People have always questioned one's integrity when they identify themselves with a faction. I never identified myself with any one group though in high school I spent most of my times with the kids that thought of themselves as punks. Other people considered them "burnouts," which is odd considering some of them had the highest gpas in the school.
I listened to metal yet didn't have long hair. I liked punk but I didn't do drugs or smoke. I have no tattoos or piercings and so far have no criminal record. When people look at my music collection they would label me "not a punk" or someome that doesn't know real metal though I never aligned myself with either of those.
What makes someone punk anyway? I always considered myself closer to the austere Fugazi ideal of straight edge, non smoking, non drinking but their main influence was the heavy drug using Bad Brains, who are considered some of the founding fathers of the movement. Yet people always try to one up each other by believing their ideal is better.

Bad Brains and Fugazi

Black Flag, who rejected punk ideals then set the template for future bands

I've seen the same thing in religion, martial arts and education. When I was younger and wanted to identify with groups I strove for that ever changing ideal, though I was completely unsure of what it was. One guy told me I had to spike my hair, another told me I couldn't listen to metal. Someone else told me I had to become educated, then politically active and forego all drugs, even sex.

Black Flag, one of the most admired bands in the genre grew their hair long and borrowed heavily from metal, a sacrilege at the time. When their fans wanted short two minute songs they recorded long instrumentals. Yet they are named one of the most influential punk bands for their work ethic. They created their own music label to record their own music, planned all their own tours and created the d.i.y. tour where they booked their own shows and made all the arrangements themselves, even going so far as to travel in one van and sleep with their equipment. The founder, Greg Ginn even rewired his guitar to give it the right abrasive sound the band is known for yet many people considered them posers at the time. They are one of the few early punk bands that has yet to fully reunite and tour.

Do people try to conform to their group's expectations because they don't have enough personality of their own or is it a need to be accepted? Why do these subcultures, which are anti establishment to begin with, so committed to conformity?