Cosplay Subculture: Extension of the Self in a Consumer Group

Abstract

This article seeks to explore a young and unique subculture, resulting from the cultural industry - the Cosplay subculture.  We aim to describe and understand what factors trigger the process of extended self on the Cosplayer, and how he or she relates to the consumer group. We utilized a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive approach, inspired by the netnography method, with 19 Brazilian Cosplayers. We observed that being a Cosplayer becomes part of the self-construct of that individual, but it is not possible to extend the self using the Cosplay, without being part of this community.

DOI: 10.5585/remark.v12i2.2355