So, is it cool to be a dickhead....

So I've been working on my dissertation on hipster culture and so far I've come up with thick rimmed glasses, fixed gear bikes, vintage trainers and indie music. What defines a hipster is my question?  Is it a frame of mind or are they all just a bunch of 'douchebags' trying to be non-conformists, conforming. What characteristics build up this hipster mentality? Apriorism seems to be a key trait: Often noticed among hipster groups when discussing their musical preferences, such phrases as "I listen to bands that don’t even exist yet" or "I used to like that band before it got popular" tend to crop up time and time again. Ironic in a sense as they pride themselves on not being mainstream despite the fact that the hipster concept has become quite trendy in recent years. Are there any hipsters out there that would be proud to coin themselves a hipster, let me know if you find any? Is this the best our generation has to offer? Stealing elements from former sub-cultures like the hippies, mods, punks etc. and mashing certain aspects of knowledge, style and music preference to create the modern day hipster. I'm baffled to say the least, hopefully at the end of this whole thing I'll have become a little wiser....