American culture

AMST 101/Horwitz Summer 2019

Short Observation & Refection Assignment #2: Online Fan Communities 100 Points

American Studies 101 is a course designed to introduce you to a variety of theories, methods, and

practices that you can use to study different topics in American history and culture. The methods

we have covered—including ethnography, primary/secondary historical sources, and content

analysis—all provide ways of putting cultural and historical events and texts in context to

understand and describe their meaning.

Equally important to understanding a text is the audience; especially in the case of media, the

audience often serves as a crucial ‘author’ of the meaning of a text. This is because audiences

provide their own significant interpretations of the television programs, movies, magazines, video

games, music, and other media that they consume. Individuals who consider themselves fans, in

particular, devote time and energy to interpreting the media object of their affection.

In this assignment, you will try your hand at a ‘mini’ online ethnography of an internet-based fan

group. In doing so you should adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Choose an online fan group (subject) that you want to study and understand.

• This group can be bound to a single location (such as a Wonder Woman Facebook

group) or exist across multiple locations (for example: Jurassic Park fans on Twitter,

Facebook, and Tumblr).

2. You must then spend a minimum of two hours ‘observing’ this group. Like with your in-

person ethnography, you will need to keep field notes. In this case, this can be a

combination of your notes on your observations as well as screen shots, etc. Don’t be

afraid to post questions or surveys if this is an option in the space you’ve chosen to

observe—these materials would also be included as part of your field notes.

3. After you have completed your observations, you will then write a reflective response

essay on this brief experience studying fan groups. This reflective essay will be informed

by your field notes. Some questions to consider in this response:

• What are some of the main things that you have learned about the group you

studied?

• Was there anything that surprised you about the group?

• What were your initial expectations of your group? After observation, did these

expectations change? How? Why?

• What seems to motivate them to use digital spaces to discuss the object of their

fandom?

• How do participants perform their fandom in these online spaces? (Example: do

they post memes? Favorite quotes? YouTube videos)?

Your response paper must conclude with a consideration of the ways in which fans use the

digital environment. How does the digital environment impact the ways in which fans

engage with each other and with their fan objects? In what ways does the digital

environment enhance and/or limit fan interactions with each other/fan objects? What do

you see as the strengths and weaknesses of studying fan groups as they interact in digital

spaces?

Your ethnographic reflective response essay must be a minimum of 500 words, double-spaced,

proof-read for spelling, grammar, and clarity, and in a standard 12-point font. Your notes must

be typed out and all notes, including any screenshots, must be included either before or after

your response essay as part of the same document (TURNitin only allows the submission of a single

document for assignments).

This assignment is due by 11:59 PM Friday, June 28 (you’ll see the TURNITin link located under Module 3).