A subculture that challenges the dominant values is called what?

• A. Subculture
• B. Ethnic group
• C. Counterculture
• D. Nation

Answer: (C)

A counterculture is a subculture that actively challenges the dominant values and norms of a society. It doesn’t just exist alongside the mainstream; it questions and often rejects its core beliefs, rules, and practices, sometimes adopting alternative lifestyles, art, and political stances to express dissent. For example, various movements in the 1960s challenged authority, conventional gender roles, and war. In contrast, a subculture shares distinctive practices or symbols but doesn’t inherently oppose the overall culture; an ethnic group is defined by shared heritage and identity; a nation is a political-territorial entity. So the term that best fits a group challenging the mainstream values is counterculture.