2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
An ethnographic study of fandom communities in Japan and US
| Project/Area Number |
24650127
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Library and information science/Humanistic social informatics
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| Research Institution | Tokyo City University |
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Principal Investigator |
OKABE Daisuke 東京都市大学, メディア学部, 准教授 (40345468)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2012-04-01 – 2014-03-31
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| Keywords | ファンダム / エスノグラフィ / 学習 / 足場掛け |
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| Research Abstract |
This study seeks to demystify one of a subculture of extreme Japanese and US fans and mavens known as Fandom who get really into digital contents from manga and anime. Japan is home to numerous amateur peer productive events. Fandom is a youth-dominated niche grounded in a DIY and anticommercial ethic of digital creation. Although not characterized by formal forms of evaluation and hierarchy, fandom people, are highly conscious of quality standards for their productions. Fandom events and dedicated online networks for fans are a valuable venue for exchanging information and learning from each other about consumption and production. In this study, I discuss various cultural practices characterizing the fandom community based on our interviews with Japanese and US fan people and fieldwork. I will discuss in detail the following aspects: (1)horizontal learning in fandom culture as wildfire activities (2)relationship of economic consumption and non-commercial exchange among fandom culture.
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