Fandom: Pop Subculture in a Digital Age

Week 1
1/31/13
Week 1: Intro to Fandom as Performative Ritual

HW: Create and annotate an an autobiographical fandom timeline.


Readings: Optional Readings:
Week 2
2/7/13

Fandom as Personal Identity - Class Struggle and Stigma in Fandom

Readings:

Optional Readings:

Week 3
2/14/13

Fan Mentality (Where do Fans come From)

Reading:

Optional:

Week 4
2/21/13

Fangroup Formation and Group Motivations

HW: Introduce us to a fandom by walking us through one or more examples of how they achieve group cohesion (exchanging gifts, reinforcing social hierarchy,choosing acceptable text interpretations, enforcing cultural norms, punishing infractions). Introduce us to the players and take us through the incident, either in an online community or by documenting fans in the wild.

Reading:

Optional:

Week 5
2/28/28

Commercial Fandom

HW: Create a Midterm concept

Optional

Week 6
3/7/13
Fandom and Brand Management
Week 7
3/14/13
GUEST : Fandom Brand Management / Midterm critique
3/21/13
Break
Week 8
3/28/13

MIDTERM

Optional:

Week 9
4/4/13

GUEST: Fanlike Activity Interlude

Reading:

Optional

Week 10
4/11/13

Prosumption and Authenticity Issues in Fandom

HW: Prepare a final topic

Week 11
4/18/13

GUEST: Prosumption / FINAL TOPIC PRESENTATION

Reading:

Week 12
4/25/13
When Fandom Goes Wrong
Week 13
5/2/13
FINAL PREP AND ROUNDHOUSE CRITIQUE
Week 14
5/9/13
FINAL


Books
These books pretty great. A lot of our readings come out of here. Consider taking a look.

Grading
Attendance (including on time), class discussion participation: 50%
Assignments (including midterm and final): 50%

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