Individuals in society are inherently subject to collaborative norms and values ​​that have been instilled in humanity, although this varies across cultures. The paradigm between collective action and individual desire results in the formation of what is considered socially acceptable, such as gender roles, sexual orientation, gender performance, etc. “It is social norms that provide the constraints by which the interaction between the basic dyad of self and other is governed…social norms also provide the source of identity between individual action, the complete system and the “global social order itself resides in the identity between action and system” (Jinks, 2005; 78-79). Norms result in the formation of subcultures, cultural groups that have beliefs, interests and values ​​different from those of the larger society. This essay will focus on goth culture and the extent to which it challenges hegemonic norms of masculinity. “Hegemonic masculinity refers to a set of culturally dominant ideas and practices about what it means to be a man and how men should behave” (Mansfield, 2007: 1). It is, in simpler terms, the general perception of what it means to be masculine that dominates society and the way most people describe their masculinity. We hope that over the course of this essay we will be able to present a clearer picture of whether goth culture actually challenges hegemonic norms of masculinity or whether it simply panders to deceive. When examining subcultures such as Gothic culture, it is evident that many serve not only as a means of identifying oneself through one's membership in that subculture, but also as a way to challenge the culturally dominant set of ideas , norms and identity...... middle of paper ...... gemonic masculinity, on A closer examination of the contradictions in gothic culture serves to undermine the extent to which it challenges this as well as heteronormativity.Bibliography• Brill, D. (2008) Gothic culture: gender, sexuality and style. Berg Publishers: Oxford.• Hodkinson, P. (2007) Youth cultures: scene, subcultures and tribes. Routledge: England• Issitt, L M. (2011) Goths: A Guide to an American Subculture. ABC-CLIO: England• Jinks, C (2005) Subculture: The Trangmintation of the Social. SAGE: England• Kane, E. (2012) The Gender Trap: Parents and the Pitfalls of Raising Boys and Girls. NYU Press: United States • Mansfield. (2007) Masculine norms, trauma symptoms, emotional competence, and aggression: Understanding the links. ProQuest: England• Wilkins, A. (2008) Aspiring Goths and Christians: The Limits of Sexual Style and Status. University of Chicago: United States