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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Fan/Producer Duality In Microfandoms: Examinations Of Collaboration, Creativity, And Capital, Abby Kirby Jun 2021

The Fan/Producer Duality In Microfandoms: Examinations Of Collaboration, Creativity, And Capital, Abby Kirby

College of Communication Master of Arts Theses

This paper explores the fan identity as being synonymous with the identity of media producers through the lens of microfandoms. Microfandoms are co-created by the fans of an already existing piece of media, but act as their own independent fandom. By completing an illustrative case study through surveys, interviews, and data analysis, the author was able to view the production of a microfandom and the roles that fans inhabit within that space. Conclusions were reached regarding the role of hierarchy and social capital within tight-knit microfandoms, demonstrating that the means of fan production are informed by an individual’s status within …


Major League Baseball Fans’ Climate Change Attitudes And Willingness To Adapt: Climate Vulnerability Vs. America’S Pastime., Jessica R. Murfree May 2021

Major League Baseball Fans’ Climate Change Attitudes And Willingness To Adapt: Climate Vulnerability Vs. America’S Pastime., Jessica R. Murfree

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate change threatens the ability to enjoy sport around the world, including in the United States. While the scientific community reached consensus regarding the presence and severity of climate change near the turn of the twenty-first century, that same agreement has not been met across the American general public. Major League Baseball (MLB) is particularly vulnerable to climate change in the U.S. due to its season duration, geographic footprint, and largely outdoor nature. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between U.S.-based MLB fans’ sport identification and their climate change attitudes, perceptions of climate change risk, and …


You And I: Parasocial Relationships, Social Media, And Fan Labor In The One Direction Fandom, Kathryn Meese Apr 2021

You And I: Parasocial Relationships, Social Media, And Fan Labor In The One Direction Fandom, Kathryn Meese

Honors College Theses

This study aims to analyze the ways in which fans of the band One Direction developed parasocial relationships, or one-sided, non-reciprocal relationships with media personae, through social media marketing, and to explore the economic implications of these relationships in terms of fans’ free promotional labor. At the heart of social media marketing is relationship marketing, or attracting and maintaining customer relationships, a strategy we explore here within the context of the music industry. Previous studies have explored the dynamics of online fan communities, or fandoms, and the free labor they carry out on the part of an artist, such as …


Girls Can’T Like Star Wars: An Analysis Of Feminism Within Fandoms, Julia Neff Jan 2021

Girls Can’T Like Star Wars: An Analysis Of Feminism Within Fandoms, Julia Neff

Capstone Showcase

Finding the intersection between feminist theory and fandom theory, this paper analysis how women are regarded within a fandom community by their peers and how they are dismissed in a societal context. This paper specifically compares what is "accepted" by society about young women being a fan of a boy band versus an adult man as a fan of a sports team.