Faye Franzen

Furry Research

Undergrad sociology research

> Stigmatization of the Furry Identity
> What Makes Furry a Fandom?
> Moral Panic Surrounding the Furry Fandom
> Social Benefits of the Furry Fandom
> Furry fandom as a site of consumption and production
> Functions of a Furry Identity
> Does gender make a difference in furry interactions?

Honours Thesis

_Abstract

As a participatory culture and subculture, the furry fandom is a site where psychological and social needs can be fulfilled, particularly the need to feel belongingness to a group and escape from routine life. However, as with other male-dominant subcultures, hegemonic masculinity and marginalization may affect female members’ ability to feel welcome and that they belong. Through participant observation, in-depth interviews and an overarching autoethnographic approach, this research explores how the male-dominant furry fandom in Singapore provides a safe space for freedom of self-expression and exploration, how its subcultural practices can be at once functional in fulfilling social needs while also creating situations that marginalize the female minority, and how sustained engagement with the furry fandom can result in learning transferrable skills like communication and empathy which are useful in non-fandom settings.

Written for fulfillment of Sociology Graduation Project at Nanyang Technological University AY2018/19

My research is privately available upon request for academic use, shared at my own discretion. Contact me via twitter or telegram to gain access.I do not distribute my research for media purposes - please refer to the publicly accessible work of the International Anthropomorphic Research Project at furscience.com instead.