Fandom Nationalism

Reviews / Votes

Excerpt from the foreword: While others have written about fan nationalism and some of its specific aspects, this book is the fullest and most nuanced discussion of fan nationalism in English that I have read. The authors spell out in clear terms the mechanisms by which the Chinese government seeks to direct the energies of the fan community toward support of their national agenda and uses it as a means of reshaping the identities of Chinese youth. They illustrate these mechanisms through close and prolonged attention to particular case studies. They offer us tools for analysis that could also be applied to understanding social movements around the world. This is vital work that should be read by all of us in fandom studies. * Henry Jenkins, Provost's Professor of Communication, Journalism, Cinematic Arts, Education, and East Asian Languages and Cultures, University of Southern California, USA * This book redefines fandom beyond a trivial youth fad, taking a non-Western perspective to reveal how fandom in East Asia and China becomes an arena for youth political engagement. Wang and Huang show how fans mobilize nationalism not only to support idols but also to confront rivals, introducing the concept of participatory censorship to explain how fans collectively defend and negotiate political boundaries. Fandom Nationalism offers a compelling analysis of performative patriotism and collective mobilization, enriching our understanding of the politics of pop culture. * Anthony Fung, Dean of Social Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China * Fandom Nationalism addresses an important element in the study of fans and highlights that fans' national identity do inform and, at times, clash with their objects of fandom. Situating this within the context of Chinese fandoms-where platformization and datafication have informed and changed fan practices, and where fans have to navigate around state censorship and, in turn, utilize the very same censorship methods on other fans-offers a complex overview of fans. The book both deepens the understanding we have of fandom and situates it within the larger discourse on national identity and nationalism. * Bertha Chin, Senior Lecturer, National University of Singapore *