Define A Sub-Culture

In week 6, we covered the importance, meanings, and societal impact that comes with the rise of subcultures. A subculture by definition, is a certain group formed by an array of multiple factors. The influences that can be found within a subculture would be of ones own personal beliefs that might disagree with society on a large scale, often challenging what the status quo might say as a commonly agreed upon fact.

Other elements that heavily inform subcultures impact on society, are the visual and auditory coded people that represent it, these can be reinforced through media such as music, film, television, or just a public style that can be seen as taboo, or at the very least unconventional. With the aforementioned music being the predominant source of what defines someone as a part of the subculture. 

Subculture examples would be; Hip-Hoppers/Rap fans, Greasers, Teddy Boys, Punks, Metalheads, Goths, etc. I myself would like to consider myself a part of the Goth subculture, as my style is often that of an undead-themed style, with bats, skulls, christian crosses, pentagrams, and various other symbols that can be easily recognisable to that general umbrella category. As a goth, I also delve into media related to the Goth subculture. I watch films, listen to music, and dress as such as it fits my general style and personal self expression (e.g. The Crow, Darkstalkers, The Cure, Sisters Of Mercy, etc.). Aside from what I know about my own subculture I have decided to become a part of, just about anyone can also find their own paths in subcultures as the Rap scene allows self-expression through idols such as Eminem, 50 Cent, etc. As well as Punks, Emo, Grunge, and Metalheads with The Ramones, Iron Maiden, Nirvana, My Chemical Romance, among many, many others.

However, there are some connotations that come with the main denotation. It's to be expected within today's society; and as a fact of life, that not everyone will abide with the existence of subcultures and accept people for who they are as people, whether this be from their judgementalism, own personal beliefs, or a potential ideology that may be linked to a political or pre-conceived notion that might have been taught by family members. Despite this, the subculture as a concept does not adhere to what others may think, nor does it want to be involved with any corporate control and have a middle man to speak for them, most subcultures express the finest example of self-expression and freedom, as that is the point of their existence. The Subculture is a means to fight back against authority, close-mindedness, and question if there is a better solution to the designated problem. (e.g. subcultures can fight back against leaving out minorities and bring attention to the notion that everyone is welcome, to be against prejudiced mindsets, and promote their own version of an underground society that won't shun anyone simply for who they are.)

Task - Subculture Definition: Goth 

The subculture I have decided to choose, and a no-brainer at that, is the Goth subculture.

The late 1970s, and early 1980s saw the release of the goth subculture, heavily influenced by music, mainly bands such as Bauhaus, Siousxie & The Banshees, The Cure, The Sisters Of Mercy, Fields Of The Nephilim, Rosetta Stone, and far more than I can keep track of. The average goth look consisted of black clothing, stylised-messy haircuts, undead themed jewellery, chunky boots and shoes, smeary eye makeup, and sometimes tattoos and piercings for good measure. The outfit-look as a whole perfectly describes the subculture's values and visual uniform, with a deathly look that can range from sophisticated, attractive, thrifty, etc. 

In the years since what many would regard as the heyday of the gothic subculture, the 1990s and 2000s would continue the goth subculture in branching out new iterations of the style, with the 90s introducing Alternative, Goth Metal, and Industrial genres (e.g. Stabbing Westward, KMFDM, Lacuna Coil, Type-0 Negative, Nine Inch Nails, & Gary Numan,) that heavily dirrived from the goth rock/postpunk sound of yesteryear. The 2000s however, would start to see bands such as Evanesceance, HIM, Korn, Elysion and Nightwish taking the goth sound as more of a sub-genre than a full-on genre. That leaves us in the 2010s decade to now where the goth subculture, whereas still being very much alive, any new music surrounding the genre would be severely covered underground and considered obscure. But this era wasn't without some of it's gems as well, as The Veils, Traitrs, 3Teeth, and Motionless In White try to keep the gothic style and sound alive in their music. And in my own experiences, the old guard from the 80s through to the 2000s are still followed and well revered in today's age, and must prove their staying power if someone who was born at the turn of the millenium such as myself, can pick up and enjoy an old The Cure album from well before my time.

​The goth subculture has also given birth to a creative world of cinema, with countless romance, horror, adventure, and even childrens media themed with the gothic subculture in mind. The prime example of this would be the absolute visionary Tim Burton, and his countless cinematic masterpieces in each film he produces, from Beetlejuice, to Edward Scissorhands, to Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie. Tim's work in both the animated and live action realms proves to be a treat visually. Burton had grown up in Florida, which was a place known for the golden sunshine and colourful summer times, but he would keep to himself and sort of channel that very same era of when the gothic subculture boomed, and even before with the golden age of hammer horror movies in the 50s through to the 80s.

However, it wasn't just burton who created gothic cinema around this time, as several other directors, actors, and filmmakers were trying their hand at depicting the subculture on the big screen. Movies in this era also saw amazing pieces of film such as (my previously mentioned favourite) The Crow, Sweeney Todd, Nosferatu, The Curse Of Frankenstien, The Blair Witch Project, The Craft, etc.

The gothic subculture is definitely more visual in today's world and is very much still coded into society permanently, as the yearly celebration of Halloween is still beloved by not just goths, but even other subcultures and the general public who don't seem to belong to any particular subculture. Not only that, but Dia De Los Muertos (Otherwise known as 'The Day Of The Dead' in English) is seen as a very important part of Mexico's culture and is a way to celebrate those no longer with us, instead of simply waiting for us to pass over into the afterlife to see them again. This holiday's meaning is to re-connect with the dead, in some kind of spiritual way and remember what our late family meant to us.

Overall, the subculture is largely dependent on it's members to remain active, and even in dwindling times like today where it isn't as popular as it once was. It is impressive how this subculture still amasses new members, young and old. And shows us that deadly, scary and the general concept of the afterlife and the spirits that walk through it is not something to be afraid of, but instead something to be connected with, celebrated, remembered and given thought every once in a while. ​

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Lauren. M. E. Goodlad, ed. (2007). Goth: Undead Subculture.  Rutgers University​. Duke University Press

Source: ​https://archive.org/details/gothundeadsubcul0000unse