Self-Creation of Other-Than-Human Identities: A Netnographic Analysis of Identity Labels in the Alterhuman Community on Tumblr

Abstract

The paper discusses the alterhuman community composed of individuals who, despite having human bodies, identify as other-than-human. Such identities range from earthly animals to mythological or otherworldly beings such as elves, dragons, aliens or angels, or even immaterial ideas. While alterhumanity is not inherently an online phenomenon, the community is based mainly online, which allows them to discover labels that describe their identities and discuss their lived experience with non-humanity. The paper is based on a project completed in 2021. This research explores the phenomenon of alterhuman identity, including but not limited to otherkin, therian or plurals, focusing on non-human identities. The study looked at the ways in which members of this community produce and use labels which aid in categorizing one’s experience. Through observational netnography with elements of content analysis of existing data gathered from identity labels included in self-introductions on 200 Tumblr blogs, the paper examines the relationship between identifying as alterhuman and being part of (other) social minorities.