This study is aimed at revealing how fan-fiction is related with the double suppression of teenager female, and also at revealing whether teenager female can explore alternative space in which she can develop herself as subject as a woman through fan ...
This study is aimed at revealing how fan-fiction is related with the double suppression of teenager female, and also at revealing whether teenager female can explore alternative space in which she can develop herself as subject as a woman through fan fiction communication.
In this study, based on gender and cultural study, I conducted content analysis of fan-fiction in 'Shinhwa' fan-fiction site 'Ddutta Shinhwa', and I conducted in-depth interviews with fan fiction writers who are teenager female.
The result of the study can be summarized as follow.
Firstly, in our society teenager female suffer from double suppression as female and minor. They are considered only as 'studying students' and thus as 'sexless beings'. They have been treated as non-men, non-adult. These conditions have made theseteenager girls devoted to fandom playing.
Secondly, due to their conditions of double suppression, teenager females are attracted to popular culture, popular music, and popular star's fan-fiction site. Especially, they are attracted to cyber fan-fiction site because of the easy access, anonymity and two-way communication. Fan-fiction is a constructed love story with popular star as hero (singer, actor, and so on...) and it can function as cultural index of teenager's culture.
Thirdly, analyzing fan-fiction, it turned out teenager females sometimes reflect the existing patriarchal culture and sometimes express their resistance. It turned out that stereotypical and patriarchal gender role though not much, but still persists. But at the same time their resistance are also expressed for example in 1) making bodily appearance like adult women, 2) ignoring parents and teachers, 3) expressing their curiosity on sexuality, and 4) reading & writing homo sexual fan-fiction.
Fourthly, through writing on the fan-fiction site, teenage girls can make alternative space for themselves. In this space based on the pleasure of fan culture activity they can make their own community & solidarity.
Practicing in fan-fiction site, teenagers can express not only resistance to the double suppression and stress in their lives, but also a new culture itself. It collects the certain energy & passion to construct the possible women's space. As their cyber space, fan fiction site is based on the pleasure of writing and reading the fan fiction, and it is able to gain creative energy. Thus through fan fiction, teenager female can construct their own community and recognize the meaning of their experience & emotion. The fan fiction, through a liberal expression and an alternative space, opens a possibility for teenager female to recognize themselves as women as subject.