Backpackers as a subculture

peer-reviewedThis paper investigates the legitimacy of calling the contemporary community of backpackers a subculture. I will support this position by firstly establishing the criteria necessary for a group to be considered a subculture. Following this, an analysis of the backpacking community reveals whether or not it meets these specifications. There are arguments for and against applying the label of subculture to this group, both of which will be considered through the use of research and articles authored by sociologists such as P. Welk and A. Sorensen. A brief description of the origins of backpacking is given in order to better understand the group. The phenomenon of "road status" is explained and through this explanation the argument for the label of subculture is strengthened. To further support my position, I differentiate between backpackers and mainstream tourists and compare aspects of these groups' practices, highlighting both the similarities and differences between the two groups, hence reinforcing the argument for the title of subculture. Research for this paper is mainly from secondary sources but I have however used my own experiences as a backpacker to further validate and illustrate the argument