Question 1)
Read both of the following articles in addition to looking over the notes provided in Module 8.
(A) Just How Much is Sports Fandom like Religion? (The Atlantic, January 2013)
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/01/just-how-much-is-sports-fandom-like-religion/272631/
(B) Russian Trolls used Star Wars to Sow Discord Online: The Fact that it Worked is Telling (Vox, October 2018)
https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/10/4/17930308/star-wars-russia-trolls-bots-alt-right-gamergate-fandamentalism
AFTER COMPLETING THE ARTICLES COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING PROMPT IN ROUGHLY 150 WORDS:
Using at least 3 points from the notes and articles (at least two from the articles and at least one from the notes) explain why many sociologists believe that fandom is becoming a religion. In doing so be very clear and specific. Finally explain whether or not you believe that this is a proper comparison and why.
References about notes
https://www.mediafire.com/file/lqmtc4ls7zuu2px/sports_and_religion_Atlantic_Article_.docx/file
https://www.mediafire.com/file/oxzz54o4w33kk0q/-_CSP-_Sports_and_Star_Wars_Fandom_.pptx/file
https://www.mediafire.com/file/5480y7110iufjqj/CSP-_Slash_and_Fan_Fiction_.pptx/file
Question 2)
Begin by watching the following short video where a person explains fandom online.
Fandoms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqYkERuoMN8&t=249s
After completing the video answering the following short prompts (no more than 75 total words are needed to answer these prompts)
(A) What is at least one type of fandom, similar to what is addressed in the video, that you have seen online. Explain why it fits what the commenter is discussing.
(B) Explain two ways that the internet makes fandom more easy to form.
Question 3)
After watching The Social Dilemma, available on Netflix, answer the following 4 prompts:
(A) Consult the notes and write 100 words on what a conflict theorist would think of this film. How would a conflict theorist explain why this film is important? (50-100 words)
(B) List and explain at least two problems discussed during the documentary. What is the specific problem and how does it impact humans? (50-100 words)
(C) According to the film, how can we fix these problems? What, if any, steps should be taken to improve the problems identified in the film.
(D) Please write a 100-word review of the film, expressing what value you believe the film has for the audience and what, if any, problems exist with the film.
Question 4)
Fandom mini-ethnography:
Before completing this assignment, do all other work for this week. Please read all the text below to understand this assignment (and feel free to email with questions)
For this assignment, you will do a ‘mini-ethnography’ of a fandom of your choice. It can be a fandom that you are a part of or a fandom that you are not part of. Your goal will be to outline the idioculture of the fandom you are looking at. Idioculture includes patterns in language use, inside jokes, rules, customs, rituals, symbols, clothing.
This assignment requires you to collect and analyze data about a fandom. Your data can include news articles written about fans, fan websites and discussion boards, YouTube videos made by and for fans, fan discussions on platforms like Facebook, Tumblr, Reddit. Try to do at least some observation of fans interacting. This could be in real life (say you go to a sports bar to watch a game) or online (like in discussion forums, YouTube comment sections, videos like the fan-made documentary we watched).
You need to cite two sources of information/data about your fandom. They do not need to be academic. For Star Wars, for instance, one key source of info is Wookiepedia.
Based on your data, you need to write 300-400 words about the culture of the fandom you observe. You need to connect your analysis to course materials. Disclose whether you are an ‘insider’ or an ‘outsider’ in the fandom and briefly discuss how that impacts your perspective on the topic.
So if I were writing about Star Trek fandom, for instance, I could write about people cosplaying at conventions and sharing online with others on Tumblr and draw on terms from lectures. Or for a sports fandom, you could talk about the rituals fans observe, the special attire they wear, and any codes of behavior that exist in the group and relate to articles and notes.
