From the letter-writing campaigns that kept Star Trek on the air to more recent efforts at charity, fan activism has a long history. But what happens when that activism crosses over into the realm of political change? This issue of Civic Paths is overflowing with cutting-edge work that takes fans seriously as political actors and that explores the ways in which they use their passions to promote social change.
For example, Kathy Duncombe shows that a fan-based organization called IC (Imagine a Better World) recruits through the power of media experiences that its members share. Similarly, the HPA (Heroic People of Action) draws on the shared content worlds of its community to inspire its members to act for change. And, as Tom Phillips reveals, the personality of celebrities may shape what issues fan activists embrace—or, as in this case, reject.
As well as exploring individual fan activist stories, this issue also offers an overview of core debates in the field. Melissa M. Brough and Sangita Shresthova offer a deep dive into existing literature on cultural and political participation to examine the diverse forms of fan activism and their implications for understanding citizenship and democracy.
Meanwhile, Christian Brandt, Maryna Krugliak, and Robert Warnecke use comparative research in two national settings—Germany and Ukraine—over the course of eight years to show how the activities of association football fan-based movements are shaped by and, in turn, contribute to local politics. Their study demonstrates the potential of fan activism to bring dominant social discourses into national, and sometimes global, arenas.