Organization Form Of Internet Fandoms

As the Internet,especially social media headed by Sina Weibo grows in China,fandoms have demonstrated features of the new era.Idol culture that used to be a one-way communication featuring live performance and traditional media such as broadcast and television and is now more reliant on group communication and multilateral interaction.Fandoms also display evolved organization forms.TFBOYS made their debut and gained popularity on social media.The boy band enjoys a “phenomenal” Internet fandom.The thesis conducts a case study of TFBOYS' Weibo fandom.It seeks to construct the organization form of Internet fandoms drawing on ethnographic methods,namely participant observation and key informant interviewing,and relevant theories on fandom,virtual community and online interest community.The introduction part states the origin and context of the study,provides a literature review and proposes research questions,approaches and purpose to set the stage for the thesis.Chapter II sketches the organization structure of Internet fandoms.It specifies and classifies members of fandoms and analyses newly emerged fandom units and interaction platforms including “zhanzi”(fan forums)and “super topics”.Chapter III focuses on the organization and interaction of Internet fandoms.There are various kinds of ceremonies and communication ways within fandoms.Members create and share textual contents.However,they also align in smaller groups that conflict with each other.Outside fandoms,social media build a bridge for communication between fans and idols.Chapter IV discusses the organizational functions of Internet fandoms,from support and communication to direct involvement in idol production and management.Members of Internet fandoms evolved from passive to active,from recipient to participant,and from consumer to producer.In closing,the author concludes the features of Internet fandoms' organization form from three aspects.