Fans and Fan Cultures
Examines media audiences - specifically, fans - and the subcultures that evolve around them. Examines the different historical, contemporary and transnational understandings of fans. Explores products of fan culture, i.e., clubs, fiction, "vids," activism, etc. Readings place these products within the context of various disciplines. Students consider the concept of the "aca-fan" and reflect on their own "fannish" practices. Requires several short papers. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments. Limited to 20.
Fall 2024
This subject examines media audiences—specifically, fans—and the subcultures that evolve around them. Explores practices and products of fan culture, i.e., clubs, fiction, activism, etc. Readings and assignments place these practices and products within the context of various disciplines. This subject requires three short papers and presentations. Students taking the graduate version complete additional assignments.
Readings
- Read one of the following (the others are optional):
- Gregorio Fuschillo, “Fans, Fandoms, or Fanaticism?” Journal of Consumer Culture, 20.3 (2020): 347–365.
- Henry Jenkins, Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture, (1992), chapter 1.
- Thomas E. Ruggiero, “Uses and Gratifications Theory in the 21st Century.” Communication & Society, 3.1, 3–37. You can skip over the “criticisms” of U&G sections.
- Leon Anderson and Bonnie Glass-Coffin, “I learn by Going: Autoethnographic Modes of Inquiry.” In S. H. Jones, T. E. Adams, & C. Ellis (Eds.), Handbook of Autoethnography (London: Routledge, 2013), chapter 1.
- Edward Schiappa, Beyond Representational Correctness: Rethinking Criticism of Popular Media . SUNY Press, 2008, chapters 1 & 2.
- Edward Schiappa, Beyond Representational Correctness: Rethinking Criticism of Popular Media . SUNY Press, 2008, chapters 3 & 4.
- Edward Schiappa, Beyond Representational Correctness: Rethinking Criticism of Popular Media . SUNY Press, 2008, chapters 5 & 7.
- Reinhard, C. D., Stanley, D., & Howell, L. (2022). Fans of Q: The Stakes of QAnon’s Functioning as Political Fandom. American Behavioral Scientist , 66 (8), 1152–1172.
- Sulafa Zidani, How to Conduct Internet Meme Research (2022).
- Rahma Sugihartati. “Youth fans of global popular culture: Between prosumer and free digital labourer.” Journal of Consumer Culture 20, no. 3 (2020): 305–323.
- John Fiske. “The Cultural Economy of Fandom,” Chapter 2 in The Adoring Audience , pp. 30–49. Routledge, 2002.
Prerequisites & course information
Prereq: None U (Spring) 3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Fall 2024
- MIT OCW readings ↗
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.