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The emerging subcultural formations necessarily repeat a number of
characteristic features of subcultures that existed before (for example, one can
trace the following sequence: ancient cynics – first Christians – modern hippies,
etc.). The specificity of all youth subcultures is that they are trying to form their
own worldview, their culture, different from the outlook and culture of older
generations. The adoption of samples and standards created by these subcultures
into the culture of society, humanity is problematic, although their influence on the
cultural-historical process of development of society is not excluded. In social
groups with its own subculture, there is a sufficiently creative process of
acceptance, processing, rejection of the official culture and the development of
samples, standards, and the style of its own microculture. In this sense, such
groups, carriers of subcultures, are peculiar subjects of culture capable of
influencing the development and enrichment of the world human culture to a
certain extent and under certain circumstances (for example, as at one time
Christians).
In the works of foreign researchers, such as M. Gardner, B. Rassel, M.
Ferguson, the idea is that in the modern western world there is a "revolution of
consciousness." It marks the birth of a new culture. The most important signs of a
new spirituality are the formation of a guide to personal experience in contrast to
scholastic intellectualism and the law-making morality of the dominant churches;
the increased interest in the phenomena of extrasensory perception and
parapsychology; the wide admiration by various self-development techniques; the
spread of fashion to magic and astrology, which penetrates deeper into mass
culture; the great popularity of ancient and new eastern religious teachings.
Thus, the complexity of the phenomenon of culture shows the specificity of
its dynamic development. Cultural epochs endlessly change each other. The
beginning of a new time, a new cultural situation is a change in value, life and
practice. "Revolution of consciousness" marks the birth of a new cultural and
historical epoch. Artistic styles reflect the specifics of a particular cultural area.
They change each other, proclaiming the emergence of a new mentality of the era.
Questions
1. What is the difference between counterculture and subculture?
2. Has counterculture always existed?
3. Can Christianity be considered a phenomenon of counterculture?
4. Why are subcultures born in culture?
5. Please name examples of counter-cultural phenomena.
6. What was the result of youth performances in the 1960-70s?
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