A national society is a population of people usually living within a specified geographic area and they are connected by common ideas and they work toward common goals. So within a nation there are many smaller groups such as ethnic groups, regional groups, and even tribal subcultures made up of people who identify closely with each other. So a subculture is the culture of a smaller community that distinguishes itself from the dominant culture or the larger society. So for example in the United States, this is a national society with its own culture, but the different cities and regions and even states in the United States may have their own unique subcultures.
So to better explain this concept, let's look at an example. This is Jim and Jim has grown up in Florida his entire life. He's very excited because he just got into college in Washington DC.
So when he makes the move up there during the summer he starts to notice a lot of differences between Florida and DC. When he first gets up there he has to go to the grocery store to get some food. So coming out of his neighborhood he has to watch for bikers because there are so many people riding bikes in the city. He's not used to this because in Florida everything's so spread out and people drive places but in DC biking is a very efficient way to get around.
So whenever Jim makes a turn in the city also he has to watch for pedestrians because there's a lot of people walking to their work. They also have the right of way so this is another new thing he has to learn. When he actually arrives to the store, as with many places in DC, there's no parking lot, so he has to parallel park. He now realizes this is a vital skill he's going to have to have while he's living in DC. So when he parks, he now takes a minute and he pays for parking using the meter, which is another new experience for him.
That same evening, he and his wife decide that they want to go eat dinner in DC. So they hop in the car and they plug in the address for Freddy's BBQ, which is a place that is supposed to be great. So they quickly realize how driving in D.C. is not the same as driving in Florida.
And it takes them over an hour to drive two miles due to all the traffic. And they are unable to find parking. Their only option is a parking garage that charges over $22 an hour. So they now realize the better option would be to ride the metro.
So now whenever Jim and his wife go anywhere in D.C. They use the metro and the circulator bus. So this example with Jim shows us that there there are many different subcultures in the United States and different cities often have their own subcultures. So I encourage you to think about the different places you have been in your life and then think about the differences that are the result of a region's unique subculture.