Jim Jone’s Cult, a Subculture Subculture, a culture that differs from the dominant culture but is not necessarily in direct opposition to it. A subculture does not aim to be in opposition of the dominant culture as counterculture does. However, most subcultures have different ideals, values and norms than the dominant culture although some may be the same. There are many subcultures in the United
States, they may exist integrated into society and just share values and ideals with their subculture, or there are groups that are physically isolated and only exist with their subculture as the Jones’ cult did. Jim Jones was a charismatic man with different and intriguing values. He preached about being very accepting of all races, genders …show more content…
This is when it became perfectly clear that this was not a harmless subculture with communistic values but a manipulative man controlling people to do
Strasenburgh !3 things they would not have normally done. Though his manipulation he had actually changed their norms, suddenly it became a norm within the cult to openly talk about mass suicide and for
Jim Jones to test the members to see if they were loyal enough to actually kill themselves.
Unfortunately Jones really did have that much influence, and in 1978 over 900 members of the cult drank cyanide and killed themselves, almost 300 of these members were children. Following the mass suicide Jim Jones shot himself also and that was the end of this subculture. The Jim Jones cult is a prime example of a group that claims to have great ideal values and culture however they are not at all based in reality. Jones main priority was not equality and acceptance as he was obviously clouded with some type of mental illness. This subculture was sparked by a time of civil right unrest and a very charismatic and convincing man. Subcultures form naturally in any place that has a dominant culture, as all people are not the same a differentiated groups come about within society.
States, they may exist integrated into society and just share values and ideals with their subculture, or there are groups that are physically isolated and only exist with their subculture as the Jones’ cult did. Jim Jones was a charismatic man with different and intriguing values. He preached about being very accepting of all races, genders …show more content…
This is when it became perfectly clear that this was not a harmless subculture with communistic values but a manipulative man controlling people to do
Strasenburgh !3 things they would not have normally done. Though his manipulation he had actually changed their norms, suddenly it became a norm within the cult to openly talk about mass suicide and for
Jim Jones to test the members to see if they were loyal enough to actually kill themselves.
Unfortunately Jones really did have that much influence, and in 1978 over 900 members of the cult drank cyanide and killed themselves, almost 300 of these members were children. Following the mass suicide Jim Jones shot himself also and that was the end of this subculture. The Jim Jones cult is a prime example of a group that claims to have great ideal values and culture however they are not at all based in reality. Jones main priority was not equality and acceptance as he was obviously clouded with some type of mental illness. This subculture was sparked by a time of civil right unrest and a very charismatic and convincing man. Subcultures form naturally in any place that has a dominant culture, as all people are not the same a differentiated groups come about within society.