Social Psychology and Cultural Groups: Goths and Emos Analysis

This essay critically evaluates the contribution of social psychology to understanding the Goth and Emo subcultures. It explores the core concepts of social psychology, including social influence, conformity, compliance, and obedience, as they relate to these groups. The essay delves into the historical context, cultural proclivities, and societal perceptions of Goths and Emos, examining their impact on arts, fashion, and their experiences with harassment and stigmatization. It analyzes the distinct appearances and behaviors of Goths and Emos, comparing and contrasting their characteristics. Furthermore, the essay applies key social psychology theories, such as action identification theory and psychoanalytic theory, to understand the behaviors, motivations, and potential psychological challenges faced by individuals within these subcultures, including issues of self-harm and suicide. It highlights the role of social psychology in bridging the gap between sociology and psychology, offering insights into how social influences shape individual thoughts, feelings, and behaviors within these specific cultural contexts.

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Psychology

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Social psychology refers to the process of understanding behaviour of an individual in the
social context. In broad manner, social psychology is the revision of the social situation.
According to Gordon Allport, the discipline of social psychology is considered the scientific
methods “to defines and comprehend how the feeling and thought of individuals are impacted by
the imagined or actual presence of other human beings (Chiu, Gries, Torelli& Cheng, 2011).
There are three main topics in the social psychology that cover three broad topics such as how
people think about, influence, and relate to one another. Social influence covers three areas such
as conformity, compliance and obedience. The social situations in our surrounding develop
social influence (the method by which other people can bring change in our thoughts and
feelings by which we change theirs). It is the study that is related to the dynamic relationship
between the people and individuals. The personality traits, individual characteristics and
motivation factors of each individual are entirely different of each person. It can be said in the
context of the social psychology that it is the stem of psychology concerned with how social
influences focus how people act and think.
The culture of Goths was started in England at the time of 1980s, where it started from
the audience of gothic rock. The name of Goth had derived from the genre of music. It is the
culture that has survived longer than any other culture. It is imagery and cultural proclivities
specify impacts from 19th century Gothic literature and horror films. Grossmann &Varnum
(2011) stated that the categorization and the definition cannot be given in easily manner as in
now spans various continents, has developed to involve a huge range of clothing and musical
style. For instance, Mallgoths in the USA, Dark in Latin America, Neogoths in the UK. With
respect to the impact of Goths on the society, it has been found that the Goths have made their
contribution to arts and fashion and they have been harassed and demonized not only physically

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bout also emotionally. It is done because the culture of Goths is considered as the high visible
counterculture subgroups for which, schools, religious organizations and parents have to pay
significantly attention in the concern of potential threat in order to establish the norms.
Meanwhile, there is a concern of increasing attention for youth who like antisocial and rebellious
behaviour due to pay attention or overreacting to the Goths subgroup (Ahn, 2011).
In the context of appearance of EMO teens prefer black colour, definite of goth trends,
which is taken in use with liberality, along with makeup their eyes. The age of EMO is usually
between 13-19 years. The appearance of Emos is entirely different from Goths as they wear
black outfit generally and same rock fans. Boys have dyed their hair in contrast colour to get
more attention from people while, girls prefer short hair and covers one eye with hair and prefer
the colour of hair in a mix of blond with green and pink. They love to put tattoos in their body
that can be easily seen by others (Peters, 2010). In social psychology, behaviours and attitudes
are considered as learning. The social psychology helps in filling the gap between sociology and
psychology.
On the other hand, the group of psychology of an EMO can be elaborated by some
forecast features such as introversion, sensitivity, anxiety and depression. Also, the nature of
them is to victimize themselves, focusing on search out the flavour the terrible components of
life. The self imagination of power of EMO is eradicated which lead them into painful situation
and even they cur themselves with blades and even suicide. The preference of EMO is to be
alone every time and when they communicate with the others; their voice is very low and looks
only sown. The main motive of them is to showing complaint in against of family, societies and
social problem. EMO are the rebels who do not accept the world and avoid themselves (Chiu &

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Hong, 2013). In the point of view of psychology, the narcissist regression occurs in the context
of EMO.
The role of socio psychology in understanding of this culture is huge as it contributes in
giving insight about knowing the perception of people towards the culture. According to social
psychology, the Goth is the culture and it cannot be referred for hating the world. It is about
searching and understanding beauty in the deep side of the life. There are number of Goths that
keep interest in poetry and music. All Goths are not wearing black outfit and they can be older.
There are other names also of Goths such as Victorian Goth, Romantic Goth and Cyber Goth as
they are more often more mature.
In the context of EMO, the role of the socio psychology is significant in describing the
concept of this culture to the world. It has been found that it is the phase in which number of
teenagers go through, majorly at the starting of teenage. Emo kids are those who are having
mental disorders and they start to diagnose themselves. It has been found that the Goth
subculture connected with history of self harm and suicide
There are various theories of social psychology that contributes in making better
understanding about the selected cultures. Action identification theory, Dual processes theory,
Drive theory, Equity theory, Self-expansion theory, social exchange theory, learning theory and
many more are the examples of the social psychology theory. Action identification theory is vital
for the individual control of behaviour as it contains some principles as well. According to the
first principle of this theory the action is embarked on in the context of acting identity that stands
out in realization. It means that people are not aware about what to do and take consideration of
this act identity as the form of reference for executing the action (Psychology, e.d.). This theory

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of social psychology is applicable on Emos as they do not have idea about what they are doing
and due to lack of motivation and support; they harm themselves or commit suicide many times.
With the help of action identification theory, the understanding can be made in the context of
Emos and Goths as well. As per this theory, the action of the people are relied on their dominant
act identity, the appearance procedure can develop new course of action (Baker, Smith-Adcock
and Glynn, 2013).
The application of the action identification theory on Goths is huge as it is the dynamic
process in which the second principle seizes that when high level as well as low level identity is
available of act, there is a biggest chance to become dominant. It defines that the main preference
of people is to think about the behaviour in the context of the effects and goals, rather than in the
relation of its more mechanistic components (Phillipov, 2009). With the help of this theory, the
social psychological is helpful in making better understanding regarding the culture of Goths.
There is an emergence process in this theory that can charge even the simpler manner with
significance. The mind of people would be occupied by developing broad, evaluation and
abstract notions of what they do and what they handled in the way of dominant (Progoff, 2013).
A person can set out the standards to influence others for which the action can accomplish in
easy manner, for which he or she can have think regarding the action in lower level relations
such as “show command of the facts,” or opt the correct words”.
Psychoanalytic theory is another approach of social psychology that helps in increasing
understanding about the culture of Goths and Emos. It is the theory that assumes that every
person has a specific range of crucial mental or psychic that is called libido energy. The libido is
considered as the psychic energy which is most important to personality development. The mind
seems like an iceberg, with the alert part showed by the part of the iceberg above the water. The

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aspects of the mind which contains all information that can be remember from memory. On the
other hand, the unconscious part of the mind covers desires, knowledge and emotions of which
the awareness of the person is lack in the same context. However, it impacts on the behaviour of
the individual. Emos has linked in the media and research with suicidal thoughts, upper level of
self-harming behaviours and extreme loneliness. For instance, Phillipov (2009), argued that the
advanced incidents of depression, suicide and self-harming behaviours linked with not large of
respondents who recognized with Emos and Goths culture specified that being Emoswas a
forecaster of psychological dysfunction. Garland (2010), counters that these clearly harmful
aspects of Emos subcultures should be focused in the reference of group and members of what
being Emos means to them. The concept of psychology harmonize with this perspective and the
requirement to adopt a more stable and member-led views on Emos.
As per media and commentary, it has been elaborated by BBC that Goths are sensitive
and refined and focused on majorly books and poetry, not big on drugs. The socio psychology
presents positive points as well regarding the culture of Goths. It has been found that teens often
stay in the subculture and they are likely to want to be more educated in the field of medicines
and law. The image of Goths in the view of public is starting to improve but it is not fully
accepted by everyone (Tang, 2014). The Christian journal attempts to educate readers regarding
the Goth subculture and endeavoured to reduce the negative impact over them. It has been
mentioned in the journal that Goths are not at all Satanists and positively are not violent. There
are many people who are unaware that the existence of Christian Goths is still in the world. Her
title acknowledges that Goths can show threatening to Christians with their intense and black
attire, but it has been urged by that article to readers to bring attention towards who Goths are,
not what they wear. The impression of Goths throughout the years is mentioned further. In 1970,

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Goths are considered as outsiders. Goths are much open with their sexualities and interests. Due
to their improper dress up, the Goths are banned from the Disney land which messed up the
image of Goths in the view of outsiders. The negative perception and stereotypes of Goths led to
the position of the harassment and bullying large number of people within its subculture. The
discrimination rate is increased everyday due to negative point of view of people towards Goths.
In 2003, Maria and her two friends dressed up as Goths for the purpose of seeing how they will
be treated in the mall in comparison of those who wear normally dressed up. They found at the
time of entering in the mall that people started to point out and being so rude to them. They have
become main topic for gossiping and people avoided them rudely. Same kind of activity goes for
Emos as well, people started to avoid and bullying them that led them to commit suicide
(Thibaut, 2017).
It has been concluded from above analysis that social psychology helps people to
understand the culture and behaviour of people. The role of social psychology is huge in bringing
better understanding regarding the selected group of culture such a Goths and Emos. The
discussion has been made on Goths and Emos that has been around for over forty years and has
developed along with the people within it. It is so hard to elaborate the culture because the
opinion of different people is different on culture that has been impacted by number of factors. In
the context of Emos, it has been found that the perception of people towards its entirely different.
Due to being so over emotional and senseless, people deny to connect with these people. The
concept of social psychology facilitated how social psychology helps in understanding the
behaviour of people towards specific culture.

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