Identity and Fandom

While the terms “nerd” and “geek” do not carry the negative connotations they did a mere decade ago, they are used in contemporary American culture to describe individuals that are enthusiasts in a number of genres from Star Wars to Dungeons & Dragons. Yet, the level of enthusiasm expressed by these individuals is equally found in fans of college football, movies, and extreme sports. Individuals will often even refer to themselves as “movie buffs,” “Trekkies,” or “sports fans,” their hobbies becoming part of their identities. Thus, how fans of various media are depicted and depict themselves reflects how identity is crafted and performed in contemporary America. In this course, we will analyze how primary sources of fandom – such as science fiction, gaming, and sports – construct identity and how the fans of these primary sources support, confound, or reinterpret these portrayals. We will explore topics including but not limited to the following questions: How do primary sources of fandom construct identity? How do the fans of these primary sources perceive, interpret, and reinterpret these depictions? What fandoms are seen as being dominated along gender, social, and economic lines? How does this perception impact possible fans? How do depictions of fans in media represent, misrepresent, or impact those fans?