Individuals in society are inherently subject to collaborative norms and values ​​that have been instilled in humanity, with the consideration that this varies from culture to culture. 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 through which the interaction between the fundamental dyad of self and other is governed… social norms also provide the source of identity between individual action, the complete system, and the overall social order itself resides in the identity between the action and the system" (Jinks, 2005; 78-79) Social deviations Norms lead to the formation of subcultures, cultural groups that have beliefs, interests and values ​​different from those of large society. This essay will focus on Gothic 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). In simpler terms, it is the general perception of what it means to be masculine that dominates society and the way most people portray their masculinity. Hopefully, over the course of this essay we will be able to present a clearer picture of whether or not Gothic culture truly challenges hegemonic norms of masculinity or whether it simply flatters to deceive. When examining subcultures such as Gothic culture it is evident that many serve not only as a means to identify oneself through membership in that subculture, but to challenge the set of culturally dominant ideas, norms and identities… amidst the 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) Goth 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 trangmination of the social. SAGE: England• Kane, E. (2012) The gender trap: parents and the pitfalls of raising boys and girls. New York University Press: USA• Mansfield. (2007) Masculine norms, trauma symptoms, emotional ability, and aggression: Understanding the connections. ProQuest: England• Wilkins, A. (2008) Aspiring Goths and Christians: The Boundaries of Sexual Style and Status. University of Chicago: United States