Gothic, like the Glam and Punk scenes it sprang from, is highly rooted in style. Music and fashion take precedence over other forms of expression, in fact, the newsgroup alt.gothic lists resources on bands, clubs, and dying hair, but no resources on any particular doctrine or philosophy of the goth scene. Similarly, Nick Mercer's Hex Files: The Goth Bible only lists information relevant to the consumer: CDs, boutiques, magazines, etc.

The emphasis on style, tendencies towards individualism of the subculturešs members, and general lack of definition, therefore, make Goth difficult to place within a socioeconomic context. Goths come from all economic classes and the culture which a Goth has grown up in does not seem to be important.

The only way to place Gothic in a previously-studied context is to relate the defined elements of the subculture to the subcultures it rose from. Punk and Glam, having had more media exposure and widespread recognition, are easier to contextualize, and perhaps Goth can be defined in a limited fashion regarding its relationships with its parent subcultures.

Glam, which itself is a synthesis of the Underground and the skinhead subcultures (Hebdige, 60) is a consumerist movement based mostly on self-presentation and representation. This aesthetic and the propensity of goths to play with conventional ideas of gender are highly visible in the Gothic scene. In fact, David Bowie, one of the main figures of the Glam scene, is also quite revered in the Gothic scene, reinforced by his friendship with perennial Goth favorite Bauhaus and his appearance in a popular movie in the Gothic subculture, The Hunger.

Punk rock is also an enormous influence on the Gothic scene. One of the bands seen as the cornerstone of Gothic, Siouxie and the Banshees, started out as punk groupies (Hebdige, 110) and gradually created their own dark aesthetic, taking the black clothing and bondage gear of the Punk scene to the extreme and taking song inspiration from the macabre and horrific.

Goth also has similarities to New Wave (also known as "art school punk", which is itself a descendant of Glam and Punk. In fact, Goth can be seen as sort of the dark inverse of New Wave, relying on the same theatrical spectacle and artistic strategies and having similar musical structures, but relying more on a celebration of death and sadness than on absurdity and politicism.

There is a subcurrent of individualism and self-alientation that sets Gothic apart from these other subcultures, beyond the stylistic approaches. Although Goths will gather at clubs to dance and socialize, they tend to set strong boundaries and mostly do not dance with one another as other clubgoers might; they dance alone ("Spacial").

This individualistic nature is indicative of a personal sense of alienation. Alienated youth have, according to Keniston,a fragmentation of identity in which "[t]he core of their ideology is negative, a repudiation of the central values of their culture, with few clear positive values or goals." (184-185) This may be a reaction to the plethora of choices youth, especially those more intelligent than average, are expected to make, causing them to refuse all and adopt a nihilistic attitude (86-87).

Another theme of youth alienation is a strong love of fantasy and an idealization of the past (189). This is reflected in the Gothic subculture's love of Victorian and medieval/fantasy-inspired art and clothing, and in the admiration of fantasy films such as The Dark Crystal, Legend, and Labyrinth, (which co-stars David Bowie).

Women are surprisingly much more represented in Gothic than in other subcultures. They are neither absent nor invisible, as hypothesized in the studies of McRobbe and Garber (112), but occupy an equal position to their male counterparts. This may be because Gothic is seen as a traditionally feminized identity (As Hannaham puts it, "Heavy metal was aggressive, sexist and therefore 'masculine,' while Goth had a softer, more accepting, 'feminine' cast."(114)). There is more of an emphasis on reflection and intellectualism than on action, and the participants in the Gothic subculture tend to have a strong artistic bent.

The primary reason for the strong female presence in Gothic, however, seems to be that traditional gender roles are not as important in Gothic society. In other subcultures where gender roles are subverted, females do indeed become more visible, as in the Hippie and Glam movements.

A crucial part of representing oneself in the Gothic subculture involves questioning the adherence of others to the Goth scene. This is strange in a subculture with such a loosely defined ideology, but certainly has parallels in other youth movements. For example, rappers will strengthen their own self-image by denigrating other rappers, as in the case of the arbitrary east coast/west coast distinctions and the arbitrary rivalries they have spawned.

The practice of ridiculing fellow Goths is highly visible on the internet. Sites such as "Cheeziest Goth Site of the Week" , "Goth Goose of the Week" and "Reality Check" are databases of websites which are too pretentious, too poorly designed, or not Goth enough by the standards of the reviewers.

Furthermore, Goths tend to look unfavorably upon those just joining the Gothic scene. Alicia Porter states that "First and second generation Goths look suspiciously upon the new generation, doubting their authenticity and disliking the exposure they give to a subculture which would prefer to remain underground." ("Gothic Subculture") The urge to remain out of the public eye is certainly understandable, as the media tends to portray Goths in an unfavorable ("Gothic Subculture") and frequently inaccurate ("Gothic Subculture") light.

However, though there are Goths who take themselves very seriously, there are also those who represent themselves by downplaying their "gothicness" and by making light of their involvement in the subculture. The "Insta-Goth Kit" is a satirical look at the popular icons of the Gothic lifestyle - music, fashion, literature, etc. It is a response to those who those who join the subculture abruptly and without learning more about it ("Bored with your current look? So am I! Shed off those blah blue jeans, purchase an Insta Goth Kit, and enter the mysterious world of Goth easily and Cost Effectively!") It also addresses stereotypes of Gothic attitude in non-Gothic culture ("Remember, all true artists and poets were greatly misunderstood, much like the gothy people are. That is why we are outcasts! Because *hand to forehead* we are all so misunderstood!").

Although the Gothic is a difficult subculture to define, a sharper picture of it emerges through its relationships to Punk and Glam, through the psychological studies of alienated youth, and through the act of self-representation, especially on the internet. It is not simply a culture of "darkness", it has roots in an opposition to modern society and a celebration of gender exploration, a morbid aesthetic, and a dichotomy of representation by degrading self and others.

Gothic style could be summed up in a single word: dark. However, that description does nothing to set Goths apart from other aficionados of black-on-black fashion. Beatniks and metalheads and computer programmers are certainly not Gothic, though they may be mistaken for such by the casual observer. And Gothic style extends beyond clothing, it can be seen in literature, art and movies as well.

What, then, characterizes Gothic style? The word has been used to describe architecture and novels, and todayšs Gothic aesthetic is another permutation of centuries-old themes. Grunenberg describes the resurgence of the Gothic in different aspects of entertainment and art: in literature, there are themes of "horror, madness, monstrosity, death, disease, terror, evil and weird sexuality." (Grunenberg, 210); in film, adjectives like "mordant and grotesque" and "strange and bizarre... within the context of apparent normality" (Grunenberg 211) refer to a certain Gothic style; Gothic rockšs fashion styles are "glamorously deathly." (Grunenberg 211).

The primary thread running through these descriptions seems to be a morbid aesthetic; a way of thought that, while not completely pessimistic, is centered on misery and death; and a fascination with subject matter considered frightening in normal society - insanity, the supernatural, the monstrous.

McGrath claims that "[t]he Gothic has always been fascinated at the prospect of undoing the human [Emphasis is the author$#39s]. Traditionally, this involved sundering the Christian amalgam of body and soul." (155) This denial of humanity fits in well with the nihilist philosophy of alienated youth, as outlined by Keniston.

Furthermore, adherents to the Gothic scene seem to fall into two categories, with corresponding style: the Apollonian and the Dionysian ("Origins"). The Apollonian Goths are more interested in the "artistic and philosophical facets" of Gothic style. This sub-subculture is a greater influence on literature, cinema, and fine arts, and tends to be more societally subdued than its counterpart.

The Dionysians are more often recognized as "Gothic" than the Apollonians. This is because they make themselves more visible in the public eye, both through performance and through memorable self-destructive tendencies. The excess of a few Dionysians has lead to an inaccurate definition of the Gothic subculture in the media, leading to the mislabeling of such figures as the Columbine killers, Marilyn Manson, and Satanic cults as "Gothic" ("Gothic Subcultures").

Music and mindframe may be the most accurate identifiers of Goth, but the most visible is, of course, fashion. Clothing is a way of communication, of displaying codes or the wearer's opinions on traditional visual coding ("Posing" 134). Gothic style follows certain recognizable patterns identifying the wearer to others as "Goth."

The dominant colors are black, purple, blue and red - subdued and shadowy in the case of the three former, and reminiscent of blood in the case of the latter. Theme relies on an Apollonian or Dionysian theme, though there is crossover in both cases.

The Apollonian tends towards the pseudo-historic: Medieval and Victorian dresses, corsets, veils, and gloves are staples of style for women (examples can be found at http://www.rosemortem.com/). Men's fashion tends toward fancy, romantic-style ensembles. The clothing of both genders is made of velvet, silk, satin, or reasonable imitations, and cloaks and boots are extremely popular.

The Dionysian style sometimes uses the fashions of the Apollonian, but in a deconstructed fashion. Skirts are slashed and tops cut lower ( http://www.subculturearray.com/gallsca.shtml), or the entire ensemble is picked out in leather and vinyl ( http://www.fairygothmother.co.uk/50-10131.htm ). These materials reflect an S&M subculture, similar to in the punk scene (Hebdige 108) and in fact, much of Dionysian attire is similar to that of the punks.

Spiked collars and bracelets, chains, and safety pins abound in both subcultures ( http://www.redhaze.com/RedHaze_Studded_Belts_Wristbands_Chokers.htm). Men and women wear t-shirts and black jeans or leather pants, and women will wear tight corsets and short skirts. Fishnets are everywhere, though other styles of stockings are also appropriate ( http://www.redhaze.com/RedHaze_Tights_Stockings.htm ).

In both factions, but more often in the Dionysian, there is a certain amount of cross-dressing. This can be either an attempt to look female, or, as Alicia Porter puts it, "Some of the guys will wear makeup, skirts, corsets or heels. It's not really meant to be cross-dressing because they are not actually trying to look like women. Gothic tends to be a very androgynous thing, where some of the straight guys like to look or dress feminine, either to challenge social gender barriers, to show that they have an open mind, or as just a fashion thing." ("Gothic Subculture")

The website "Gothic Martha Stewart" has a rather silly name, but is a serious compilation of Gothic motifs in decorating. It strays from the Apollonian/Dionysian designations and separates sub-styles into Victorian, Medieval, Techno-Modern, Cemetery, Fairy, Asian, Egyptian, and Punk DIY. The unifying theme seems to be one of luxury and darkness, with period artwork and candles prevalent in most sections (except, of course, Techno-Modern and Punk.

If one is daring, one could even pay for a Gothic wedding (in Las Vegas, of course). This is partially tongue-in-cheek, as the ceremony is performed by "Count Dracula", and features include a "dead witness" and a "gothic limousine", but it also speaks to the love of performance and presentation that is prevalent in the Goth culture. Plus, there is a certain tendency towards self-parody among goths, a foray into excessiveness that both denies and confirms gothic identity.

This subversion of the elements of the parent culture is another tendency seen in Punk. Each "normal" sign that is made more "Goth" through association or modification speaks of Gothic culture and its relation to mainstream culture (Hebdige 114-115). The Gothic philosophy is represented in the icons it appropriates from everyday life, from poetry and music and fashion to weddings, gardening , and cooking .

Gothic, being a subculture built off of the styles of other subcultures and being a subcultre where sociopolitical action is in the background of personal representation, is highly rooted in style. Goth does not tend to innovate, but rather to mutate, to take the ordinary and recreate it with Gothic overtones. A Goth, therefore, functions as a bricoler by reassembling everyday objects into a new discourse (Hebdige 104).