12/14(Sat) Subculture: Not Inferior to Mainstream Culture (Host by Tim Lee)

[TKTim]

Subculture! When I was a little kid, fitting in with my classmates and living according to my parents were the keys. That being said, I started to like Japanese animation when I was in elementary school. And that's what makes me realize what a subculture is.

There are still many subcultures in this world, but what makes it? and how to categorize it into subcultures?
Here are some clues, a subculture should share distinct values that are different from the majority of people

One of the things about subculture is it is not inferior to mainstream culture! and I want to share this beautiful work called "春心萌動的老屋緣廊" [メタモルフォーゼの縁側], I won't spoil it but might mention it during the sessions. It is a heartwarming Japanese film about the unlikely friendship between two very different individuals. It tells the story of Urara Sayama, a shy 17-year-old high school student with a love for BL (Boys' Love) manga, and Yukiko Ichinoi, a 75-year-old widow exploring new hobbies.

1. Are we living through a great subcultural renaissance?
https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-cultu ... enaissance
2. Things I learned from cartoons: Can We Miss Someone We Don't Know | Amphibia
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/33RjQr69tC4
3. Things I learned from cartoons: What's Growing Up | Adventure Time
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/opy-J82jZMY

Session 1
Q1. When I was in elementary school, Japanese animation was considered a subculture (and perhaps it still is), but nowadays, people seem more accepting of it. Why is that?
Q2. Why do people often look down on subcultures, and is this happening more frequently now or 20 years ago?
Q3. Would joining groups like Yo-Yo in Taiwan be considered part of a subculture? What kinds of reactions have you observed when you mention it to others?

Session 2
Q1. What is the best subculture you’ve ever been a part of? Can you share some experiences?
Q2. What motivates you to try something unfamiliar?
Q3. How would you encourage younger people to embrace their interest in subcultures and not feel ashamed about it?

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Agenda:
3:45 ~ 4:00pm Greetings & Free Talk / Ordering Beverage or Meal / Getting Newcomer’s Information
4:00 ~ 4:10pm Opening Remarks / Newcomer’s Self-introduction / Grouping
(Session I)
4:10 ~ 4:50pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
4:50 ~ 5:10pm Summarization (20 mins)
5:10 ~ 5:15pm Regrouping / Instruction Giving / Taking a 10 Minutes Break (Intermission)
(Session II)
5:15 ~ 5:55pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
6:00 ~ 6:20pm Summarization (20 mins)
6:20 ~ 6:30pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements

Meeting Date: As shown on the Subject Line
Meeting Time: 4:00pm – 6:30pm
Meeting Venue: 丹堤咖啡 Dante Coffee (Minimum Order $85)
Address: 台北市濟南路三段25號[MAP]-捷運忠孝新生站3號出口步行3分鐘

Important Notes:
1. We advise participants to print out the discussion questions and bring them to the meeting for reference. As for the supporting articles, feel free to print them out, as well, according to your preference.
2. We suggest that participants read the articles and think about the questions in advance.
3. Newcomers should prepare a two-to-three-minute self-introduction in English to deliver when called upon by the host before the start of the discussion. The host may also ask you to give brief feedback about the meeting after the meeting.
4. We conduct the entire meeting in English. All participants should have at least moderate English-conversation skills and be able to articulate their ideas for each discussion question.
5. We welcome newcomers and other guests to attend the meetings and join the discussion freely twice (including on-site and online meetings). After that, we hope you will consider becoming a YoYo English Club member. We charge a NT$1,500 (NT$1,000 for students) lifetime membership fee.

[TKTim]

move to the top!

Hope to see you guys at the meeting

[Luis Ko]

guess it's not the first time i have heard of the term subculture. however, it seems i had never really got it after googled it for the meeting. according to wiki, "A subculture is a group of people within a cultural society that differentiates itself from the values of the conservative, standard or dominant culture to which it belongs, often maintaining some of its founding principles.", but the explaination is still quite vague. finally, i have found out what subcultures are in real world from one of reddit threads i would say,

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comm ... ?rdt=60035
What is a common problem in your subculture that most people don't realize exists?
Your subculture could be something like black women, gay men, female gamers, etc.

in the replies, it also shows writers, colorblinded people, the deaf, wheelchair people and Programmers, all of them can be deemed subcultures.

in stead of values, it somehow means a subculture can also be any group of people who share the same traits, be it good or bad, visible or invisible. sometimes the "stuff" they share might also make them be the odd one out. guess that's why subcultures are often thought unpopular, or say weird, if not looked down. with that being said, i think the problem should be on outsiders rather than the subculture itself in most cases. then again, hope i didn't get it wrong lo~

[Iris Wu]

The prefix "sub-" means "under" or "below" and is often used to form words that describe something as smaller, lesser, or lower in position. It is relative to "prime" and "main" in terms of size, position, and sometimes popularity, importance, or even value.

I like to think of subculture as a branch that deviates from mainstream culture, but it’s not always that simple. Culture, much like race, should theoretically be equal across its variations, but this is rarely the reality. Human activities are inevitably shaped by personal and social preferences and biases. For instance, the traditional Chinese poet association in Taiwan was part of the mainstream culture years ago, but today, it might barely qualify as a subculture group. On the other hand, the culture of Southeast Asian immigrants in Taiwan is gradually influencing society and may one day become an integral part of mainstream culture.