154 Subculture & Pop Culture Topics

Subcultures offer a fascinating lens to understand the diversity of people. With these subculture topics, you can explore the peculiarities of various popular groups and assess their impact on individuals and society. Study subcultures such as punk or hippie, gaining insights into their origins and contributions. Let’s find the best pop culture topics to write about!

🔝 TOP 7 Subculture Topics

1. Functionalism and Other Theories of Popular Culture
2. The Impact of Popular Culture on Body Image
3. The Influence of Popular Culture on Society
4. Exploring Popular Culture in Architecture
5. Why Are Fantasy Films so Popular?
6. Michael Jackson’s Influence on Pop Culture
7. “Cultural Theory and Popular Culture” by John Storey

🏆 Best Subculture Topics

1. The Impact of Popular Culture on Body Image in Women

   This paper is about how the media and film industry promotes unhealthy body image toward women and how it affects women consumers.
2. How Popular Culture Influences Morality in Society

   The article titled “Readers on Morality: Don’s Let TV Be Guide,” reveals much insight regarding what most content consumers feel about popular TV shows.
3. Hip-Hop & Shakespeare: The TED Talk

   The TED Talk video with the British MC and hip-hop scholar Akala presented an exciting look at the legacy of William Shakespeare.
4. K-Pop Music Genre Popularity Analysis

   K-Pop, or Korean pop, is a musical genre rapidly gaining popularity, which characterized by singing talents and brilliantly choreographed dances that demonstrate during performances.
5. Missy Elliott’s Career and Queer Representation in Hip-Hop

   The discussion of gender stereotypes and queer representations in music is especially valid in the hip-hop genre which has been subjected to racial and gender limitations.
6. Michael Jackson: Essay on His Influence on Music & Pop Culture

   Jackson has received a place in pop history as a pioneer and legend, which is why he will always be remembered as the King of Pop.
7. The Influence of Popular Culture on Society’s Perception of Wealth as Life’s Priority

   The modern world has long entered the era of technological advancement that broadened the scope of popular culture manifestations.
8. Gil Scott-Heron’s Influence on Modern Hip-Hop Music

   Scott-Heron was not only a godfather (literally) of hip-hop but also an enthusiastic soul and blues performer.
9. The Impact of Technology on American Popular Culture in the 20th Century

   The work aims to examine how the development of technology influenced the popular culture of America in the twentieth century.
10. Subculture and Subcultural Capital

    Analysis of the Skinhead Subculture and explore the concept of subcultural capital as it affects this particular subculture.
11. Anderson’s “Code of the Street”: Subculture and Conflict Theories

    In “Code of the Street: Decency, Violence, and the Moral Life of The Inner City,” Anderson tries to put forward a fact in which the life of a gangster is culturally glamorized.
12. Cars in Popular Culture and Mass Media

    The entirety of ideas, fancy images, attitudes, and perspectives within the cultural mainstream define what is known as popular (or pop) culture.
13. The Link Between Pop Culture and Stereotypes

    The majority of movies in the military and action genre involved Russians as primary antagonists. Such films used the stereotypical version of Russians.
14. Popular Culture and the Cold War

    Popular culture was strongly restricted. The Cold War had an immense influence on the lives of people since they were afraid to be considered communists.
15. Sneakerhead Subculture in the United States

    The annotated bibliography is on the Sneakerhead subculture, its social identity, brand preference, and the intersection of Sneakerhead culture and racism in the United States.
16. Popular Culture via the Lens of Marxism, Postmodernism, and Psychoanalysis

    The purpose of this paper is to describe a popular culture through the lens of Marxism, Postmodernism, and Psychoanalysis.
17. The History of Hip-Hop Culture

    This report, with help of secondary research, analyses the historical evolution of Hip Hop culture; hip-hop music, dance, art, culture, language, and fashion.
18. Pop Culture in “The Godfather” by Coppola

    The Godfather film is a part of the pop culture because it is regularly cited as an inspiration by many filmmakers.
19. East-Indian Culture and Subcultures

    The East-Indian culture is rich in religious, lingual, traditional, musical, literary, and worldview-based varieties, which makes it a unique phenomenon worth cherishing.
20. The Link Between Subcultures and Ethnocentrism

    As globalization erodes borders and allows more open communication between individuals, ethnocentrism can more easily lead to conflict between people from different cultures.
21. The Emo and Goth Subcultures Comparison

    The paper at hand will attempt to compare the Emo and Goth subcultures. Both subcultures emerged in the 1970s on the basis of punk rock and quickly spread across the globe.

🎧 Popular Culture Topics

1. The Influence of Social Media on Popular Culture
2. Celebrity Culture and Its Impact on Society
3. The Rise of K-Pop: Globalization and Cultural Influence
4. Memes as a Form of Popular Culture
5. Sports in Popular Culture: The Phenomenon of Superstar Athletes
6. The Role of Fashion in Shaping Popular Culture
7. Video Games: From Niche Hobby to Mainstream Pop Culture
8. Reality TV Shows and their Impact on Popular Culture
9. Comic Books and Graphic Novels: The Evolution of Popular Culture
10. Food Culture: The Fusion of Culinary Arts and Popularity
11. Film Franchises and Cinematic Universes: The Era of Blockbuster Culture
12. Popular Music Genres: Evolution and Impact on Society
13. Internet Subcultures: Exploring Online Communities and Trends
14. Dance and Pop Culture: From Breakdancing to TikTok
15. Art in Popular Culture: Street Art, Pop Art, and Beyond
16. Anime and Manga: The Global Popularity of Japanese Animation
17. Social Movements and Activism in Popular Culture
18. Gaming Influencers: The Rise of eSports and Streamers
19. Pop Culture and Advertising: The Power of Branding
20. Popular Culture and Gender Representation
21. Comic-Con and Fan Conventions: Celebrating Pop Culture Fandom
22. Nostalgia in Popular Culture: Revivals and Reboots
23. Pop Culture Tourism: Exploring Film and TV Locations
24. Popular Culture and Cultural Appropriation: Appreciation vs. Appropriation
25. Tabloids and Gossip Magazines: The Fascination with Celebrity News

👍 Subculture Essays – Ideas & Examples

1. Popular Culture in “Inglourious Basterds” Film

   One of the most well-known and controversial movies about World War II, “Inglourious Basterds” by Quentin Tarantino, is densely packed with references to popular culture.
2. Gender Representation in American Pop Culture

   The excerpt of the book “The Pop Culture Freaks” focuses on the representation of gender in American pop culture that is a powerful tool capable of impacting social tendencies.
3. Hipster Subculture and Green Movement Counterculture

   This essay dwells on values, norms, beliefs, symbols, language as core components of a culture and on the comparison between the hipster subculture and the green movement counterculture.
4. The American Skinhead, and Greenpeace: Humanitarians or Terrorists

   The Greenpeace and American Skinhead movements have come to attract a lot of controversies in regard to their intentions and legality of action.
5. The History of Punk Documentary Analysis

   In the documentary “History of Punk: Sound of Rebellion,” the punk subculture is explored from different angles, with the musical aspect given the most attention.
6. Pop Culture and Serial Killer in Darkly Dreaming Dexter

   The essay compares and contrasts how the literary study could explore “Darkly Dreaming Dexter” differently than a film analysis could of the TV series.
7. Afrofuturism as a Subculture: Key Issues

   Afrofuturism can be defined as a movement in literature, art, and culture. It is a subculture that seeks to highlight the plight of black people.
8. Feminism and Sex in Hip-Hop Music

   Hip Hop music was introduced with the intention of combating poverty, racism, and violence that were prevalent in lower-income neighborhoods across the United States.
9. Subcultures in “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Ryan Moore

   In the “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Ryan Moore, the author examines how youth subcultures reflect the political, cultural, and economic development of American society.
10. Subcultures and Reasons for Their Existence

    Subculture exists and remains successful for a long time because it is a society’s response to some flaw, and it remains until the problem is resolved.
11. Einstein’s Impact on Science, Pop Culture, and Diversity

    Albert Einstein was chosen because he is one of the most recognized figures in science and pop culture and his name is well-known to people and children.
12. Culture and Evolution of Hip-Hop in South Korea

    Korean hip-hop, otherwise known as K-hip hop, is a subgenre of hip-hop music from South Korea. It is essential to establish the culture and evolution of hip-hop in South Korea.
13. Punk Rock: Origins and Impact on Society

    Punk rock is one of those sub-genres that arose during the 1970s. Punk musicians developed a reputation for eschewing mainstream pop music’s trappings.
14. Hip-Hop Contribution to Forming Positive and Negative Worldviews

    Hip-hop contributes to forming both positive and negative worldviews and ideological attitudes in today’s youth, as it includes various issues of sexuality, gender, racism, etc.
15. Hip Hop’s Globalization and Influence of Hip-Hop Music in Japan

    This paper reviews the Southern Rap Songs era’s influence on hip-hop music development in Japan during the 20th century.
16. Hip-Hop in the Bronx and Link to Gentrification

    Hip-hop arose as a combination of protest and entertainment, and it has retained its effectiveness as a tool to fight against social and economic challenges.
17. Pop Culture: Developments, Recycling and Revitalizing

    Pop can be defined as the usual way of life of Americans. It refers to the popular culture that at least all Americans agree to.
18. Resistance in Popular Culture

    In the 1970s, with the development of equal rights movement, popular music was enriched by a number of songs, which sought to de-construct androcentrism.
19. Interconnection in Popular Culture

    With globalization and commercialization of culture, every aspect of culture seems to be merged into one single realm.
20. Rapping as an Element of Hip Hop Culture

    Hip hop is one of the most famous subcultures that have been commercialized at the end of the twentieth century. Rapping is one of the key elements of classic hip hop culture.
21. Hip-Hop Evolution of Rap Movement

    This work explains the rapping element of Hip-Hop as it developed across time, how it has influenced the movement and changed over the years.
22. Popular Culture’s and Fashion Industry’s Influences

    The popular culture influences particularly the youth. This paper creates awareness for the audience concerning the effects of the manufacturers’ advertisements.
23. Introducing Popular Culture: Foundational Perspectives and Trends

    Population culture includes all the aspects of life that we live by. Popular culture helps businesses to grow because they have to get what is trendy at to meet the people’s needs.
24. Embracing the Meaningfulness of Subcultures

    The paper argues cultural identity represents a crucial component of one’s personality, defining one’s life and choices.
25. Aspects of the American Pop Culture

    The paper states that the American film industry is one of the main components of the nation’s popular culture. It highlights the domains in the US.
26. Anime in Pop Culture: Art Review

    Anime as a form of art presented a new storytelling method. The link between cinema and anime is evident in the technology and storylines used.
27. Hip-Hop and Violence: Does This Music Genre Promote Crime?

    It is hard to disagree that various types and directions of art are extremely powerful and can have a severe impact on the world and society.
28. Doctor Faustus in Popular Culture

    This paper examines the image of Doctor Faustus in popular culture, using the examples of the works by Christopher Marlowe and George Lucas.

🎓 Catchy Subculture Essay Topics

1. The Graffiti Subculture Mirrors the Functions of ‘Institutionalized Art’
2. Conspiracist Subculture and Public Policy
3. The Swinging Subculture Undressed
4. Sweat and Iron: People in the Bodybuilding Subculture
5. Analyzing Movement Into and Identity in the Gothic Subculture
6. How Has Cell Phone Use Become a Subculture?
7. Social Variables and Its Impact on Society and Subculture
8. The Mentality and Rise of the Hipster Subculture Among Millenials
9. Trainspotting: Japan’s Unique Visual Subculture
10. Crime and Delinquency Subculture
11. The Subculture Within the School Culture
12. Biological Determinism, Subculture Crime, and Conflict
13. The Ground Effects and Other Aspects of the Low-rider Subculture
14. Hardcore Subculture and the Punk Subculture
15. Criminal Justice Gangs and Gang Subculture
16. Youth Subculture Sociology Class and Racism
17. Black Female Gang Members and Their Criminal Subculture
18. The Culture and Subculture of Gamers
19. Amish Teenagers and Their Distinct Subculture
20. Slang, Youth Subculture, and Rock Music

🌶️ Hot Subculture Ideas to Write About

1. K-Pop Stans as a Threat to the President

   The paper describes how the tickets for the 2020 Donald Trump presidential campaign rally were sold out to a group of people that had no intention of coming.
2. The Hip Hop Wars by T. Rose: A Book Review

   In The Hip Hop Wars, Rose (2008) criticizes hip-hop for perpetuating “black radicalism” through the hands of corporate idols.
3. Mekons: The Punk Rock Band and Its Artworks

   The paper states that rock and folklore music were not a perfect match, but the Mekons band, has made it work acoustically and ideologically.
4. “The Star Trek” Film and Popular Culture

   This paper analyzes the book Star Trek and Popular Culture and analyzes the issues addressed such as Trump’s politics, civil rights, war, and gender inequality.
5. Hip-Hop Music, Culture, and Technology in Society

   This essay presents the analysis of hip-hop music and culture in society by evaluating the gender representations, racial dynamism, and how technology has changed hip-hop culture.
6. Autoethnography: The Subculture of Sneakerheads

   The current project will focus on the subculture of sneakerheads, comment on why it exists, and explain how insiders and outsiders view it.
7. Worldly Writing on Music: K-Pop Culture

   Music is an essential component in the socio-cultural mainframe of any community due to the trickle-down effect of influencing emotional connectivity despite diversity.
8. Hip-Hop and Early African-American Music

   Parallel forms of hip-hop and early African-American music include, first of all, beatboxing which is a direct reference to the ethnic music of the indigenous tribes of Africa.
9. “One Thousand and One Nights Stories” in Popular Culture

   There are a lot of today’s well-known movies which are based on the “One Thousand and One Nights Stories” book, especially Disney films.
10. Pokémon Go Pop Culture Analysis

    Pokémon Go became one of the most popular games in the world right after its release in 2016. For a short time, the game became part of pop culture.
11. How Popular Culture Can Promote the Idea of Sexual Assault in Society

    Popular culture, including articles, songs, videos, and other materials from influencers in social media and life, can promote the idea of sexual assault in society.
12. The Impact of Popular Culture on Racial Perceptions

    Dehumanization through the use of racial stereotypes in popular culture extends as far as labeling minorities “exotic.”
13. Pop Culture as a Potent Globalization Tool

    Pop culture popularizes different ideas and makes them familiar to people from various countries, which helps to minimize the number of misunderstandings.
14. The Intersection of Hip-Hop, Sport, and Movies

    Hip-hop has become one of the best-known genres in the world. Although the focus of hip-hop is on music, it has influenced many other industries.
15. Hip-Hop Influence on American Popular Culture

    The sphere of the hip-hop influence on American popular culture is constantly extending, involving new forces and new interpretations.
16. Hip-Hop and Commercial Culture Relationship

    The relation between hip-hop and commercial culture may be viewed from the point of view of the aims they pursue and the differences and the social status of the cultural workers involved.
17. Anthropology: Hip Hop Culture in the US

    The history of Hip Hop generally defines numerous social and cultural aspects of music development in the USA.
18. Hip-Hop Musical Impact on the World

    Hip-hop culture has had a tremendous impact on the youth today than any other culture, for example, P Diddy and Jay Z have had a tremendous impact on the business world.
19. Pop Culture in Movies: How Far Can It Get?

    Pop culture is music, films, products etc. in a particular society that are familiar to and popular with most ordinary people in that society.
20. Popular Culture: Native American Communities

    BBC and Reuters, the Times, and the Look portray that low-class location prevents many Native Americans to obtain social respect and opportunities available for the white majority.
21. American Popular Culture and Globalization Effects

    The ubiquity of wealth-concentrated American popular culture in the lives of modern people threatens the generally accepted system of values and causes adverse shifts in it.
22. Subculture and Employment in Sociological Theories

    The paper tests the hypothesis that prominent representatives of subcultures are less likely to be hired for a top-paying job than the general citizens.
23. Pop Culture, Entertainment and Media Representation

    This paper reviews three articles: Medhurst’s “Batman, Deviance, and Camp,” McBride and Bird’s “From Smart Fan to Backyard Wrestler,” and Kidd’s “Methodology Moment.”
24. Gangstagrass: Bluegrass and Hip-Hop Music Band

    Gangstagrass band uses the culture reflected in both music genres like bluegrass and hip-hop to bring them together in their lyrics.
25. Female Pop-Culture in “Where the Girls Are” by Douglas

    In “Where the Girls Are”, Susan J. Douglas analyzes the state of the media in the 1960-1970s. She describes and explains the female pop-culture images of the time.
26. Pop Culture in America

    Pop culture is a multidimensional concept acting in many interpretations as the opposite of elitist types of cultures and is often replaced by the term mass culture.
27. Tracing the Evolution of Pop Music: The Rise of the Hip-Hop Genre

    The ever-expanding audience of the hip-hop culture has raised the question of the authentic rap music in the market. Hip-hop gained mainstream interest and popularity since the nineties.
28. Enter the Babylon System: Unpacking Gun Culture in Hip-Hop

    The authors in this book are bended on informing the society on who exactly should be blamed for the escalating gun violence.

❓ Questions for Subculture Essays

1. How Are Youth Subcultures Formed?
2. What Are the Different Types of Subcultures?
3. Are Millennials Considered a Subculture?
4. What Are the Subcultures in School?
5. How Does Subculture Influence Human Behavior?
6. What Is the Difference Between Youth Culture and Youth Subculture?
7. Are Fans Considered a Subculture?
8. How Are Subculture and Counterculture Interrelated?
9. What Is the Purpose of a Subculture?
10. How Does Subculture Affect Education?
11. What Is the Relationship Between Subculture and Culture?
12. How Is Subculture Helping Social Change?
13. What Are the Key Elements of Subculture?
14. Is a Soldier in the US Army a Subculture?
15. How Does Subculture Influence Identity?
16. What Are the Negative Impacts of a Youth Subculture?
17. How Can You Identify a Subculture?
18. Why Are Subcultures Important to Society?
19. What Subcultures Have Emerged From Today’s Generation?
20. Is Youth Culture a Thing of the Past?
21. What Was the Last Subculture?
22. Is Gaming a Subculture or Culture?
23. What Are the Major Subcultures in the US?
24. How Are Subculture and Counterculture Similar?
25. What Makes a Culture a Subculture?