My latest project investigates why people become devoted fans of a particular genre of popular culture and what role that fandom plays in their lives. While there are many explanations of fan behavior by academics and the media, virtually none of them are based on systematic information gathered from fans themselves. My study tackles this issue by exploring an increasingly popular genre of fan devotion – comic-con culture – and gathering a variety of systematic information about fans and their behavior through surveys and in-depth interviews. This will produce the first, formal data set about fan communities and enable a greater understanding of fan behavior in the social sciences.
Data Collection:
I am currently collecting data from comic-con fans (e.g., fans of comic books, superheroes, cosplay, anime, sci-fi, and/or gaming). Whether you’re a big fan or a casual fan, I encourage you to take the survey: https://forms.gle/6ZCdPxQXqvrU82UU9
Once you complete the survey, I am also looking for volunteers to do follow-up interviews to discuss your interests and experiences in greater depth.
Relevant publications:
- (2018) “The Globalization of Comic Con and the Sacralization of Popular Culture.” In Global Leisure and the Struggles for a Better World, Anju Beniwal, Rashmi Jain and Karl Spracklen (eds.). Palgrave Macmillan: 221-42.
- (2021) “Fandom as Religion: A Social-Scientific Assessment.” Journal of Fandom Studies, 9(2): 107-122.
media features:
- Greymalkin Lane podcast (November 18, 2022)
- Pop culture, sociology and the sacred (College of Liberal Arts, Towson University)
- Exploring the sacred dimension of comic fandoms in society (Towerlight newspaper, Towson University)