In my opinion cowboys are a subculture. However, cowboys might be considered as a part of either of these two groups, counterculture and ethnocentrism. Cowboys are definitely different from the dominant culture, but I would not say they oppose central aspects of the dominant culture. I would say hippies are more of a counterculture. I am not saying that is a bad thing. Cowboys are judgmental.
Ethnocentrism does however, fit the cowboy. Cowboys only appreciate their culture and are quick to judge others who are not like them. First impressions mean a lot to a cowboy. Cowboys don’t spend time over analyzing what they see. Cowboys are slow and methodical perfectionist and don’t believe in wasting their time. Take all the time you need to get the job done, as long as it is a job that needs to be done.
Men who show up to work in baggy clothing, especially if their pants are falling off, and do not have on proper foot ware, are sized up quickly by a cowboy. Fast talking salesmen, lazy people, foreigners, freaks, rock-n-rollers, urban dwellers, white collar workers, and most of all, politicians, are all judged as inferior to the cowboy.
Cowboys believe it is not stupid to keep things simple. At the bottom of the pyramid, stupid people are forced to keep things simple. As we climb the pyramid and intelligence increases, so does the level of difficulty. Highly intelligent people keep things extremely complicated. And the cowboy, at the top of the pyramid, believes in simplicity, smooth, hardworking American values.
Yes, cowboys are very judgmental. I am proud to be a cowboy.
Brett Bickham
Clifton, TX