television shows showing the extreme versions of these cultures. Today many people don’t have to feel like a loner or out of place. All someone has to do is log on to the internet and chances are there is a group to suit your particular interests, no matter how unconventional. The important thing is to leave the computer and interact with people. Creating long and fulfilling relationships with others is essential for psychological wellbeing and happiness.

WritePoint Results

The Birth of Subculture Shanda Cisneros COM/172 January 28, 2013 Mr. [Avoid using salutatory titles] Martin Vece The Birth of Subculture According to many psychologists, being [Doctoral rule (but good advice for any academic writer)--If not a noun (as in "human being"), the word "Being" is hard to imagine; it means "existing." Try to rewrite this without using "being"--with action words like "attending," "working," "living," "experiencing," simply "as"--or even removing "being" completely] accepted by a group peers is essential to achieve emotional well-being. On the other hand, many people find it necessary to express their individuality in order to [Writing suggestion--the meaning will be the same (and less wordy) by removing "in order"] be happy. So, how does someone maintain his or her place in a group while conveying his or her independence as a person? [Writing suggestion: Unless in a quote or a title, avoid rhetorical questions in academic writing. A good idea is to provide answers, not questions] Many people have found themselves in this exact situation. Although many people strive to be different, there is still a deep desire to be accepted as part of a culture resulting in the birth of subculture. The Want to be Different A person’s desire to express his or her individuality can be a driving force for many life choices. It can be as simple as a pair of shoes or as complex as spirituality. Many people have a basic want to express themselves, to show others who they are, what they believe in, and how [remove the comma unless the following is the last element in a series] they are different. This is what makes them special and unique. Even choosing not to make bold statements is a way of expressing someone’s personality. So what creates this inherent need to be different than [Grammar--"than" as a conjunction means a comparison of degree (Florida is hotter than Wisconsin); use "different from"] everybody else? It could be environmental influences, past experiences [Redundancy: what else can "experiences" be but that which occurred earlier? Leave out "past"] , or even genetics that contribute to this need. According to David P. Barash in We [Use "we," "us," or "our" to mean yourself and coauthors, not general humanity (or yourself and the reader)] need a general theory of individuality, “Generalizations about behavioral individuality are, at this stage in our knowledge, difficult to support.” (2010) The answer may be challenging because there is no control group from which to determine what is different and what is normal. Normal is subjective. Whatever it is, there is no denying that many people feel [Style suggestion: if "felt" is used in the sense of "to believe or think," it is a cliché and vague; use a form of "believe" or "think"] it necessary to express their individuality in one form or another. The Need for Acceptance According to Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, belonging to a group or culture is part of the social needs that motivates human behavior. Humans are social creatures by nature, driven by a need to belong. he [A sentence begins with a capital letter] extent to which we feel socially connected may determine our level of self-esteemIn The Need to Belong: Desire for Interpersonal Attachments as a Fundamental Human Motivation, Roy Baumeister and [in academic writing, if this is a series, place a comma before the final conjunction (and)] Mark Leary stated “…human beings have a pervasive drive to form and maintain at least a minimum quantity of lasting, positive, and significant interpersonal relationships.” [Move the period to follow the citation] (Baumeister, R. [Leave out author's initials in the in-text citation] F., Leary, M. R., 1995) According to their research, Maslow was correct in his findings, however, [Place semicolon instead of a comma before this conjunctive adverb if it begins a new clause (and if a semicolon follows it, replace it with a comma)] he underestimated the importance of belonging to a group or culture. There have been negative effects on self-esteem and all around [As an adjective, this is a hyphenated word (all-around)] wellbeing when this need is not met. Culture is the behaviors, beliefs, and characteristics of a particular social, ethnic, or age group. Many people are familiar with ethnic cultures, especially in the melting pot of America. Many big cities have specific areas where someone can go experience what an ethnic culture has to offer that is [Wordiness: see if you can remove "that" or "that is"] unique, for example, China Town. There is also no denying that age groups have their own cultures. Many teenagers can seem like they are ["like" is used in a comparison before a phrase; "as" or "as if" is used before a clause--can seem as they are OR can seem as if they are] speaking a foreign language to adults, however [Place semicolon instead of a comma before this conjunctive adverb if it begins a new clause (and if a semicolon follows it, replace it with a comma)] they seem to understand each other just fine. But [In academic writing, avoid starting a sentence with a conjunction ] , [Remove comma after a conjunction] what if someone doesn’t [Contractions are inappropriate in academic writing--write it out] feel as though he or she fits into mass culture?

The Birth of Subculture Not so long ago, being an outsider meant being a loner. Thinking differently was not readily encouraged, it was better to just agree [Doctoral rule (but good advice for any academic writer)--avoid a split infinitive; consider placing the adverb (just) before or after the infinitive (to agree )--try "just to agree " or "to agree just" (or place "just" later in the sentence)] with the masses. However, with [Remove comma before "with" (unless beginning or ending a parenthetical phrase)] the civil rights progressions in mid-century America, many people discovered freedoms that were [Writing suggestion: rewrite the sentence to remove "that were"] not there before. People were standing up for themselves. They were able to [Wordiness: this phrase can be simplified to one word--"could"] begin expressing themselves new ways. As a result, subcultures began popping up. Subculture is defined [The passive voice is a form of "be" (is) and a participle (defined). Over-use of the passive voice can make paragraphs officious and tedious to read. Prefer the active voice. For example, passive voice = The paper was completed on time. Active voice = the student completed the paper on time. See Center for Writing Excellence > Tutorials & Guides > Grammar & Writing Guides > Active & passive voice] as a cultural group within a larger culture usually at a difference with the larger culture. A big motivator in the birth of subculture was music. There were many new changes on the airwaves in the 1950s and 1960s. The birth of rock n roll gave a voice to those that went against the grain. Early Elvis with his big pompadour and swinging hips, gave a look into the Rockabilly subculture; a mix between hillbilly music, blues and [Insert a comma before this word if this is the last in a list of more than two -- or if it begins a new clause] [in academic writing, if this is a series, place a comma before the final conjunction (and)] rock n roll. This subculture is still fairly big today. Every year in, Las Vegas, Nevada, Rockabillies flock to The Orleans hotel and casino. They are easy to spot. They dress like it is still 1955, but heavily tattooed. In this case, it is easy to spot another member of the subculture. There is almost a sense of brotherhood/sisterhood. There are modern bands still making music for this subculture, but many won’t [Write out contractions] be so easy to find on iTunes. Many people are familiar with the Punk Rock subculture, but back in the late 1970s it was just emerging. Typically young, white males [Designate racial and ethnic groups by proper nouns and capitalization--Black, White, Mexican American, Asian American, etc. (but colors other than Black or White to refer to human groups can be pejorative--avoid their use)] , they rebelled against corporate suburban America. Many cut their hair into mohawks and pierced their ears with safety pins. Punks were met with disdain and ostracized. However, with many young people feeling the same way against conservative practices, punk music grew in popularity and numbers. Now ["Now" is a difficult word. Because this is being read some time after you wrote it, "now" is ambiguous--do you mean at the time you were writing? When was that? If you mean "as of the present time" (Hawaii is now a state), you can leave out "now." If the time or date is important, fill it in. If the essay is in the past tense, instead of "now," use "then"] many people wouldn’t [Write out contractions] even bat an eye at a purple Mohawk. A person’s desire to express his or her own individuality, along with the need to be accepted as part of a culture creates an interesting paradox. Luckily, today there is not as big of a machine to rage against as the ones ["The ones" is simpler as "those"] from the past. Subculture is everywhere. There are television shows showing the extreme versions of these cultures. Today many people don’t [Write out contractions] have to feel like a loner or out of place. All [Writing suggestion: "All" or "all of" used as an intensifier very often can be removed with no loss of meaning] someone has to do is log on to the internet [Capitalize "Internet" as the worldwide communication network] and chances are there is a group to suit your [Eliminate second person (you, your) in academic documents and avoid addressing the reader directly. Prefer third-person pronouns (he, she, they, it)] particular interests, no matter how unconventional. The important thing is to leave the computer and interact with people. Creating long and fulfilling relationships with others is essential for psychological wellbeing and happiness.

Plagiarism Checker Results
2% match (Internet from 9/19/12) http://visionrealization.com 1% match (Internet from 1/27/10) http://my.hsj.org Running head: THE BIRTH OF SUBCULTURE The Birth of Subculture Shanda Cisneros COM/172 January 28, 2013 Mr. Martin Vece The Birth of Subculture According to many psychologists, being accepted by a group peers is essential to achieve emotional well-being. On the other hand, many people find it necessary to express their individuality in order to be happy. So, how does someone maintain his or her place in a group while conveying his or her independence as a person? Many people have found themselves in this exact situation. Although many people strive to be different, there is still a deep desire to be accepted as part of a culture resulting in the birth of subculture. The Want to be Different A person’s desire to express his or her individuality can be a driving force for many life choices. It can be as simple as a pair of shoes or as complex as spirituality. Many people have a basic want to express themselves, to show others who they are, what they believe in, and how they are different. This is what makes them special and unique. Even choosing not to make bold statements is a way of expressing someone’s personality. So what creates this inherent need to be different than everybody else? It could be environmental influences, past experiences, or even genetics that contribute to this need. According to David P. Barash in We need a general theory of individuality, “Generalizations about behavioral individuality are, at this stage in our knowledge, difficult to support.” (2010) The answer may be challenging because there is no control group from which to determine what is different and what is normal. Normal is subjective. Whatever it is, there is no denying that many people feel it necessary to express their individuality in one form or another. The Need for Acceptance According to Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, belonging to a group or culture is part of the social needs that motivates human behavior. Humans are social creatures by nature, driven by a need to belong. In The Need to Belong: Desire for Interpersonal Attachments as a Fundamental Human Motivation, Roy Baumeister and Mark Leary stated “…human beings have a pervasive drive to form and maintain at least a minimum quantity of lasting, positive, and significant interpersonal relationships.” (Baumeister, R.F., Leary, M. R., 1995) According to their research, Maslow was correct in his findings, however, he underestimated the importance of belonging to a group or culture. There have been negative effects on self-esteem and all around wellbeing when this need is not met. Culture is the behaviors, beliefs, and characteristics of a particular social, ethnic, or age group. Many people are familiar with ethnic cultures, especially in the melting pot of America. Many big cities have specific areas where someone can go experience what an ethnic culture has to offer that is unique, for example, China Town. There is also no denying that age groups have their own cultures. Many teenagers can seem like they are speaking a foreign language to adults, however they seem to understand each other just fine. But, what if someone doesn’t feel as though he or she fits into mass culture? The Birth of Subculture Not so long ago, being an outsider meant being a loner. Thinking differently was not readily encouraged, it was better to just agree with the masses. However, with the civil rights progressions in mid-century America, many people discovered freedoms that were not there before. People were standing up for themselves. They were able to begin expressing themselves new ways. As a result, subcultures began popping up. Subculture is defined as a cultural group within a larger culture usually at a difference with the larger culture. A big motivator in the birth of subculture was music. There were many new changes on the airwaves in the 1950s and 1960s. The birth of rock n roll gave a voice to those that went against the grain. Early Elvis with his big pompadour and swinging hips, gave a look into the Rockabilly subculture; a mix between hillbilly music, blues and rock n roll. This subculture is still fairly big today. Every year in, Las Vegas, Nevada, Rockabillies flock to The Orleans hotel and casino. They are easy to spot. They dress like it is still 1955, but heavily tattooed. In this case, it is easy to spot another member of the subculture. There is almost a sense of brotherhood/sisterhood. There are modern bands still making music for this subculture, but many won’t be so easy to find on iTunes. Many people are familiar with the Punk Rock subculture, but back in the late 1970s it was just emerging. Typically young, white males, they rebelled against corporate suburban America. Many cut their hair into mohawks and pierced their ears with safety pins. Punks were met with disdain and ostracized. However, with many young people feeling the same way against conservative practices, punk music grew in popularity and numbers. Now many people wouldn’t even bat an eye at a purple Mohawk. A person’s desire to express his or her own individuality, along with the need to be accepted as part of a culture creates an interesting paradox. Luckily, today there is not as big of a machine to rage against as the ones from the past. Subculture is everywhere. There are television shows showing the extreme versions of these cultures. Today many people don’t have to feel like a loner or out of place. All someone has to do is log on to the internet and chances are there is a group to suit your particular interests, no matter how unconventional. The important thing is to leave the computer and interact with people. Creating long and fulfilling relationships with others is essential for psychological wellbeing and happiness. 1 THE BIRTH OF SUBCULTURE 2 THE BIRTH OF SUBCULTURE 3 THE BIRTH OF SUBCULTURE 4 THE BIRTH OF SUBCULTURE 5