Mum Fans

Identity, Feminism and Fan Culture in Contemporary China
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-032-70662-7
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 256 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm

Reihe: Routledge Research in Gender and Society

This book explores the phenomenon of “mum fans”: fans who identify themselves as their idols' mothers and participate in online, data-related fan activities termed “parenting.” With over 50% active fans identifying as mum fans in China, the vast majority of whom have no children and state no desire to have children in real life, it examines their creation of a unique identity against a backdrop of conflicting and ever-evolving cultural influences.

 

Attending to the fact that in traditional Chinese culture, the term “mum” holds both sacred and taboo status, the author considers whether the mum fans' appropriation of the term represents conformity or rebellion against existing gender norms, and explores the interplay in their practices of a range of influences, including Confucianism, socialism, the one-child policy, liberalism, feminism, pop culture and fan culture. Through a combination of qualitative and quantitative research, Mum Fans: Identity, Feminism and Fan Culture in Contemporary China offers analyses of the interrelations that exist between fans, social media, data technology and the idol industry, thus constituting original and unique study of the cultural foundations of mum fan identities and participants' data parenting practices as a unique expression of Chinese feminism.

 

It will therefore appeal to scholars of sociology and anthropology with interests in fan cultures, gender, data and algorithm culture, and contemporary Chinese society.

Zielgruppe

Academic, Postgraduate, and Undergraduate Advanced

Autoren/Hrsg.

Li, Ye

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziologie Allgemein
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Spezielle Soziologie Freizeitsoziologie, Konsumsoziologie, Alltagssoziologie, Populärkultur
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziale Gruppen/Soziale Themen Gender Studies, Geschlechtersoziologie
• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft | Kulturwissenschaften Populärkultur

Inhaltsverzeichnis

List of Figures

List of Tables

Preface

Acknowledgements

List of Abbreviations

Glossary

 

1. Introduction

2. Deciphering "mum fans"

3. Traffic data worship: mum fans in the data age

4. The macro-context where ideology and political economy intertwine

5. The micro-contextual construction of mum fan identity

6. Conclusion and reflection

 

Apprendix 1: Data collection methods design involved in this book

Appendix 2: Detailed statistical analysis process

 

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Li Ye is an associate professor at the School of New Media at Sichuan Film and Television University, China, where she specializes in teaching courses pertaining to new media and communication. Her research interests predominantly revolve around fan studies, gender studies, and new media studies.