Defining Fandom

by Robert V. Kozinets, Henry Jenkins

Welcome to fandom studies, the analysis of mass culture passion that is remaking society. In Defining Fandom, two of the world’s leading experts on the topic deliver a rich, inclusive, and global analysis of fandoms as contemporary sites of desire and power. From sports arenas to comic conventions and from music festivals to online gaming worlds, brand communities, virtual consumer culture formations, and much more, this book series uncorks the commercial and cultural strategies that make consumers’ champagne bottles pop. For fans by fans, it’s a nonjudgmental celebration of mass cultural connectivity and a recognition of the significance of fandoms. A massive series breaking massive new ground in fandom studies and consumer culture theory awaits scholars and academics, It offers histories, cases, and theories from the past and present, among diverse groups, and around the world. For business leaders, there are practical frameworks and clear operationalizations. For marketers and promotional professionals, here’s a unique roadmap for engaging high-passion audiences in powerfully authentic ways. Jenkins & Kozinets combine case narrative, deep academic citation and interpretation, and the auto-ethnographic style inspired by the aca-fan and consumer odyssey’s ethnographic traditions, Defining Fandom is a call by two fan scholars to rethink fandoms—what they are, what they want, why they matter, and how they’re shaping the future.

230 pages, Paperback

Published December 17, 2024