FINNISH GOTHIC SUBCULTURE Gothic subculture is: “(…) to enjoy the beauty of the moonlight instead of the beauty of the sun” (Mia) Master’s Thesis University of Jyväskylä Department of History and Ethnology Cultural Anthropology Laura Schwöbel Autumn term 2006 JYVÄSKYLÄN YLIOPISTO Tiedekunta – Faculty Laitos – Department Faculty of Humanities History and Ethnology Tekijä – Author Laura Johanna Schwöbel Työn nimi – Title Finnish Gothic Subculture Oppiaine – Subject Työn laji – Level Cultural Anthropology Master’s Thesis Aika – Month and year Sivumäärä – Number of pages December 2006 94 Tiivistelmä – Abstract This master’s thesis is an ethnographic research into the Gothic subculture in Finland. Data was collected on the one hand by qualitative interview methods with open-ended questions, and on the other hand by participant observation. Also the internet and the Media were useful sources for collecting data. All data was analysed according to the guiding principles of symbolic anthropology. This work is interested in examining the history of Finnish Gothic subculture. Further, research questions focus on the eye-catching Gothic fashion style, which is regarded as a meaningful symbol of Gothic subculture. By exploring and interpreting the variety of Gothic fashion style and by paying special attention to its details that make it differ from mainstream fashion, this work aims at uncovering the meaning Finnish Gothic subculture has for insiders as well as outsiders. Particular attention is paid to the interpretation of the colour black, which is one of the meaningful details of Finnish Gothic subculture’s fashion style. The intention of this work is to explore and present the complexity of Finnish Gothic subculture and to contrast it to existing stereotypes, which have been related to it. As this work’s research results emphasize, Goths are normal Finnish people living a normal life. Only that their life is coloured in Gothic black. Asiasanat – Keywords: Black, Fashion, Finnish, Gothic, Style, Subculture, Symbol Säilytyspaikka – Depository: Department of History and Ethnology Muita tietoja – Additional information: CONTENTS INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................. 3 ORIGIN OF RESEARCH ........................................................................................................................... 3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ......................................................................................................................... 5 PREVIOUS RESEARCH.................................................................................................................... 9 ON INTERNATIONAL GOTHIC SUBCULTURE............................................................................................. 9 ON FINNISH GOTHIC SUBCULTURE ...................................................................................................... 10 ON SUBCULTURE................................................................................................................................. 12 METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION................................................................................................ 14 INTERVIEWS ........................................................................................................................................ 14 FIELDWORK/ PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION ........................................................................................... 16 FURTHER MATERIAL ............................................................................................................................ 18 ETHICS OF THIS WORK ......................................................................................................................... 19 APPROACH TO ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................... 20 SYMBOLIC ANTHROPOLOGY ................................................................................................................ 20 ‘GOTH’/ ‘GOTHIC’............................................................................................................................ 23 DEFINITION OF ‘GOTH’/ ‘GOTHIC’......................................................................................................... 23 GOTH TRIBE ........................................................................................................................................ 24 GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE....................................................................................................................... 24 GOTHIC LITERATURE ........................................................................................................................... 25 ASSOCIATIONS TO ‘GOTH’ AND ‘GOTHIC’ ............................................................................................. 26 GOTHIC SUBCULTURE.................................................................................................................. 28 INTERNATIONAL HISTORY OF THE GOTHIC SUBCULTURE...................................................................... 28 GLAM ROCK ........................................................................................................................................ 28 PUNK................................................................................................................................................... 29 NEW ROMANTIC .................................................................................................................................. 30 BIRTH OF THE GOTHIC SUBCULTURE ................................................................................................... 31 HISTORY OF THE GOTHIC SUBCULTURE IN FINLAND .......................................................... 35 THE EARLY DAYS ................................................................................................................................. 35 REVIVAL AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE FINNISH GOTHIC SUBCULTURE .................................................. 37 MEDIA-SEXY GOTH.............................................................................................................................. 38 THE GOTH ........................................................................................................................................ 42 BECOMING A GOTH ............................................................................................................................. 42 GOTHIC FASHION........................................................................................................................... 47 “IDEALTYPEN” OF GOTH FASHION........................................................................................................ 47 VELVET GOTH ..................................................................................................................................... 49 VICTORIAN GOTH ................................................................................................................................ 50 DEATH ROCK GOTH ............................................................................................................................ 52 CYBER GOTH ...................................................................................................................................... 53 ELEGANT GOTHIC LOLITA .................................................................................................................... 55 MIX OF STYLES.................................................................................................................................... 56 MEANING OF GOTHIC FASHION ................................................................................................. 58 GOTH SPECIFIC SYMBOLS ................................................................................................................... 58 THE COLOUR BLACK ........................................................................................................................... 58 GOTHIC DRESSING STYLE ................................................................................................................... 63 GOTHIC LIFESTYLE ....................................................................................................................... 67 STEREOTYPES..................................................................................................................................... 68 CLUBBING............................................................................................................................................ 69 INTERNET ............................................................................................................................................ 72 MAKING THE GOTHIC OUTFIT .............................................................................................................. 73 THE INSIDER’S PERSPECTIVE .................................................................................................... 75 MEANING OF GOTHIC SUBCULTURE FOR A GOTH................................................................................. 75 DISCUSSION .................................................................................................................................... 77 REFERENCES.................................................................................................................................. 80 APPENDICES..................................................................................................................................