Politics for the Love of Fandom : Fan-Based Citizenship in a Digital World

__Politics for the Love of Fandom__ examines what Ashley Hinck calls “fan-based citizenship”: civic action that blends with and arises from participation in fandom and commitment to a fan-object. Examining cases like Harry Potter fans fighting for fair trade, YouTube fans donating money to charity, and football fans volunteering to mentor local youth, Hinck argues that fan-based citizenship has created new civic practices wherein popular culture may play as large a role in generating social action as traditional political institutions such as the Democratic Party or the Catholic Church. In an increasingly digital world, individuals can easily move among many institutions and groups. They can choose from more people and organizations than ever to inspire their civic actions―even the fandom for children's book series __Harry Potter__ can become a foundation for involvement in political life and social activism. Hinck explores this new kind of engagement and its implications for politics and citizenships, through case studies that encompass fandoms for sports, YouTube channels, movies, and even toys. She considers the ways in which fan-based social engagement arises organically, from fan communities seeking to change their world as a group, as well as the methods creators use to leverage their fans to take social action. The modern shift to networked, fluid communities, Hinck argues, opens up opportunities for public participation that occurs outside of political parties, houses of worship, and organizations for social action. Fan-based citizenship performances help us understand the future possibilities of public engagement, as fans and creators alike tie the ethical frameworks of fan-objects to desired social goal, such as volunteering for political candidates, mentoring at-risk youth, and promoting environmentally friendly policy. __Politics for the Love of Fandom__ examines the communication at the center of these civic actions, exploring how fans, nonprofits, and media companies manage to connect internet-based fandom with public issues. Politics for the Love of Fandom' examines what Hinck calls?fan-based citizenship?: civic action that is blended with and arises from participation in fandom. Examining cases like Harry Potter fans fighting for fair trade, YouTube fans donating money to charity, and football fans volunteering to mentor local youth, Hinck argues that fan-based citizenship functions by inviting citizens to act out of a commitment to a fan-object, rather than via traditional political institutions such as the Democratic Party or the Catholic Church. Within the context of an increasing digital and networked world, individuals can easily move among many institutions and groups. They thus have more choices than ever for institutions and groups that guide their civic actions?even non-civic groups like the Harry Potter fandom can become the foundations for civic action. This significant shift opens up opportunities for public engagement that occurs outside of political parties, organizations for social activism, and religious houses of worship. Fan-based citizenship performances help us understand the future possibilities of public engagement. Examples like Ruth Bader Ginsburg?s large fan following stemming from the Notorious RBG Tumblr blog makes clear that public culture and fandom are already increasingly connected. Hinck examines the communication at the center of these civic actions, exploring how fans, nonprofits, and media companies manage to connect fandom with public issues Cover Contents Acknowledgments Introduction Fan-Based Citizenship Public Engagement for the Love of Harry Potter 1 Theorizing Citizenship in a Digital, Fluid World 2 Connecting The Husker Football Coaches Challenge 3 Expanding The Nerdfighters’ YouTube Project for Awesome 4 Retelling Greenpeace’s #SavetheArctic #BlockShell LEGO Campaign 5 Absent Pairings Disney, UNICEF, and the Star Wars Force for Change Campaign Conclusion Fan-Based Citizenship Performances and the Future of Public Engagement Coda Takeaways for Practitioners Notes Bibliography Index Introduction : fan-based citizenship : public engagement for the love of Harry Potter -- Theorizing citizenship in a digital, fluid world -- Connecting : the Husker football coaches challenge -- Expanding : the Nerdfighters' YouTube Project for Awesome -- Retelling : Greenpeace's #SavetheArctic #Block Shell LEGO campaign -- Absent pairings : Disney, UNICEF, and the Star Wars force for change campaign -- Conclusion : fan-based citizenship performances and the future of public engagement