The definition of community is ever-changing, always adapting to new socio-cultural and economic contexts. With the way social media reshape our lives and connection to each other, it’s safe to assume that they will also ask of us to rethink our understanding of community. In this paper, I will demonstrate how fandoms, as inherently online communities gathering individuals around their niche interests, propose their own definition of community, somewhat at the intersection of traditional and post-industrial communities (Durkheim, 1893, as cited in Hampton, 2016).

 

How do fandoms redefine the notion of community as they exist on social media, all while subverting the idea that social media enable individualism?

The loss of community to individualism has long been a concern for sociologists, even more as we actively exist in the era of social media, which encourage us to exist as our own and create a network around ourselves (Hampton, 2016). The mere prospect of individuals taking a grandiose role in society to the decline of solidarity is a concern of its own, even more so as Western societies evolve to further situate the individual at its core. Such perception primarily declines from Durkheim’s definition of both community and individualism; community being a social group in which members are aware of belonging to and identify with it, are bounded to each other by strong social bonds, and generally work together to the completion of a greater purpose – a social group where diversity and individuality isn’t encouraged or valued (Durkheim, 1893, as cited in Hampton, 2016). As opposition, individualism positions the individual at the centre of society, and what was once strong bonds becomes a network, one that shouldn’t restrict the individual from fully developing their potential for greatness (Britannica, 2023).  Yet, in such context, fandoms seem to completely question that notion of loss of community. Gathering fans on the Internet since the 1990’s, fandoms are by definition communities, and their massive presence online contradict the idea that social media kill community (Gray et al., 2007). As I explore the topic of community and social media, my aim is thus to demonstrate how fandoms offer a new conceptualisation of community – one defined by their existence on social media, all the while subverting the assumption that social media enable individualism, by first reflecting on whether individualism truly exists in fandoms and by later showcasing how fandoms constitute their own model of community.

 

Individualism or individuality? Fans defining and claiming their identity online.

Social media allow one to exist online – not as part of group, not as another data, but as a fully-fledged individual, or however and whoever one desires to be in online spaces (Hampton & Wellman, 2018). In such context, we assume that the individual has no gain in existing in a community, if communities tame down individuality. Arguing that social media adhere to individualist ideals – putting the individual at the centre of everything (Hampton, 2016), it further makes sense that communities are detrimental to the development of the individual.

However, fans seem to make use of fandoms as safe spaces to develop, claim and validate their identity. Such has always been the case, due to the inherent nature of fandoms – as online spaces, fandoms are not bound to social conventions that exist offline. Authenticity may be valued and expressed more easily within the safe barriers of fandoms, simply due to the fact that online spaces offer the structures for one to define and express their identity in a liberative way. Indeed, as McInroy (2020) observes amongst sexual and gender minority youth, online spaces, and specifically fandoms, become places of honest and unbounded expression of individuality. LGBTQIA+ youth whose identity may result in social rejection and victimization in offline spaces, are given the opportunity to fully embrace their identity in spaces where heteronormativity is, for once, not the norm. Additionally, they might find kins that validate their identity and encourage them to take pride in who they are and express freely their queerness; as McInroy (2020) remarks, fandoms often gather individuals that are similar – not just because of their common interests, but as well as their identities. Furthermore, fandoms are likely to accept the expression of non-conventional identities simply because who one identifies as is comparably insignificant, considering that the identity as fan is the most valued form of identity in fan communities (Groene & Hettinger, 2016). McInroy and Craig (2020) observe that fantasy fandoms often serve as a framework for young queers to explore their identities and understand the limitless nature of sexual and gender identity. Through fan practices, notably the creation of fan content such as fanart and fanfiction, young queers are given the opportunity to express their identity all while contributing to the lore of their fandoms. The dedication to the subject of their passion serves as a way to claim and engage positively with their queer identity; simultaneously, their identity is valued as it offers exclusive content around the centre of interest around which the fandom is built.

Accepting nonconventional identities might be inherent to fandoms – historically, fandoms came to be as fans of science fiction and fantasy media gathered in search of validation for their non-popular, sometimes deemed as obscure, centres of interest (Gray et al., 2007). Fandoms are spaces for the geeks and freaks, those whose centres of interest generally are the motivation for social stigma, for the reason that they derive from the mainstream (Peeples et al., 2017). Fandoms have thus established themselves on online platforms, social media allowing them to proliferate, since online spaces are not bound to the same norms and values as offline spaces. Safe from the judgment of their offline entourage, fans are free to express the multiple dimensions of their identity, and they’re even encouraged to do so by fellow fans. Peeples et al. (2017) note how social media allow neurodivergent individuals to bond and gain a sense of belonging by giving them access to fandoms – “special interests” are more likely to be accepted, and partaking in non-conventional activities without judgment is likely to be encouraged in fandoms. Such is observed by Peeples et al. (2017) through the practice of cosplay, where fans are allowed to not only express but take pride in their non-conventional identity as geeks. Fandoms may also encourage the acceptance of non-conventional identities based on the media at the centre of said fandoms. Considering that fandoms are built around media that offer positive representation of minorities and non-conventional identities, fans are likely to be open to alternative identities. Ganzon (2022) notes the increasing acceptance of queer and female fans in games fandoms, as well as the acceptance of cultural differences – which is notable since these fan communities, in Western context, are predominantly cisgender, heterosexual, masculine, and white spaces. The author draws the connection between this increasing acceptance and the fact that the observed fandoms are constructed around games that present intersectional identities and accentuate cultural diversity. In that sense, fandoms are places of acceptance and validation, ever changing to include diversity of identities. Simultaneously, we can draw from the existence of fandoms that social media aren’t necessarily enablers of individualism, rather spaces where the individual is celebrated, and not to the detriment of community. On the contrary, communities, in the form of fandoms, uplift the individual – valuing each member for their contribution as their own person, and accepting them for their expression of individuality, as much as they’re essential as member of the fandom.

Fandoms is where we belong: fandoms redefining community.

Gary et al. (2017) define fandoms as communities of fans, that way beyond the simple gathering of individuals around their common passion, gather individuals of similar interests and purposes, seeking strong relationships and a presence in the mainstream as this one entity. Peeples et al. (2017) point out that the term fandom has been used in research interchangeably with neo-tribe, which, this time, approximates fandoms to the preindustrial definition of community – a social group bound to collective norms and values, where individualism is non-existent, tribes being notable example of this sort of community (Durkheim, 1893, cited in Hampton, 2016). Fandoms and community are inseparable terms, as fandoms are communities. However, this statement asks to define community. Across time and places, community may be defined differently, but the community that is cried by those arguing that social media enable individualism, is a community that could be defined as a tight-bounded group of individuals who are not only networked, but share similar beliefs and values, and work to the completion of a common goal (Hampton & Wellman, 2018). Coincidently, online fandoms do showcase these characteristics, henceforth qualifying as communities in the modern and Western definition of the term.

Indeed, fandoms are defined by the bonds between their members. As inclusive spaces, fandoms allow the existence of their members in a safe space, where they can seek and find validation from each other and establish connections. And such, can be attributed to the fact that fandoms exist on social media – platforms that, by their participatory nature and their ability to connect individuals beyond physical boundaries, become places where bonds are created and strengthened. Bury (2017) argues that communication is primordial in the formation of community, and in that sense, the Web 2.0 becomes the perfect context for the development of communities, as it’s built around the concept of interaction and connection. Their research then proceeds to demonstrate that fans seek community on social media, finding in fandoms people with which their interest does not cause stigma, but rather acceptance. Interactions that initially started around discussions on fan content progress into strong, intimate bond or even friendships, as some also point out (Bury, 2017). Fandoms allow one to gain social capital, as fans find peers and kins in other members of fandoms. Beyond the network enabled by fandoms, fans are also provided a support system, similar to what one seeks in a more traditional community. Interactions in fan community, as observed by Vinney et al. (2019) are sources of the well-being of fans, as the validation they receive for their identity, their beliefs and their participation in the fandom results in a feeling of being acknowledged, accepted, and appreciated. Consequently, the bond between fans serves as a basis to the fortification of the community.

In contrast with preindustrial community where individuality is perceived as detrimental to the prosperity of the community (Durkheim, 1893, cited in Hampton, 2016), fandoms rather embrace the existence of diverse identities, as this diversity proposes a plethora of engagement and content that enrich the community. Just like a tight net supporting immense weight, fans carry their fandom – their community, and contribute to the lore of their fandoms in their own way. This contribution to the community can be linked to a sense of belonging to the fandom – inclusion encourages fans to take pride in their identity as fans, and subsequently, they find motivation to contribute to their fandom. Through their observations of the Harry Potter and Twilight fandoms, Groene & Hettinger (2016) conclude that one embracing their fanhood and receiving the approval of other fans is more likely to get involved in the fandom than if they face exclusion. The fandom becomes an identity, and fans enthusiastically partake in fan practices in the name of their fandoms. And while the identity as a fan is the most valued in fandoms, individuality is still considered beneficial to the greater good of the community. As Peeples et al. (2017) argue, fans creation and engagement enrich the fandom, as fan content extend on the media text at the centre of the fandom. Fans engagement in their fandom is thus tightly linked to how strong their sense of community is. Such can be observed with fans social media engagement, resulting in fandoms being widely acknowledged as part of online culture. Without constraints that offline spaces pose, social media allow fans to engage with their fandom – creating, sharing, communicating, and socializing, just like one would do in a traditional community, for the only difference that this engagement with the community happens online (Peeples et al., 2017). Social media, by their participatory nature, are key to the development of community, by providing the space and the means for fans to bond and contribute to their fandoms. Fan contribution is various in form and content, as fans’ individuality provide a diversity of perspectives, which ultimately contribute to the lore of the fandom.

Considering the definition of community as a networked group of individuals sharing similarities, a common purpose and strong ties, fandoms are undeniably communities. However, fandoms may also present their own definition of community. Community, by its nature, is bound to evolve with context, hence, fandoms may simply be communities in a new online context. Hampton (2016) talks of persistent-pervasive community when referring to the link between social media and community, defining community as a network created around the individual, where contact with people is facilitated and manages to survive the passage of time and distance (persistence), and the lines between different groups are blurred, which is not necessarily inconvenient as the community is built around the individual (pervasive). A community at the intersection of individualism and pre-industrial community, this new definition allows one to exist as they are, all while still finding a place and a group to belong to. Though fandoms aren’t individual centred, they still allow one to build their own network, and define their belonging to the community at their own terms. While fandoms are not persistent-pervasive communities, they similarly exist at the intersection of individualism and traditional community. Such can be attributed to their existence on social media platforms, which define the structures that allow fandoms to be communities where one may exist authentically, be validated and accepted, while contributing to a greater purpose. In their own definition of community, fandoms value the existence of individuals as more than mere members of the community, but rather contributors, who, by embracing their identity, allow the community to subsist and evolve. As McInroy and Craig (2020) observe with young queer fans’ production of fan content, their unique experience and perspectives extend to their contribution to the fandom, enriching the community with content that exist outside of heteronormativity. This illustrates the idea that individuality isn’t a foe of community, but rather necessary to the development of the fandom; fans participation in fan communities is done at their own terms, which is ultimately mutually beneficial – providing the fans with a place to belong and the fandoms with rich content that encourages discussion and evolution.

 

To conclude, fandoms showcase that community isn’t lost, but rather changing. Considering social media as a new context, a sort of online society, community is bound to take a new form and a new definition as it exists online. Fandoms redefine community as a social group where each member is valued for their individuality, all while being appreciated for and encouraged to participate in the enrichment of the group, and all members may find in each other support, validation, and strong relationships. In a fandom, the individual isn’t at the centre of everything; the individual isn’t asked to tame down their individuality, either. Such definition of community is only enabled by social media. As spaces of personal expression, identity seeking and individual liberation, and simultaneously spaces of gathering, connection and community building, social media reinvent community, and fandoms are simply examples of that.

 

 

Reference List:

Britannica, T. Information Architects of Encyclopaedia (2023). individualism. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved March 15, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/facts/individualism

Bury, R. (2017). Technology, Fandom, and Community in the Second Media Age. Convergence, 23(6), 627-642. https://doi-org.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/10.1177/1354856516648084

Gray, J., Harrington, C. L., & Sandvoss, C. (2007). Fandom: Identities and communities in a mediated world. New York University Press. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/curtin/detail.action?docID=865573#

Groene, S. L., & Hettinger, V. E. (2016). Are You “Fan” Enough? The Role of Identity in Media Fandoms. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 5(4), 324-339. doi: 10.1037/ppm0000080.

Hampton, K. N. (2016). Persistent and Pervasive Community: New Communication Technologies and the Future of Community. American Behavioral Scientist, 60(1), 101–124. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764215601714

Hampton, K. N., & Wellman, B. (2018). Lost and Saved . . . Again: The Moral Panic about the Loss of Community Takes Hold of Social Media. Contemporary Sociology, 47(6), 643–651. https://doi.org/10.1177/0094306118805415

McInroy, L. B. & Craig, S. L. (2020). “It’s Like a Safe Haven Fantasy World”. Psychology of Popular Media, 9 (2), 236-246. doi: 10.1037/ppm0000234. https://oce.ovid.com/article/02168258-202004000-00014/HTML

McInroy, L. B. (2020). Building Connections and Slaying Basilisks: Fostering Support, Resilience and Positive Adjustment for Sexual and Gender Minority Youth in Online Fandom Communities. Information, Communication & Society, 23(13), 1874-1891. https://doi-org.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/10.1080/1369118X.2019.1623902

Peeples, D., Yen, J., & Weigle, P. (2017). Geeks, Fandoms, and Social Engagement. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 27(2), 247-267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2017.11.008

Ganzon, S. C. (2022). Towards intersectional and transcultural analysis in the examination of players and game fandoms. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 39(3), 221-229. DOI: 10.1080/15295036.2022.2080846

Vinney, C., Dill-Shackleford, K. E., Plante, C. N., & Bartsch, A. (2019). Development and Validation of a Measure of Popular Media Fan Identity and Its Relationship to Well-Being. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 8(3), 296-307. doi: 10.1037/ppm0000188.