A common darkness: Style and spirituality in Goth subculture

Abstract

This article provides an ethnographic account of Goth subculture within a major metropolitan city in the northeastern United States. We situate our study in the context of previous literature in nightlife and dance subcultures, including Delgado and Munoz's work on Latin-American dance culture, Bailey's research on drag queen culture, Saldanha's study of Goa freaks, and the Goth studies of Powell and Siegel. We expand these studies by drawing from scholarship in media and religion, framing Goth as a manifestation of “quest culture.” We argue that Goth rejects both normative religion and conventional psychology, embracing darkness” as a vehicle for authentically transcendent spiritual experiences with sonic, visual, and embodied dimensions (what one attendee called “spirituality on the dancefloor”). As noted in our conclusion, these efforts are troubled and often include regressive moments which amplify latent misogyny and racialized privilege within the community. By integrating these approaches, our study highlights Goth's similarity to other subcultural and nightlife communities, while also situating its unique sonic aesthetics within the context of religious-institutional decline and the subsequent emergence of hybrid forms of spirituality driven by popular media.