Page 119 - Cultural Change and Ordinary Life

110 Cultural change and ordinary life

Theories of fandom

Drawing on the discussion so far, in this section I consider two of the most
important syntheses and overall theories of fan studies that have been pro-
duced so far. The work of Hills (2002) and Sandvoss (2005) will be discussed
through the following themes: capitals and distinction; place and space;
psychology, psychoanalysis and the theory of the self; texts and their limits.
I begin with a short comment on terminology.
While, as stated earlier, I use the term enthusing to head this chapter,
I still beneath this remain committed to the distinction between fan, cultist
and enthusiast theorized in Audiences (Abercrombie and Longhurst 1998). This
terminology was criticized by Hills (2002), who says that: ‘It seems faintly
unhelpful to produce a taxonomy in which the definition of “fan” is at odds
with the use of the term in almost all other literature in the field’ (p. ix). One
answer to this is to point to the potential problems of using the ‘the term “cult
fan” interchangeably with “fan”’ (p. x), as this seems to limit and reduce
analysis. Another answer is to suggest that it may indeed be helpful to use a
new terminology if the retheorization captures something that previous
accounts have tended to obscure through their own terminological uses and
the effects that this has. A version and development of this point are more
fully argued by Sandvoss (2005).
After noting that on the surface there are indeed some issues with this
‘taxonomy’, as for example few football fans would describe themselves as
‘cultists’, using the term fan instead, however, for Sandvoss this is a ‘problem
of terminology, not substance’ (p. 31). Thus again with respect to football and
music fans, Sandvoss argues that:

In quantitative terms, it is important to note that the continuum
between fans, cultists and enthusiasts is a pyramid instead of a linear
continuum. Box office takings, audience ratings and market research
on music or football fandom all illustrate that fans that regularly follow
the fan text in its mass-mediated form outnumber those attending
live events or conventions, or even become producers in their own
right. ‘Fans’ thus account for by far the largest segment of the fan con-
tinuum, with a substantially smaller number of cultists and even fewer
enthusiasts.
(Sandvoss 2003: 32)
Sandvoss points out that the distinctions also capture important differ-
ences of focus between groupings, as well as allowing consideration of the
similarities between them. Importantly, he suggests that this then relates
to the ‘potential for empowerment and emancipation in fandom’ (p. 32).
Moreover, for Sandvoss this relates to identity and social processes:
In other words, fandom and the power relations within fandom are
based upon the capacity of popular texts, whether produced by the
media industry or fans, to carry meaning that articulates fans’ identity
and their objective and subjective position within society.
(Sandvoss 2003: 32)