December 17, 2009
Warren Chin
Social Information Behavior Model of Cosplayers
The growing popularity of Japanese animation and graphic novels (anime and manga) paved way for a new cultural trend of cosplayers (costume-play). Cosplayers comes in all ages and diverse backgrounds. Their main objectives are to dress up as their favorite fictional characters from Japanese animations, graphic novels, video games, or popular cultural icons. They will then have the opportunity to attend Japanese animation conventions (such as Sakura Con in Seattle, Anime Expo in Los Angeles, and Anime Evolution in Vancouver B.C.). This paper will focus on the information seeking behavior of cosplayers.
Cosplayers use several sources for their costumes. They start off with an idea of what they wish to dress up as. From there they seek information from a variety of sources, such as online, friends and family, previous convention workshops and social networking. Once their costume had been created, cosplayers can decide what they will do at the convention, such as being involved with skits or acts based on their character, or attending various workshops or events in their costume. This process contains an endless system of information gathering. Cosplayers have to get information such as where to get materials and supplies to create their costumes, as well as the process to create their costumes. It relates to Wilson’s model of information need based on their personal, social role, and environment. “...information-seeking behavior can be seen as goal-determined behavior and that the problem of problem solving provides a framework that can help to explain, for example, multiple search episodes, as the information seeker moves through the problem of solving stages of problem recognition, problem identification, problem resolution, and solution statement”. (Wilson, 2005, page 35)
Granovetter’s Strength of Weak Ties Theory is also incorporated into this model. Cosplayers rely on their strong ties (close friends and family) for support and gathering the information they need for their costume project. They will likely encounter information from weak ties (friends of friends, acquaintances) via from their strong tie group. Information can vary such as upcoming events and activities (such as meet ups, parties, conventions, skits/acts, and anime news), method or procedure to create costume, and ideas for future projects. In the model, it is coined as the term ‘ideas’. The information cosplayers gather from the weak ties and strong ties can affect how they seek information to complete their costume and activities at the conventions.
The model created below reflects on the various pathways a cosplayer will go through and use during their active information seeking, gathering, and use. The strong ties and weak ties factors are placed into account on how it will affect their costumes and upcoming activities at the convention. Once the cosplayer gathered their information, they will use all its resources to created their outfit. (listed as construction/presentation). While at the convention (information ground), they will be seeing others in cosplay outfits as well. They will also attend workshops (such as ‘how to’, ‘discussions panels’, ‘guest panels’) and events (concerts, live game shows, dance), as well doing social networking while onsite. All of these factors will greatly affect their information seeking and gathering for the next time they will cosplay.
This model is a valuable guide for professional practice, as it shows the information behavior of cosplayers, on how they most likely gathering information from their strong ties sources, online, and conventions and its workshops. With those concepts in mind, we can use the model on how to create programs and events as a form of outreach to this group. Cosplaying is getting more popular recently due to exposures of the concept through conventions. Whether it’s the cosplayers’ first time or tenth time of cosplying, they seek need to actively seek information every time. By understanding how that process works, libraries can set up more events, such as costume workshops, investment into more print sources and periodicals, and events and programs, such as anime showings and video games events, where cosplayers are known to frequent to.
Cosplayer Information Behavior Model
Citations Page
Wilson, T.D. (2005). Evolution in Information Behavior Modeling: Wilson’s Model. (page 31-36). Medford, NJ: Information Today.
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