Subcultures exist within dominant society. They hold values and norms that differ from wider society, but are uniform within the subculture.They are identified by the things that they have in common; listening to the same music, dressing similarly or having tattoos and piercings. Some examples of subcultures are goths, neds and hipsters.
Countercultures are subcultures that reject some, or all, of the norms and values of dominant society. They actively work to change aspects of the dominant culture. Some examples of countercultures are the Feminist movement, the KKK and the Neo-Nazis.
Thomson, CH. (2012). What is Culture?. Available: http://sociologytwynham.com/2012/06/20/what-is-culture/. Last accessed 12th Feb 2015.