Your fandom may not just be fun or expression – it’s an area people want to study and you can help.
At first draft, fnadom activities may seem a bit shallow to an outsider. However they aren’t to passionate fans and to people that study psychology, history, and culture. Fandoms offer fascinating areas of exploration and understanding.
This is why people can get actual degrees in popular culture. There’s something there worth studying. This is why there are academic instutrions that study video games, because it’s worth it.
If you’re so inclined, it’s worth getting involved.
There’s many things you can do so a few suggestions:
- Join an academic organization and fund them. A membership pays the bills after all.
- If you can contribute, do so! Write, provide web mastery, whatever.
- Help academics speak at conventions, clubs, or events.
- If you’re an academic, go speak on issues – even if you’re an amateur.
- Promote the appropriate organization through your club, event, or writing.
There’s a lot of options. Go find what works for you.
Resources:
- Anime
- Anime And Manga Studies – Focuses on news and articles on the academic studies of anime and manga. It’s owner also does a symposium an Anime Expo
- Comics
- Comics Research – A curated guide to books and resources about comics books, comics trips, and fannish information. Open to contributions of material and suggested resources.
- Video Games
- Canadian Game Studies Association – A Canadian organization dedicated to interdisciplinary study of digital games.
- Digital Games Research Association – An association for academics and professionals who research digital games and things related to them. Includes events, a journal, a conference, and more.
- International Journal Of Computer Game Research – A non-profit, open-access, cross-disciplinary journal to publish and promote the studies of games. Open for donations as well!
- Journal Of Virtual Worlds Research – A journal (open to contributions) on virtual worlds.
(This is all part of an ongoing effort to create a geeky guide for civic geeks)
-Steve