Youth Subculture; Goth

As what we have learned in the previous English lectures with Madam Joyce, there are different youth subcultures. Youth subculture is a youth-based subculture with distinct stules, behaviours, and interests. The youth subculture that interests us Future Foresters would be the dark GOTH. Yup. Some may confuse emo with Goth. They DO share the same type of clothing and style (well...almost); the make-up, the black 'do', the half-stoned faces...that's what they have in common. But unlike the real Emos, Goths do not have depression or emotional problems. Let's take a look at what Goth/Gothic really is...
The origins of contemporary goth style are found in the Victorian cult of mourning. Goth fashion can be recognized by its stark black clothing (or hair or makeup).

Goth.net, a resource set up for the "benefit of the Goth community", defines Goths as, "A group of people who feel comfortable within each other's company. There is no specific thing that defines what you need to do or be to fit into the Goth scene (except of course the implied black clothing). People in Goth scene all have different musical tastes, follow different religions, have different occupations, hobbies and fashion sense."

Are violence, paganism and death a part of the goth subculture? The characteristic "Goth" is reclusive and melancholy, yet smart, and many come from educated backgrounds. Goths DO wear mostly dark clothing and share a general dissatisfaction with society and/or a desire to be different. Music, art and literature are also part of the Goth subculture. Music can include a number of dark, tragic and mysterious sounds. Violence, however, is not a part of the traditional Goth scene, with most members describing themselves as pacifistic, open-minded and accepting of everyone. And, modern Goths do not associate with any religion. They are not Satanists, as is usually thought, but instead encompass a wide range of religions, from Christianity to Buddhism.

A new study published in the British Medical Journal says that: After quizzing 1258 young people about self-harm and their links to various youth cultures, it was found that Goths had the strongest link to self-harm. While the rate of self-harm among young people in general turned out to be between 7 and 14 percent, 53 percent of those linked to the Goth subculture reported self-harm, and 47 percent had attempted suicide.

Gothic Poem

Piercings, paintings all over their body,

Would scare any figure walking down the alley,

Haunting your nightmares with that gruesome smile,

Try to forget it but it may take a while.

Satanists, devil worshippers may be what the rest calls them,

But inside is a human who feels condemned,

If we look beyond what lies on the surface,

If we listen beyond what's spoken,

If we choose to understand instead of running,

We'll see that they're just a little different from you and me.