Urban tribe
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An urban tribe is a subculture that originates and develops within urban environments (see urban culture).
[edit] Description
Urban tribes are groups of people in urban areas who have some kind of close association based upon similar lifestyles or activities. Subcultures, such as urban tribes, are more common in larger cities where the enormous size and complexity of the society create a sense of alienation or isolation on the level of the individual. This, in turn, can lead to the (official or unofficial) formation of urban tribes in which people effectively unite behind a common interest to create a smaller-scale community within a larger, overall society.
Although the phrase urban tribe implies nothing about age or marriage, Ethan Watters defines urban tribes as groups of never-married's between the ages of 25 and 45 who gather in common-interest groups and enjoy the urban lifestyle.
Urban lifestyle communities offer a viable alternative to traditional family structures.
The neologism urban tribe was coined in 2001 by Ethan Watters in a New York Times Magazine article, who later expanded upon the idea in his 2003 book Urban Tribes: A Generation Redefines Friendship, Family, and Commitment (ISBN 1-58234-264-4). Later on, the term would also be used to refer to people's groups with a specific urban culture ( Example: hip hop culture, Gang, etc).
