Two extremes of music subcultures

In sociology, culture is defined as the way of life of a people. Subcultures are the groups that possess specific traits that set them apart from the main culture. In the music pop culture there are several subcultures to consider. It seems as though each subculture has its own beliefs and norms that they choose to follow.

Whether it’s the way they dress or apply their make-up, they all belong to a subculture that they call their own. The Goth subculture borrowed some of the attributes of the angry punk era, which was stereotyped as people wearing dark clothing, black eyeliner, and white make-up to match the dark quality of the gothic music.

There are several bands that were especially influential on shaping this particular subculture, such as The Cure, The Damned and The Cult. To this day, gothic music remains to be a thriving subculture in many countries around the world. People who belong to this subculture have their own spiritual beliefs, interest in dark poetry and their own sense of style. The Goth music scene is particularly evident in Western Europe, especially in Germany, which holds large festivals that attract tens of thousands of people belonging to the gothic subculture worldwide.

“Baby bats” is a term given to those teenagers that are new to the Goth scene. Corporate Goths are those who are older and considered to be more devoted to the Goth subculture and they are more likely to resist giving up their dark lifestyle.

Moving on to another completely different subculture, the hip-hop subculture, there are still certain symbols that are evident in this subculture just as there were symbols associated with the Goth subculture.

Although hip-hop was originally created by the African American youth, its influence has become worldwide due to cultural diffusion. Hip-hop and rap are currently one of the fastest growing music genres in the states.

People belonging to this subculture have a shared language amongst each other, street slang, and dress in a particular way, typically baggy jeans and oversized shirts. Members of this subculture are sometimes parts of gangs, and they associate that with their music by including it in the lyrics or by throwing the gangs hand gestures when they perform. Gang members can also be identified by particular colors that are dominant in their clothing, the way they were their caps and by the hand symbols they do.