Fan Activity: An Autoethnographic Exercise
Overview
For this assignment, you will participate in a fan activity and analyze that experience as a short autoethnography.
You are not simply completing a fan activity.
You are conducting research on your own participation in fandom.
This means you will act as both:
- Participant (engaged in the activity), and
- Researcher (observing, documenting, and analyzing your experience).
Your goal is to transform lived experience into analytical insight about fandom.
Step 1: Participate in a Fan Activity
Choose one of the following (or propose an alternative):
- Submit one or more substantive letters/emails to a comic book publication.
- Attend a comic book convention, such as:
- Engage in substantive online interaction with comic creators or fans (e.g., discussion threads, social media exchanges, forum participation).
“Substantive” means meaningful engagement — not a brief comment or passive attendance.
Step 2: Document Your Participation
You must submit documentation of your activity. Examples include:
- Copies of letters or emails you submitted
- Screenshots of online discussions
- Photographs from an event
- A scan/photo of a convention badge
- Other evidence of participation
Documentation demonstrates that your experience is grounded in observable activity.
Step 3: Write a Short Autoethnographic Analysis (Approx. 500–750 Words)
This is not a diary entry or a reaction post.
Your essay should move from description → reflection → analysis.
Description (What Happened?)
Briefly describe:
- The setting
- The interaction(s)
- The atmosphere
- Key moments
- Specific language or exchanges
Use concrete detail. Specificity builds credibility.
Reflexivity (What Was Your Position?)
You must explicitly address your positionality:
- Are you an insider or outsider to this fandom?
- What expectations did you bring?
- How did your identity (experience level, age, gender, expertise, etc.) shape your experience?
- How did your presence influence what happened?
Remember:
Your perspective shapes what you see.
Analysis (What Does This Reveal About Fandom?)
Move beyond “I experienced X” to:
- What norms were visible?
- What hierarchies or forms of gatekeeping appeared?
- What signs of belonging or exclusion emerged?
- How did commerce, performance, identity, or expertise function?
- How does this connect to concepts from class (participatory culture, fan communities, commercialization, etc.)?
Every descriptive section should lead toward interpretation.
Ask yourself:
What would someone learn about fandom from this experience?
What Strong Autoethnography Looks Like
Strong submissions:
- Balance narrative and analysis
- Make positionality visible
- Use specific examples
- Connect experience to course concepts
- Draw broader insight from particular moments
Weak submissions:
- Simply describe what happened
- Focus only on whether you “liked” the experience
- Avoid analysis of power, norms, or structure
- Ignore your own role in shaping the interaction
Submission
Submit a single PDF or Word document in Canvas that includes:
- Documentation of your activity
- Your autoethnographic essay
Final Reminder
Access to fandom is not the same as understanding fandom.
Your task is to use your own experience as data — and turn that data into insight.