Popular culture research has been criticized for erroneously equating popularity among the general public with cultural values, undermining academic authority, and praising things that are not of high culture. Cultural studies researchers have challenged these assumptions by focusing on the politics of popular culture as a social practice worthy of being examined because of what it can reveal about society.
As seen from the very etymology of the word "fanatic," fans have often been perceived and described as obsessive and abnormal, thus resulting in many fans and fandom communities being relegated to marginalized positions in mainstream media and academia. Fandom research responds to these claims by centering fans as creative and engaged audiences or political agents rather than “abnormal” people.
The fandom researcher can take on the role of a cultural translator who explains the cultural aspect of an unfamiliar world to those who are not part of the community. While some researchers maintain a critical distance with the fandom to maintain academic fairness, this is not the sole research stance one must assume.
A view derived from an outsider's perspective can lead to a dilemma of othering the fandom or shoehorning the phenomenon to fit it into one's theoretical framework. One way to avoid this is to actively listen to fans, asking them directly about their experiences or becoming a fan or the researcher who is also a fan participating as an insider, that is, becoming an aca-fan.
Aca-fans is a term used to describe researchers/academics who identify as fans within a specific fandom and who seek to conduct research based on their knowledge and experiences as both fan and academic. Still, ironically, for this very reason, they are often questioned and criticized by both academia and their fandom regarding the validity of their research.
Fans may question the researcher's identity as a fan wondering if they are conducting the research with and for the community or academics. Academics may challenge the researcher wondering if they can maintain a critical stance to engage with the topic.
This round table discussion will engage with the dilemmas of aca-fans. We explore how aca-fans can deepen their understanding of the fandom without alienating them and how fans and researchers can coexist without marginalizing questions about the position and role of Aca-fan as an insider in the fandom.
