Posthum/an/ous: Identity, Imagination, and the Internet
Posthum/an/ous: Identity, Imagination, and the Internet is a Masters of English Thesis written by Eric Stephen Altman and presented in May 2010 at Appalachian State University. The thesis is an examination of furry, otherkin, and otakukin as Internet subcultures. Sections of the thesis include aspects of self-identification, fan fiction, artwork, and Wikipedia:Sexuality. The thesis's name is derided from the ability of fandom to produce performative non-human narratives and traits in a nonhuman life that is posthuman and posthumous.
Content
The content of the theses uses an extremely broad theoretical framework to defend its argument. The first section, the Carnival of Community, places furry internet fandoms in the context of human history. Theories as broad as Michel Foucoult's Order of things to Queer studies and Kinship theory to national are used to explain fandom involvement. Broad descriptions of internet use are also profusely. For example, pages are devoted to the interpretation of a google image in contrast with fandom creation beginning on page 28. Beginning on page 31, the definition of history is used to contextualize fan fiction. The section also describe colloquial surface level information about the fandom.
The second section details Altman's ethnographic research about the furry internet subcultures. The section details the interactions fandom members have online, their influences, and the differences with their human counterparts. However, Atlamn's research is extremely limited with a seeming lack of parameters and protocol given the broad environments in which they are conducted. The interviews serve little more purpose than to advance Altman's narrative rather than build a survey of information as evidenced by the lack of statistics, coding, and quotations stylized like an English argument rather than a research piece.
The third section details the fandom's use of fanfiction. The piece uses many pieces of Altman's research as well. This section uses postmodern criticisms of power structures.
The fourth section details the fandom's dominant prominence of carnal fanfiction. This section uses feminist and queer criticism.
The conclusion remarks upon Altman's perplexion with fandom culture and tries to remain neutral in its analysis.
External links
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