Mainstream

It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. (Discuss) Proposed since May 2013.

Mainstream is a term that usually refers to the common current of thought held by the majority, meaning that "mainstream" things are those that are currently popular with most people. It is most often applied in the arts (i.e., music, literature, and performance). This includes:

• something that is ordinary or usual;
• something that is familiar to most people;
• something that is available to the general public;
• something that has ties to corporate or commercial entities.

The mainstream includes all popular culture, usually circulated by mass media. An example of the opposite of the mainstream is counterculture. The term is sometimes used as a negative term. In the United States, Protestant denominations with a mix of conservative, moderate, and liberal theologies are sometimes referred to as "mainstream."^[1][2]

1. ↑ Caldwell, John (September 2, 2003). "Faith in school: as mainstream churches continue to wrestle with homosexuality, some religious colleges are taking an increasingly welcoming attitude toward gay students", The Advocate.
2. ↑ Baer, Hans A. (Dec 1988). "Black Mainstream Churches; Emancipatory or Accommodative Responses to Racism and Social Stratification in American Society?" Review of Religious Research 30 (2), pp. 162-76.