FANDOM IN MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES: Rethinking Media Efects and Fans

Abstract

An innovative edited collection which examines fandom in marginalized communities from an empirically based, media psychology perspective. This book specifically focuses on fandom communities and cultures as spaces for marginalized individuals – LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and more – to gather, engage with one another, and create their own representation to disrupt dominant, societal discourse as presented in the mainstream media. Edited by Leah Dajches and Jennifer Stevens Aubrey, the collection features the work of well-known scholars currently working within the disciplines of fan studies and media effects, as well as new and emerging voices in these fields. Made up of innovative theoretical and empirical contributions, the book is organized into three key sections: (I) Theoretical Advances in Fandom Media Effects, (II) Individual Fandom Communities and Media Effects, and (III) Innovative Methodological Approaches to Fandom. This collection highlights how fandom communities and cultures can function uniquely for those with identities based within marginalized communities. A must-read for upper-level students, researchers, and scholars interested in the intersection between fandom and fan studies, media effects, and media psychology.