The practices by which a subculture in particular, or subcultures in general, define, mark and police the boundaries between their members and the larger culture.

These practices may include, but are not limited to: adopting particular styles of dress, hair, makeup, or accessories; actively sharing an enjoyment of particular styles of music, sexual practices, or drugs; or adhering to particular social norms, values or standards of acceptable behavior not shared by the larger culture.

Identity practices are distinguished from commonalities between members by the importance that the subculture expressly places on them. For instance, many subcultures draw most of their members from distinct socioeconomic strata; but some (e.g., skinheads) explicitly place value on this fact, while others (e.g., hackers) don't particularly care about it.