Human Subcultures

Subcultures are a variety of cultures and sub-groups that become part of society. Learn more about sub-cultures like Geisha, the Amish, Freegans or the Mafia.

Learn More / Page 3

Social identity is what we see in ourselves that we have in common with others. Learn about social identity from this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors & Yara Simón

Sure, someone can quit smoking. But if that person still yearns to light up a cigarette every day for the rest of his life, has he really changed? What does it take to alter behavior?

By Charles W. Bryant

Since ancient times, people have turned to courageous, larger-than-life champions as sources of inspiration. And even in today's more cynical culture, we still seek them out. Why?

By Patrick J. Kiger

Advertisement

Since ancient times, societies and nations have depended upon those willing to go to war. In the 21th century, we still do. How have warriors evolved and why do we look up to them?

By Patrick J. Kiger

Do you ever wonder whether your morning meeting was necessary? After all, why should it take six people to decide on a new coffee machine for the break room? Perhaps a pair could have handled this decision better than a group.

By Charles W. Bryant

Is being normal all about thinking inside the box? It's all about matching up to what society considers standard, but where did the criteria come from in the first place?

By Tom Scheve

It's almost impossible to strip personal beliefs away from the idea of personhood. But debates over controversial topics like corporate personhood and abortion rights inspire many people to try to find a definition everyone can agree to. Is there such a thing as a universal definition of personhood?

By Tom Scheve

Advertisement

"Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." So said legendary football coach Vince Lombardi, but how do these words help us understand society?

By Molly Edmonds

There aren't many blank spots left on the map -- geographically or anthropologically. But for a few isolated hold-outs, privacy means everything. Where's the most isolate culture in the world, and what little do we know of them?

By Jessika Toothman

In the past, people who acted abnormally were carted off to prisons or insane asylums for mental health conditions beyond their control. Now, we have a greater understanding, but there are still unsolved mysteries of the mind.

By Molly Edmonds

We may think that mental illnesses are rare, or things that simply happen to other people. We may think that they'll be easy to spot. We might not be willing to consider that we could have a mental disorder ourselves.

By Molly Edmonds

Advertisement

Burqas are commonly associated with repression and religious extremism. But to many people, the veil is a sign of modesty and piety, as well as a badge of honor. What is the true meaning of the veil?

By Molly Edmonds & Yves Jeffcoat

Aborigines are the world's oldest continuous culture, and they arrived in Australia between 40,000 and 60,000 years ago. Learn more with Aborigine pictures.

At its core, feminism is the belief in equality. It's a movement and a philosophy that seeks to eliminate the social, cultural and legal barriers between men and women. Its goal is to create a truly egalitarian society.

By Cristen Conger

Not every woman whose head scrapes the glass ceiling responds by burning her bra. These five feminist movements highlight proactive efforts to change gender stereotypes and claim equality for women in the boardroom, bedroom and voting booth.

By Cristen Conger

Advertisement

Between 1910 and 1970, nearly 100,000 Aboriginal children were taken from their birth parents and placed in white foster homes as part of a government plan to phase out the Aboriginal race. So where are these children today?

By Alia Hoyt

One piece of diet advice is not to snack until you're hungry enough to eat an apple. But what about consuming human flesh? Is cannibalism about hunger, power or desperation? And is it alive and well in our modern world?

By Josh Clark

Potatoes. Moles. Time capsules. Some things just belong underground and thrive in that dark, airless environment. Humans have long preferred topsoil to the subterranean, but some designers are looking to change that.

By Josh Clark

Chinese parents on the hunt for creative baby names are turning to the Olympic Games for inspiration. Just don't try to name your new baby "@".

By Maria Trimarchi

Advertisement

Would you eat fried worms? While eating bugs is culturally taboo in the Western world, plenty of people around the globe enjoy a nutritious insect snack.

By Charles W. Bryant

With Mount Everest as a backdrop, Sherpas live and work at elevations that cause visitors altitude sickness. Learn more about the Sherpa culture and the respect they garner for their mountain mother.

By Cristen Conger

Aboriginal People use stories called dreamings to keep a record of their history. But the recent history of the Aboriginal people is nothing like a dream.

By Ryan Johnson

How can a house made of snow keep you sheltered from the icy cold? Igloos seem like a great paradox, but they're actually quite practical. Who invented them and why?

By Alia Hoyt

Advertisement

From the smallest tribe to the largest nation, important decisions are based on questions like: How many of us are there? How are we divided? Where are we going? Do we have enough food and other resources to take care of us?

By Ed Grabianowski

Dogfighting has been in the news recently because of the Michael Vick conviction. What exactly is dogfighting and who are the people involved in this cruel and horrific "sport?" Learn about dogfighting in this article.

By Jacob Silverman