Youth and adult development: comparative perspectives

Subcultures

The Goth Culture and Society

The group I chose for this particular assignment is the Goth culture. I find this group to be interesting in the sense that while Goth individuals I have observed seem to be anti-mainstream, they all seem to be very similar in appearance when put one beside each other -- I am interested in studying the clash of ideas between originality and conformity within their own subculture. The main identity of the Goth culture would be the dark appearance -- most asserted Goth individuals can be recognized by their dark clothing and makeup and even Victorian-era influenced attires and accessories (Wilson). As stated in Goth: Undead Subculture, keynotes from the Goth culture are traced back to the Punk era, demonstrating a romanticized affinity for the macabre (Bibby and Goodlad, 1). Since the Goth culture started to emerge and gained popularity through the underground world -- the rebellious Punk movement, as aforementioned -- it is safe to say that its relationship with society as a whole is tormented and indicates a separation from the mainstream culture and a detachment from what is considered acceptable within society's boundaries. However, the Goth culture has created a "strong sense of shared identity even while traversing geographical boundaries" (Bibby and Goodlad, 6).

The Goth culture and "scene" started to appear back in the late 1970's, following the debut of the post Punk movement. Bands such as Joy Division, Bauhaus and Siouxsie and the Banshees are said to be at the root of the emergence of Goth and by 1982, the English press had coined the term gothic rock to describe a movement that translated itself by being a dressier, fancier version of Punk fashion (Bibby and Goodlad, 2). Since then, the culture itself has grown into a mainstream fashion in the mid-1990s only to become a subtle permanent fixture in today's society (Bibby and Goodlad, 8). It is impossible to call individuals belonging to the Goth culture "members," as being Goth is not to be part of a group in itself, but rather adopting a new lifestyle, or way of thinking; a state of mind (Kilpatrick, 1). There is no initiation, or rite of passage; one can enter the Goth culture without gaining anyone's approval since this particular culture does not have a particular leader. Goths tend to resist being controlled (Kilpatrick, 3) and needing to qualify to enter the movement would go against one of the main components of the culture.

It is clear that individuals associated with the Goth culture distinguish themselves through their eerie, dark and mysterious fashion (La Ferla), however another distinction can be observed through their ways of thinking and approaching life. In her book The Goth Bible, Nancy Kilpatrick interviewed several everyday Goths and one main characteristic seems to be recurrent -- being Goth is about finding romanticism in darkness. While many Goths will discover their affinity for this romanticism in their teens, or youth -- since these are the years where most of us feel misunderstood, like outsiders - it is a lifestyle that many choose to pursue through adulthood, such as the author herself.