An exploratory mixed methods study of the demographic, psychological and community-specific features of the furry fandom within the South African context

Abstract

This study sought to understand the South African furry fandom. Studies on this group, defined by an interest in anthropomorphic animals, have been conducted exclusively in the global West. The group was first understood at a theoretical level using social identity theory (SIT); after that, 98 respondents were asked to complete an online survey on demographics, psychological health, and experiences of group membership. Quantitative results were analysed via statistics, using SPSS, and qualitative results with content analysis and axial coding, using ATLAS.ti. Results revealed the prototypical South African furry to be a white male with an LGBTQIA+ identity, educated at a tertiary level, employed, and non-religious, who likely has depression or anxiety. Their identification with furry has generally been for less than 10 years. The study also revealed that the features of the South African fandom differ from both Western studies and from South African demographics in several significant ways. However, the reasons for these differences require further study.