The Identification Mechanism And The Removal Strategy Of Stigma Of Fansub Groups

The fansub group YYeTs publicly announced its close-down in 2014. This act was actually a denial of the legitimacy of fansub groups. The members of YYeTs, who have been enjoyed a reputation as volunteers for years, are now in identification crisis and under the threat of stigma. These provide a great opportunity for researches on identification and removal of stigma fansub group members.The thesis is based on interviews of YYeTs members, mainly using depth interview. The researcher also performs a focus group and text analysis as references of social background. The research divides the "life cycle" of identification of the members into two levels, beginners and veterans. The two types of testees are under different situation, and therefore develop different schemes on identification. This paper also concludes two important factors throughout the life cycle of identification, namely the organization atmosphere and future expectations.On the problem of stigma, through text analysis of Weibo users and official discourse, this study finds out that as "social deviants", the fansub group members shows a conform absence of reflection. When facing the critical negative event, they remove themselves form the responsibility, taking the stigma as injustice. This research helps to understand online fan groups, especially when they are under crisis and threat of stigma.