Performance, Celebrity & Fandom (Spr) (L4039)
Performance, Celebrity and Fandom: Celebrity Culture and Fan Identities
Module L4039
Module details for 2011 cohort.
30 credits
FHEQ Level 6
Module Outline
This module aims to help you explore the sociological significance of celebrity and fan worship in relation to identities, biographies and ritualised practices. We may all be familiar with the images of celebrities found in popular culture, but it is also important to understand the social context in which these icons are produced, represented and consumed. What is the nature of celebrity and what does it mean to be famous? Why is celebrity valued so highly in contemporary Western society? We shall also unpack the social processes involved in becoming famous and the effects that this has upon self-identity. Meanwhile, what does it mean to be a 'fan' of something or someone, and how are these tastes socially shaped? Are celebrities and fans two distinct types of people, or does celebrity only exist in the eye of the beholder? We will consider the role of fan worship in a secular society, in terms of the collective practices of fan clubs, conventions and online communities. Another central theme is that in various ways, fandom helps us to construct our identities and perform biographical work: what is the career trajectory of a fan over the life course, and what happens when celebrities become fans or vice versa? This module is assessed by a reflexive portfolio about the student's fandom of a particular person, object, practice or other cultural text. This must contain 6000 words of academic sociological writing (as a conventional essay) but may be augmented by pictures, press clippings, personal annotations, etc. It may also be presented in a scrapbook or similar format.
| Type | Timing | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Portfolio (6000 words) | End of Year Assessment Week 1 Mon 16:00 | 100.00% |
Timing
Submission deadlines may vary for different types of assignment/groups of students.
Weighting
Coursework components (if listed) total 100% of the overall coursework weighting value.
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