[Last modified: October, 6 2024 06:28 PM]
- Topic:
The Emotional Support Role of Fan-made Dolls in Fan Culture
- Research Question:
How do fan-made dolls reflect fan culture and shape human emotions and community relationships within fandoms?
- Introduction:
This research focuses on the emotional significance of these dolls, particularly those representing Korean idols. Fans frequently travel with the dolls, dine with them, and create playful photos and videos as if their idols were physically present. This phenomenon raises intriguing questions: Why are fans willing to pay for these unofficial symbols? Why would they carry a doll like that around with them almost every day? These questions may reveal the broader role objects play as emotional support systems and communal symbols, especially in the context of celebrity worship and fan communities.
- Methods:
Ethnographic Fieldwork: Online observations (through social media platforms) and engaging in fan events to study how fans interact with their fan-made dolls. Both virtual and physical environments will offer insights into the significance of these dolls in fan culture.
Interviews and Surveys: Semi-structured interviews with fans who own and engage with fan-made dolls will provide qualitative data on personal experiences.
Visual and Material Analysis: Analyzing photos, videos, and online content where fans showcase their dolls in everyday activities, highlight the ways fans present their dolls and how they integrate them into their daily lives.
- Potential Findings:
The research will explore the cultural and emotional roles of dolls across societies, with a particular focus on fan-made dolls in Korean fan culture. By grounding the study in existing literature on fan identity, consumption, and material culture, the research will provide a theoretical framework to understand how objects like fan-made dolls are imbued with emotional significance.
The study is expected to reveal that fan-made dolls act as emotional surrogates, offering fans a sense of closeness to their idols. These dolls may reflect important aspects of fan identity, providing insights into the psychological and emotional dynamics of fandom. Furthermore, the research will highlight the communal aspect of fan-made dolls—how they help foster a sense of belonging and shared experience within fan communities. Carrying these dolls may also facilitate fan recognition and bonding in public spaces, as fans who share the same interest connect through these objects.
In essence, fan-made dolls transcend their role as simple representations of idols, becoming emotional anchors that connect fans not only to their favorite celebrities but also to each other within the larger fan community.