En studie av cosplayutövares hantverk i relation till personlig identitet

Sammanfattning: Today cosplay is a constant growing subculture of people dressing up in costumes of their favourite fictional characters partaking in geek culture. This group of people have different ways of practicing cosplay. They go to conventions, meet up on online forums like Facebook and share their experiences and interests with each other. The focus of cosplay is for the person to transform them self with costumes that the cosplay practitioners or also known as “cosplayers.” have bought ore crafted themselves. This study focusses on analysing the thought process of cosplayers in relation to crafting a cosplay costume and how it relates to cosplayers personal identity. What is typical in crafting cosplay costumes and how does it differ between cosplayers in relation to the costumes purpose and cosplayers personal identity? This study uses mixed method research and is based on a survey of active cosplayers and their opinions of cosplay craft. The study uses social identity theory to analyse the cosplayers answers and how it effects the way they choose to practice cosplay. The result of this study show that cosplayers closely identify themselves with their craft in way that creates a cosplay identity. The cosplayers cosplay identity is how they relate their own way of cosplay inside the cosplay community. If they are a competing cosplayer, non-competing cosplayer, Armor specialist or the seamstress.          Keywords; Cosplay, personal identity, Cosplay competition, craft, textiles