1
Front Matter
6 chapters2
Part I: Foundations
6 chapters- Part Intro
- Chapter 1: More Than Just a Fan — Defining Fandom as a Social System
- Chapter 2: Before the Internet — Zines, Clubs, and the Pre-Digital Fan
- Chapter 3: The Digital Revolution and Fandom's Transformation
- Chapter 4: Academic Fan Studies — A History of the Field
- Chapter 5: Frameworks for Analysis — How to Study Fandom
3
Part II: Identity, Self, and Belonging
6 chapters4
Part III: Community Architecture and Governance
7 chapters- Part Intro
- Chapter 11: How Fan Communities Form — Network Dynamics
- Chapter 12: Subcultural Capital, Hierarchies, and the "Real Fan" Problem
- Chapter 13: Community Governance — Rules, Norms, and Enforcement
- Chapter 14: Conflict, Drama, and the Sociology of Fan Wars
- Chapter 15: Toxic Fandom, Harassment, and Online Safety
- Chapter 16: Fandom and Social Movements — Activism and Collective Action
5
Part IV: The Gift Economy, Fan Labor, and Creative Production
7 chapters- Part Intro
- Chapter 17: The Gift Economy — Theory and Practice
- Chapter 18: Fan Fiction — History, Genres, and Communities
- Chapter 19: Visual Fan Creativity — Fan Art, Cosplay, and Material Culture
- Chapter 20: Vids, Fan Films, and Transformative Audiovisual Work
- Chapter 21: Fan Labor — Unpaid Work and the Platform Economy
- Chapter 22: Professionalization and the Fan-to-Industry Pipeline
6
Part V: Parasocial Relationships and the Creator-Fan Bond
6 chapters- Part Intro
- Chapter 23: Parasocial Relationships — Foundations and Theory
- Chapter 24: Celebrity, Stan Culture, and the Intensity Spectrum
- Chapter 25: The Creator-Fan Relationship in Digital Media
- Chapter 26: RPF (Real Person Fiction) — Ethics, Aesthetics, and Controversy
- Chapter 27: Celebrity Death, Hiatus, and Parasocial Loss
7
Part VI: Platform Ecosystems and Fan Culture Infrastructure
7 chapters- Part Intro
- Chapter 28: Platform Studies and Fandom — A Framework
- Chapter 29: Twitter/X, Tumblr, and the Microblogging Fandom
- Chapter 30: Reddit, Discord, and Structured Fan Communities
- Chapter 31: TikTok, YouTube, and Algorithmic Fan Culture
- Chapter 32: AO3, Wattpad, and Dedicated Fan Platforms
- Chapter 33: International Fandom and Platform Geography
8
Part VII: Fandom Specifics — Genre Case Studies
6 chapters- Part Intro
- Chapter 34: K-Pop Fandom — Organization, Labor, and Global Reach
- Chapter 35: Sports Fandom — Loyalty, Tribalism, and the Stadium
- Chapter 36: Anime and Manga Fandom — Global Otaku Culture
- Chapter 37: Gaming Communities — Esports, Speedrunning, and Modding
- Chapter 38: Transmedia Storytelling and Multi-Platform Fandoms
9
Part VIII: Copyright, Commerce, and the Fandom Economy
4 chapters10
Part IX: Capstone Studies
4 chapters11
Appendices
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