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schmericaHere is my question of the day for you all:
One of my favorite things about fandom (and I think a lot of people share this) is the sense of community that's evolved with it -- the fan to fan connections. But there's this thing that comes up in pretty much meta discussion we have, and that's the question of what we mean by community.
What do we mean by community? What does it take to be a member of that community? Is it a matter of self definition, so that what it takes to be part of the community is acknowledging and accepting yourself into it? Or is community framed by actions, a structure based on us all doing the same things together? You read fic, you write fic, you make art, you participate in fannish infastructure and interact with other fans, therefore you are a Fan; you make slash and see slash, therefore you're a slasher? Is it just a general sort of collegiality? Is there an ideological component -- some fixed ideas or thoughts that we expect members of the community to generally share or agree on, as a base?
What do you guys think?
One of my favorite things about fandom (and I think a lot of people share this) is the sense of community that's evolved with it -- the fan to fan connections. But there's this thing that comes up in pretty much meta discussion we have, and that's the question of what we mean by community.
What do we mean by community? What does it take to be a member of that community? Is it a matter of self definition, so that what it takes to be part of the community is acknowledging and accepting yourself into it? Or is community framed by actions, a structure based on us all doing the same things together? You read fic, you write fic, you make art, you participate in fannish infastructure and interact with other fans, therefore you are a Fan; you make slash and see slash, therefore you're a slasher? Is it just a general sort of collegiality? Is there an ideological component -- some fixed ideas or thoughts that we expect members of the community to generally share or agree on, as a base?
What do you guys think?
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26/5/06 01:22 (UTC)I have to admit to using the word "community" to describe inter-fandom relations in order to remind others fans that they are taking part in a microcosm of society, in a collection of individuals, and therefore must, in some way, adhere to a basic level of responsible and moral human communication. I often see people revert back to the stance that "my journal is my own, private space where I can do and say anything I want" when others find offense in their material or actions. When I see that, I'm often conflicted, because in a way, 'journal' does imply privacy and self-dominion, but the 'live' implies publicity and interrelation. So, yeah. People have to find a balance in fandom, and I often feel like it's a good thing to call what we have here a community, out of respect for our connection and desire to make connection.