Teenagers, Fandom and Identity

Abstract

This paper analyses collective and individual identity construction processes in adolescent fan communities mediated by multimodal discourse. The theoretical framework relies on Jenkins, Itō, and Boyd (2015), Holland and Lave (2009), and Marshall, Moore, and Barbour (2015). Our approach is rooted in participant observation and supported by ethnographic work with teenage girls who belong to music communities built around One Direction, Justin Bieber, and Magcon. Firstly, we will show how participating in communities of practice such as through undertaking tasks which give meaning to group activities contributes to the construction of a social and cultural identity supported by the interpretation, production, and dissemination of texts. Secondly, we will examine how subjective and personal identities related to feelings, emotions, and situations are supported by the fan community, which is organised around the celebrity’s public persona.