Short Observation & Refection Assignment: Online Fan Communities
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?
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.