Opening Doors
Traditionally, political affiliation has proven to be one of the most fruitful mechanisms to create division and derision amongst the voting masses. So polarising is the topic of politics that it has coined its own phrase – political divide. Drawing from insights in fan studies, this article explore...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Deakin University
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Persona Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://ojs.deakin.edu.au/index.php/ps/article/view/2061 |
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| author | Natalie Le Clue |
| author_facet | Natalie Le Clue |
| author_sort | Natalie Le Clue |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Traditionally, political affiliation has proven to be one of the most fruitful mechanisms to create division and derision amongst the voting masses. So polarising is the topic of politics that it has coined its own phrase – political divide. Drawing from insights in fan studies, this article explores toxic fan practices within political fandom, as highlighted by Petersen et al. (2023) and Le Clue (2024). It examines the participation and practices of online users/fans within South African politics by focusing on the use of #voestsekanc via X (formerly Twitter) as a case study.
In the constantly evolving landscapes of online communities, fan studies provides a lens to comprehend the complexity of participation and engagement, which can both empower and disempower individuals (Pearson 2010, p. 84). Despite this level of agency, the representation of African voices in fan studies is severely limited, which excludes the possibility of a comprehensive understanding of online dynamics within the African context. Therefore, this paper expands the scope of fan studies beyond Western perspectives and contributes to a more diverse scholarly discourse within this field of study.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4b6d27c10f6445da9f1a4ff5929e1052 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2205-5258 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Deakin University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Persona Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-4b6d27c10f6445da9f1a4ff5929e10522025-02-02T06:01:35ZengDeakin UniversityPersona Studies2205-52582025-01-0110210.21153/psj2024vol10no2art2061Opening DoorsNatalie Le Clue0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3224-139XCape Peninsula University of TechnologyTraditionally, political affiliation has proven to be one of the most fruitful mechanisms to create division and derision amongst the voting masses. So polarising is the topic of politics that it has coined its own phrase – political divide. Drawing from insights in fan studies, this article explores toxic fan practices within political fandom, as highlighted by Petersen et al. (2023) and Le Clue (2024). It examines the participation and practices of online users/fans within South African politics by focusing on the use of #voestsekanc via X (formerly Twitter) as a case study. In the constantly evolving landscapes of online communities, fan studies provides a lens to comprehend the complexity of participation and engagement, which can both empower and disempower individuals (Pearson 2010, p. 84). Despite this level of agency, the representation of African voices in fan studies is severely limited, which excludes the possibility of a comprehensive understanding of online dynamics within the African context. Therefore, this paper expands the scope of fan studies beyond Western perspectives and contributes to a more diverse scholarly discourse within this field of study. https://ojs.deakin.edu.au/index.php/ps/article/view/2061Fan StudiesGlobal SouthParticipationPolitical DiscourseOnline DiscourseAfrican Fan Studies |
| spellingShingle | Natalie Le Clue Opening Doors Persona Studies Fan Studies Global South Participation Political Discourse Online Discourse African Fan Studies |
| title | Opening Doors |
| title_full | Opening Doors |
| title_fullStr | Opening Doors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Opening Doors |
| title_short | Opening Doors |
| title_sort | opening doors |
| topic | Fan Studies Global South Participation Political Discourse Online Discourse African Fan Studies |
| url | https://ojs.deakin.edu.au/index.php/ps/article/view/2061 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT natalieleclue openingdoors |