Omparison of Different Dentification of Subcultures - Research Paper Example

«Omparison of Different Dentification of Subcultures» The Champlain College campus consists of two distinct subcultures which both have their own unique sets of beliefs, values and social preferences. Identifying the subcultures involved observational research and interview format as a means to understand what drives social relationships in these groups. Research uncovered a group of local students named The Vermonters which consist of students born and familiar with the Burlington and surrounding areas. The second group consists of various international students including refugees, Canadians, Muslims and Russian students. The Vermonters were more rigid in their social rules while the International Group appeared to have more flexibility in terms of what was considered acceptable behavior. This project discusses what research uncovered about both subculture groups. At first glance, it would not be obvious that two specific subcultures exist at Champlain due to the regular social interaction which regularly takes place on campus. It is not uncommon to see students of many different demographics discussing issues of campus social life or academic studies. Champlain is definitely a diversity-minded college, having developed a specific department named The Office of Diversity and Inclusion (Champlain.edu, 1). This is most likely why the college appeals to so many different racial and ethnic backgrounds. However, it is in the more private social spaces where the differences between subcultures can be observed, especially in matters of membership rules, entertainment, and social behaviors. This research study sought three specific objectives: Identify how many subcultures exist at Champlain Classify their unique differences and see if any connections are observed Identify any rules required to be a member of the located groups None of the students interviewed and observed for this study would likely admit that they fit a specific subculture profile simply because they are used to interacting with diverse peers often. However, The Vermonters are recognizable by their perceptions about local shopping and entertainment options and The Vermonter tendency to snub group members who display signs of disloyalty to others in the group. Even if the offense is a minor one, there is a long-term effect on how the individual is treated by the entire group which supports the idea that the group maintains rigid rules for membership. In one unique situation, a Vermonter had not taken care of their responsibilities in the shared areas by leaving a mess in the microwave and not recognizing that the microwave was already in use by another. One student responded, “He always does this!”, obviously frustrated and angry (Personal Interview). Over a very short period of time, this situation spread through the social network of those in The Vermonter group. The unique characteristic of this particular event was that the issue was not even discussed with the person responsible for the social error for several days while the discussion among the group continued. This might suggest that The Vermonter group considers irresponsibility or group disloyalty to be a very sizeable reason for temporary exclusion from the group. This is not to say that The Vermonter group is not a welcoming and interesting group of students because this group always stands by its members in terms of academic support and friendly, routine discussion. It is not a group which acts on gossip regularly but always remains focused on study responsibilities and performance in the classroom. It is a supportive group with a long-term focus on future success and graduation. This is noticed most when The Vermonters gather together for a group study session and brainstorming goal. The International Group is also supportive in academic achievement and the group takes its studies very seriously. This might be due to the fact that many in this group have come from difficult backgrounds where country conditions were poor and economies were worse. This group is strongly connected to the achievement of career goals and the topic of discussion among them is often regarding studies and lecture concepts. One unique characteristic compared to The Vermonters is that the International group appears to be a more inclusive group. Students in the International group do not always have a regular group of friends which they socialize with, instead this group can be observed socializing with many different people outside of their familiar group members. This might suggest that the International group is more diversity-minded than their other peer subculture group and can be adaptable to different, diverse viewpoints and opinions. Abraham Maslow, a famous psychologist, suggested that all people have an internal motivation for belonging in order to reach their fullest potential (Changingminds.org, 1). This viewpoint offers that people in group subcultures will model their behaviors after others in the group as a means to find this belonging. This is very noticeable in The Vermonter group but occurs far less in the International group. Vermonters are very particular about their fashion and where these fashions are purchased due to their own stereotypes about the local shopping options and their focus on advertisements. Many students in this group enjoy retail magazines and regularly discuss the different trends and styles found within them. In some instances, it seems that this is the only social topic that some members have in common. The Vermonters are definitely a popular culture-oriented group that enjoy entertainment and consider issues of wealth, fashion and personal image. This group often looks to one another to validate their opinions, both male and female, but the method by which this is done in The Vermonters is quite different. Females regularly ask one another about their opinions on a new fashion item or social opinion while male students generally look for quality discussion through humor and studies. The International group does not appear to have this same connection to popular culture because their individual viewpoints on issues of media and television did not show that these items were important to the International student group. Students in this subculture were not observed discussing pop culture and fashion/commercial issues at any point in the research. This could suggest a group that is focused mainly on studies or simply do not have the same consumer values as the local students. There is a specific organizational culture which exists at Champlain College which begins at the leadership level. The college obviously has a long-term goal of creating students with many different talents (sociology, psychology, etc). This creates a quality learning environment where everyone can share ideas and have their talents developed. Because of this attitude and culture, both subcultures can easily fit in with the guidelines for membership of the broader Champlain community. The atmosphere of the college creates the desire to interact between peers so this is simply a natural outcome or regular college life. It is only when the different groups are in less-public social situations where the major values and personalities can be seen and compared. However, in the United States many subcultures cannot seem to find belonging in the majority group. The ability of both groups to adapt to the larger Champlain culture is a strength which is due to leadership policy and campus lifestyle. The broader Burlington community, also, appears to have a quality opinion of the Champlain campus, which makes it easy for both subcultures to interact with the community. There could be a wide variety of reasons why this is, but there are likely those in the community who are happy to receive financial reward for student business and for the fresh, young attitude that students bring to the local community. No group inability to live and work amid the Burlington population had ever been observed or discussed. Brief interviews with a random group of students helped as the foundation for discovering which subcultures existed at the college. Basic survey questions, such as stating ethnic background, were designed to begin grouping different demographics. After determining how the groups socialize (who talks with who) it became clear that only two subcultures existed. Originally, it had been thought that the campus would have many subcultures which might have complicated the research process. Because of the different ethnic backgrounds at Champlain, it was believed that subcultures would exist simply based on finding group connection with ethnicity and not extending much beyond this belief. Even with diversity policies in place, certain discriminatory activities in the campus community will be likely to exist. This was an interesting outcome to the study. Another interesting outcome involved The Vermonters and their very strong stand against group disloyalty. Because members of this subculture find obvious connection through many popular subjects and often attend nightlife events together it would seem natural that there would be more leniency for breaking social rules. The Vermonters make very noticeable changes in behavior toward members who make errors and this grudge lasts for a long period of time. Though the group is still respectful of the group member who committed the offense, they are temporarily ousted from the group. This was a surprising result when at first it had been thought that The Vermonters would be more open in discussion about issues like a dirty microwave oven and taking an incorrect place in the line-up. However, it seems that disloyalty, regardless of its intent or magnitude, is a serious breakdown of membership policy. It sounds more serious than it really is. The Vermonter group should be given credit for the group’s strong focus on loyalty and having the rewards of quality relationships so long as there is loyalty to the broader group opinion. Perhaps this works as a system of justice versus reward for the group members to prevent them from taking on behavior characteristics such as gossip to create harmony between group members. It might also be an unconscious method to get others in the group to find belonging by understanding that not stepping out of issues of loyalty is what binds the group together. The International group does not appear to have this ousting process and they have a more open way of debating thoughts and disagreeing opinions. In many ways this group seems to value logic as a means of finding connection which did not necessarily fit original research expectations. It was thought the International subculture would be more emotionally attached due to similar backgrounds and ethnicity however it is academics and knowledge which seem to drive their social topics of discussion. As far as overall priority, the International group offered that academics was generally the Number One important issue for campus living. The Vermonter group, however, found entertainment and nightlife to be the most important. Though this was only a small group of interviewed and observed students, it does tend to show the vast differences in membership values and rules of membership for both subcultures. Two professional sociology experts offer the results of a study in which over half of all students surveyed believed that sociology was a practical study which could be used to advance career and future social life (Mitra and Sarabia, 1). Members from The Vermonter group were asked to discuss their views on sociology as an important study. All members researched in this group believed it was very important to extremely important in rank. All members of the International group also identified sociology’s importance in the same rank categories. This suggests, despite initial research thoughts, that The Vermonter group and the International group are very much alike in terms of the importance of socialization and as a tool for teaching as a means to enhance long-term success and graduation. The study also identified that there is generally a very positive view of Champlain College from most students. The landscape, educational quality, and student/teacher relationships are often discussed as regular topics of conversation with the entire student population. In this situation, it might also be the culture and environment which is actually provided by the college which helps in keeping many subcultures from developing. The focus on diversity probably does not allow students to feel the need to break off into unique, niche groups as a means to find belonging. Instead, once outside of their unique subculture, the student can interact with a wide variety of people and still be a positive contributor to the broader Champlain community. This is important because if the students were living and studying at a college where inclusion was not everyday practice, there might be far more subcultures being developed on campus which could lead to many problems for leadership. The difference in group viewpoints on marketing and other literature as pop culture discussion was also an unexpected outcome to the research. Various situations on television programs along with different print media is a regular topic of discussion with The Vermonters and helps to create identity for some. For the International group this is not the case. Why? It could be any number of reasons, perhaps that The Vermonter subculture is more settled with American lifestyle while their other group peers like to remain connected with other forms of entertainment. This study was not large-scale enough to decide these issues, however it was important to describe how media impacts group membership and group interaction when it becomes the focus of regular conversation and self-esteem development. This research project (and the course) taught that it is probably a natural development within a community for subcultures to form which will work toward breaking away from majority viewpoint to create a unique culture. The research uncovered really reinforces the importance of having a diversity-minded environment where people of different backgrounds can discuss issues honestly, openly and without worry of having their creativity remain undeveloped. Research uncovered that the diversity policies at Champlain College provide much more good for student lifestyle, which was never considered as a potential research result. No negative feelings seem to exist between The Vermonters and the International groups even though their beliefs, values and social membership rules are widely different. The study of sociology is to help in determining better methods for people to communicate and live together and also address issues in society which take away from positive social improvements. Even with the existence of two specific subcultures at Champlain, there is no noticeable conflict or social unrest when members of each subculture are forced to work with others from the second peer group. This is likely why Champlain devotes so much time into developing a three-tiered curriculum program designed to offer extensive teachings on diversity, humanity and philosophy as a lifestyle and graduation goal (Champlain.edu). This research project also made the researcher consider issues of environmental impact on cultural development as a potential study for future researchers. Using a larger amount of interviewed or surveyed students on different campuses across the country, patterns of subcultures on U.S. colleges could be researched. This might show whether specific college policies with unique campus cultures impact the rate at which subcultures are formed. A study like this would do much good for the university leader, the student, and the general community. Both subcultures appear to have social rules which actually work for the good of all members and, generally, relationships between members are peaceful and good-natured. Heated debates arise regarding classroom content but this should be expected in the college learning environment and in more personal spaces such as the local shopping district. This research managed to fulfill its intended objectives by identifying subcultures on campus, classifying noticeable differences, and determining what the specific rules of membership are in each group. The research study also gave the opportunity to consider different issues of relationship and how members of a subculture communicate and whether it is effective or not. The Vermonters and the International groups still appear to remain focused on their academic goals and making sure they achieve positive grades for the sake of a quality career. Attitudes are generally positive in both groups. The major difference between the groups lies in affiliation and the rules of membership. The Vermonters are more rigid where the International group is more flexible in these social issues. Works Cited Champlain.edu. “Diversity at Champlain”, 2008. Accessed 30 Nov 2008 < http://www.champlain.edu/About-Champlain/Diversity-at-Champlain.html> Changingminds.org. “Maslow’s Hierarchy”. Accessed 30 Nov 2008 < http://changingminds.org/explanations/needs/maslow.htm> Mitra, Aditi and Daniel Sarabia. “Embracing the sociological imagination: a study of university students' perceptions of sociology”, College Student Journal, 2005. Accessed 30 Nov 2008 < http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCR/is_4_39/ ai_n16083962/pg_6?tag=artBody;col1> Appendix A: Interview and Survey Questions Used 1. What is your ethnic background? 2. What is your geographic background….where were you born and raised? 3. Do you consider yourself to be part of any particular group on campus? If so, which one or how? 4. Do you believe Champlain College has specific rules for being a member of the campus community? If so, what kind? 5. Do you believe that certain subcultures exist at the college? What kind and describe them. 6. What are your overall opinions of Burlington in terms of community, entertainment and culture? 7. What do you THINK is Burlington’s view of you as the student? 8. What one thing would you change about Champlain or the local community/student population to make your experience more rewarding? Explain. 9. What do you find most important? The learning environment, social life, nightlife, or individual studies? Survey Questions: 1. How important is popular culture to you? 1 2 3 4 5 2. How important is social belonging to you? 1 2 3 4 5 3. When you consider your own identity, how often do you look toward other peers? 1 2 3 4 5 4. To media? 1 2 3 4 5 5. How important do you believe sociology study to be? 1 2 3 4 5 Read More