Lists of dissertations and theses

For the purpose of research and analysis of my first chapter: Defining and exploring the history and term of Fandom

• Close Encounters of a Different Kind: A study of science fiction fan culture and its interaction with multiple literacies by Gail A. Bondi
• Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys - Ethnography of Online Slash/Yaoi Fans by Sandra Youssef
• Academia Explores the Final Frontier: A look at fandom theses and dissertations by Karen Ann Yost

"Etymologically, the word fan derives from the word 'fanatic' and means an enthusiastic devotee...with personifying the word fan comes a certain mentality, a psychology." —Katie B. Davis

Should probably mention:

I've changed my cross-cultural perspective to gender. I've noticed that in the past it was male dominated and rare to see female fan participation in television or film fandom. Nowadays I'm getting the sense that this is the complete opposite today. Many cyber fandom activities and websites are now led by females. This is of course a generalisation and a slight guess. So....ignore those last two sentences.

Girls who like Boys who like Boys – Ethnography of Online Slash/Yaoi Fans

Red went on to tell me that all of the fans described in this piece did something “higher” with it. Gesticulating, she painted the picture of an ordinary American girl liking the TV-show Angel, and watching it every time it is on TV. This girl could be called a “fan.” But the fans, I was working with and writing about, including myself, had “made it part of identity” to such a degree that we thought about it outside of the times shown on TV, to the extent that “being a fan” pervaded other aspects of our lives.

....This text is, essentially, an ethnography of what it means to be an online fan. In order to underline what I wanted to translate, I would have had to offer a moment of ethnography alien enough, yet understandable enough, to introduce an unfamiliar audience to the topic. Yet, such a single ethnographic moment does not exist. All of the scenes depicted above are, after all, not simply moments of ritual or hobby, but moreover are infused with a certain mode of identity. Beyond serving an introductory function, they urge you to immerse yourself into a world that will seem alien at best.

Girls who like Boys who like Boys – Ethnography of Online Slash/Yaoi Fans

Sandra Youssef

This post shall include an incredibly lengthy transcript of my female focus group

Once I get through it all.

So survey!...or is it a questionnaire? You know I never really could figure out the difference...

Update

I haven't made a post in a while but that in no way means that I've been neglecting my PIP. I've actually completed 2 processes of primary research which I'll post more on later. I am also going to be a participating observer at SupaNova on upcoming Sunday and so I'm pretty excited. I'll do another post for that too.

I've just been lacking in the secondary research department and I need to find a specialist of some kind. I'm thinking of trying to contact Henry Jenkins, one of the famous scholars, specialists, professors of fandoms in our time. He has a website http://www.henryjenkins.org/ which is highly informative and contains amazing sources such as interviews with other scholars of people he considers to be contributors to fandom studies and culture. Read some of his works first before I actually attempt contact so I don't look like an ass in front of him by asking stupid questions he's probably already answered in his thorough works of studies. I JUST WANT A LENGTHY FRIENDLY CHAT WITH THE MAN. FOR A WHOLE DAY. AT LEAST.

Andddddd when excitement all caps comes on, it's my cue to sleep.