The Business of Fandom

Fandom Studies examines fandom as a structural social, cultural, and economic force shaping 21st-century consumer behavior, identity formation, and community dynamics. This interdisciplinary course integrates established academic frameworks - Henry Jenkins' participatory culture and textual poaching, Robert Kozinets' netnography and community behavior, and Susan Kresnicka's connection-autonomy-mastery model - with applied business strategy to prepare students for careers in entertainment, brand management, community strategy, and digital media. Through a unique dual-track structure, students engage with both theoretical foundations and real-world applications simultaneously. Track A (Theory & Foundations) explores fandom through lenses of cultural anthropology, sociology, psychology, religious studies, and media studies. Track B (Strategy & Business) translates these concepts into actionable frameworks for audience development, partnership design, monetization ethics, and community operations.

Students develop practical research skills through a six-week netnography field study, analyzing fan communities using ethical observation methods. Major assignments include weekly theory-to-practice reflection memos, a case study critique examining fandom dynamics in real-world contexts, and a capstone Fandom Architecture Project that synthesizes learning into a strategic blueprint for building, growing, or healing fan communities. The course is particularly relevant for students pursuing roles in: Entertainment marketing and audience development, Community management and social strategy, Creator economy and influencer partnerships, Brand strategy and cultural marketing, Sports and esports management, Gaming and digital media industries.

By course completion, students will be able to decode the internal logic of any fandom, diagnose community health and conflict patterns, design fan-first experiences and partnerships, and translate fan insights into product, marketing, and business decisions while navigating ethical considerations in commercial fan ecosystems.