Makna Simbolik Kostum dan Pembentukan Identitas Diri pada Komunitas Cosplay Yokosonime di Jember

Abstract

This study examines the symbolic meaning of costumes and the formation of self-identity within the Yokosonime cosplay community in Jember. The rapidly growing phenomenon of cosplay among young people is not merely understood as a recreational activity, but also as a social practice closely related to the process of self-identity formation through popular culture symbols. This study aims to describe the symbolic meaning of costumes for members of the Yokosonime cosplay community in Jember and to analyze the process of self-identity formation through symbolic interaction among community members. This study employs a qualitative method with a phenomenological approach, guided by George Herbert Mead's theory of symbolic interactionism, particularly the concepts of Mind, Self, and Society. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation involving five main informants selected purposively from the Yokosonime community. Data validity was maintained through source and method triangulation, while data analysis followed Moustakas's phenomenological analysis model. The results show that costumes are not merely understood as thematic clothing, but as symbols of self-expression, aspirational symbols, and a medium of catharsis whose meanings are interpreted through Mind, formed and reinforced through interaction within the community's Society, and continuously negotiated through Self. The process of self-identity formation takes place through interrelated stages, namely socialization within the community, the role of significant others, the formation of varied situational identities, and the internalization of a collective identity as part of the community's generalized other. This study concludes that cosplay within the Yokosonime community is a complex social practice in which costumes function as living and dynamic symbols, self identity is formed through the continuous interplay of Mind, Self, and Society, and the community becomes a social space that enables individuals to explore and negotiate their self-identity on an ongoing basis.