[psb]

The multiple overlapping hierarchies stuff is new to me and pretty fascinating. You could probably make a case that whatever benefits Alcoholics Anonymous impart come from providing a community to feel useful and valuable for its members.

[ewzimm]

I would go one step further and say that the desire to find one's place inside a hierarchy is itself a (very large) subculture. It's certainly possible to operate happily outside systems of social evaluation. Hermit monks have been happily meditating for centuries, and the American West was once idealized for its pioneer culture and the opportunity to live apart from civilization. While some people retreat to subcultures to find peer approval, others certainly just want to be alone with their environment.