Self-Identity and Needs of Cosplayer in Role Playing

DOI

10.2991/ahsr.k.211130.035How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Cosplay; Cosplayer; Self-identity; Needs

Abstract

Cosplay is a role-playing activity in which someone dresses and acts according to the character they are playing. The characters are taken from fiction, i.e. comics, movies, games, novels, etc. In Indonesia, many people attend cosplay events, while wearing costumes. They are called cosplayers. Previous researches have shown that cosplaying plays a role in the making of its practitioners’ identities. The practice of cosplay, specifically for female cosplayers looking to discover a new part of their identity and express themselves, is in fact a valid way of forming their identities. Other researches have also concluded that cosplay is a form of identity escape and identity discovery. In addition, it acts as a facilitator of the need for competence that exists within every individual in pursuit of identity. From human development theory, it is well known that adolescence is a period formation of self-identity which, if unsuccessful, has lifelong consequences. This study aims to investigate the self-identity and the needs of cosplayers and is conducted using the qualitative method. A total of 6 active cosplayers were interviewed using in-depth interviews. The results show that there are needs cosplayers wish to meet through the cosplaying activity, but also that it does not facilitate the cosplayers in their pursuit of their own identities. Additionally, this research shows that cosplay plays a role in one’s identity formation, but that it depends on the person’s experience. The results of this study will provide insight, especially for clinical practitioners, to understand individual with cosplay preferences. This is also based on several studies showing that this preference is related to the personal identity that may encounter in their practice.

Copyright

© 2021 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press International B.V.

Open Access

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Vienchenzia Oeyta Dwitama Dinatha
AU  - Fransisca Iriani Roesmala Dewi
PY  - 2021
DA  - 2021/12/01
TI  - Self-Identity and Needs of Cosplayer in Role Playing
BT  - Proceedings of the 1st Tarumanagara International Conference on Medicine and Health (TICMIH 2021)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 205
EP  - 209
SN  - 2468-5739
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/ahsr.k.211130.035
DO  - 10.2991/ahsr.k.211130.035
ID  - Dinatha2021
ER  -