What makes up a culture?

Culture is:

Laws—What we have to abide by.  Murder, robbery, vandalism are examples of this.

Values—What is considered good and bad.  Honesty and theft are examples of this.

Rules—What society says we should do.  Marriage is an example of this, having the perfect family, having a job—the picture perfect life.

Social Status—People being ‘types,’ such as ‘kings,’ ‘friends,’ etc.

Beliefs – Things a person cherishes.  These include religion, faith, love, etc.

These things can be learned, patterned, symbolic, internalized, mutual, arbitrary, and influence the way we interact.

How is a particular subculture considered a culture?
Subcultures have traits that are different than main cultures; every culture has smaller cultures inside it.  Some examples of sub-cultures you may find in a high school are goths, punks, preps, jocks, nerds, etc.  These groups of people have certain behaviors or customs that are all different than the others.  Some may even have different languages, or use of slang.  

Ethnicity and religion also have subgroups, and are considered a culture because they each have their own laws, rules, values, etc.

It’s all about a mental blueprint, or a mental code—all of the things you do when you’re younger, the things you continue to do as a teen, and how you shape your own family. 

For example -- I grew up in a household that valued honesty.  Even if we knew we did something wrong, as long as we were honest, it helped my sister and I in the long run.  It was also important to my parents to let my sister and I lead our own lives, make our own mistakes, and learn from them.  Because of that, my sister and I have shaped our own values, beliefs, etc. They may not be learned through family, it may be something you teach yourself.  But whatever way a person decides to describe their culture, each person is different.