Fandom and Its Culture

WHAT IS CULTURE?

Group Name and Description:

The group that I think of as having its own culture is “fandom” from the words fan (fanatics) plus the suffix –dom (kingdom). It is a term used to refer to a large group of people who share a common interest encompassing any particular subject. Examples of fandoms by medium include, but not limited to anime and manga fandom, literature fandom, celebrity fandom, band fandom, science fiction fandom, internet fandom, video game fandom, furry fandom, k-pop fandom, and more. For this particular task, my point of reference will be one of the fandoms that I am a part of and that is the youtube fandom.

1. Does the group hold shared perspectives, norms, values, or assumptions that direct the behavior of its members? Please give an example.

The youtube fandom is an immensely diverse fandom with fans coming from different backgrounds. Despite these differences, the group does hold shared perspectives, norms, values, or assumptions that direct the behavior of its members mostly influenced by the perspectives, norms, values, or assumptions of the youtuber that they are a fan of. Aside from this, there are also so-called “fandom rules” to be followed by the members in a specific fandom but these rules can also be applied to other fandoms in general. Here are some of the examples:

* It doesn’t matter what you ship, but do not shame someone for shipping/not shipping something.

* Wearing fandom shirts and things is kind of like a mating call for fangirls/boys. If you see someone with a fandom shirt on, don’t be afraid to go up to them and be like “You like the thing? I like the thing!”

* Do not insult someone’s art or fanfiction.

2. Is information important to this group handed down through generations (or cohorts) of its members? Please give an example.

Yes, information is important to this group and it is handed down not really through generations because the youtube generation is somewhat new being...