Browsing by Subject "fan community language"

This thesis discusses and analyses Japanese pop idol group fan communities’ language and group identity on Reddit. The purpose of the study is to find out what kind of language the community members use and for what purposes, and what it tells us about online fan community practices and dynamics. The data sources are five different subreddits: r/AKB48, r/Nogizaka46, r/Keyakizaka46, r/Sakurazaka46, and r/Hinatazaka. These were chosen since globally J-pop is not as represented as K-pop (Korean pop), therefore there is not as much research on the fan practices and communities, even though global J-pop fan communities are active and form their own culture online. The study was conducted by utilising mixed methods: text analysis and corpus tools of Sketch Engine, as well as discourse analysis of the Reddit posts and their comments in context. It was found that J-pop idol subreddit members use multiple language features to build group identity and to express themselves as fans; these features include the use of different pronouns and community-specific vocabulary and terms. Through the analysis it was discovered that in smaller subreddits the use of in-group language such as the pronoun we is more prevalent, and that the community members aim to build a sense of community and contribute positively as members and fans; it was also found that buying merchandise and consuming products related to the idol groups is not a significant part of being a fan in these subreddits, when looking at top posts of all time. The fan community members use the Reddit platforms to discuss, share emotions, encourage, and support both idol groups and their fellow fan community members.