Graduation Semester and Year
2018
Language
English
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Sociology
Department
Sociology and Anthropology
First Advisor
David Arditi
Abstract
Among the brightly-hued convention (con) halls, people dressed in feathers, foam armor, and spandex pose for pictures with one another as cosplayers. Cosplay is a way for fans to present themselves and their group to the fan community on a con-wide scale. Originally, I planned to investigate how cosplayers navigate their identities as cosplayers and as members of mainstream American society and how do these two identities inform each other. I sought to understand cosplayer’s identities as laborers within their cosplay groups. Using ethnographic research methods, I interviewed eleven participants and conducted participant observations. Cosplay is even more than identity and labor, that it is an exchange of interaction among groups. Through my research, I found that cosplaying is a social, group-oriented activity used as a medium in which to interact with a larger group – the con. On an individual level, cosplay is a hobby that is used as a means of expression and developing skills as well as forming bonds with others. Cosplay groups use their groups as a means to learn cosplaying skills like sewing or crafting props. It is a source of social interaction for all of my participants as well as a way to develop crafting skills and experience. On a larger level, it is a way that people choose to interact with the con; a way to express their love of a fandom.
Keywords
Cosplayer, Cosplay, Otaku, Fandom, Groups
Disciplines
Social and Behavioral Sciences | Sociology
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Barajas, Angela N., "Pros and Cons: Anime Conventions and Cosplayers" (2018). Sociology & Anthropology Theses. 91.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/sociologyanthropology_theses/91
Comments
Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington