Explores the idea of subculture, traces the concept back to its foundations in the works of Tonnies and Durkheim and, to a lesser degree, Marx and Weber. The discussion moves on to an analysis of subculture in American urban sociology and criminology, through the traditions of the Chicago School, structural functionalism an systems theory. The ground-breaking work of Stuart Hall and the Birmingham School is evaluated and a case is made for the continuing relevance of the concept for sociology and cultural studies.