Matching Items (2)
Description
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to explore how LDS (Mormon) fans of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga make meanings from the text in the blogging community known as the Bloggernacle. It investigates how fans recognize, reflect, reinterpret, and resist meanings surrounding multiple Big "D" Discourses (Gee, 1999/2010; 2011) in and around the text. It examines the ways in which LDS fans (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) of the Twilight saga use language in order to signify membership in a particular Discourse. In addition, it seeks to understand how LDS fans use language to perform various identities and position themselves and others within the digital space.
This dissertation study analyzes the threads of five blogs and three discussion forums using the combined methods of critical ethnography (Carspecken, 1996) and Gee's (1999, 2010;2011) discourse analysis. It concludes, that, while multiple Discourses are present within the conversational threads, mainstream Mormon Discourse remains dominant and normalized within the space, which both informs and limits the interpretations available to Mormon fans. In addition, identity performance is negotiated in the blogs, and members form specific sub-communities within the Bloggernacle so as to create a space for those with distinct ways of believing, valuing, knowing, and identifying.
The purpose of this study is to explore how LDS (Mormon) fans of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga make meanings from the text in the blogging community known as the Bloggernacle. It investigates how fans recognize, reflect, reinterpret, and resist meanings surrounding multiple Big "D" Discourses (Gee, 1999/2010; 2011) in and around the text. It examines the ways in which LDS fans (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) of the Twilight saga use language in order to signify membership in a particular Discourse. In addition, it seeks to understand how LDS fans use language to perform various identities and position themselves and others within the digital space.
This dissertation study analyzes the threads of five blogs and three discussion forums using the combined methods of critical ethnography (Carspecken, 1996) and Gee's (1999, 2010;2011) discourse analysis. It concludes, that, while multiple Discourses are present within the conversational threads, mainstream Mormon Discourse remains dominant and normalized within the space, which both informs and limits the interpretations available to Mormon fans. In addition, identity performance is negotiated in the blogs, and members form specific sub-communities within the Bloggernacle so as to create a space for those with distinct ways of believing, valuing, knowing, and identifying.
ContributorsPelotte, Lettice Elizabeth (Author) / Marsh, Josephine (Thesis advisor) / Gee, Elisabeth (Committee member) / James, Blasingame (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
If you've spent any amount of time in fan circles, or even any community that discusses media, you've no doubt heard of the Mary Sue. A Mary Sue is a character who, through positive personality traits, skills, and aspects of their appearance, warps the story so that they are the most interesting thing in the story's universe. The Mary Sue stereotype, however, can be used for good as a good basis for an engaging and intriguing story, provided the author considers more than simply their own interests - in fact, so can many stereotypes, whether existing solely in fan communities or branching out into more mainstream fiction. As such, I present a short story starring "M.S.", a very basic Mary Sue who is aware of her status and utterly despises the lack of meaningful action in her life. When one of her close friends shows symptoms of becoming a Sue herself, M.S. brings together a group of equally stereotypical friends - from the Gay Best Friend to the Spicy Latina - and, through their impromptu intervention, learns some things about them - and about herself.
ContributorsNorris, Kimberly (Author) / Van Engen, Dagmar (Thesis director) / Mack, Robert (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies, Sch (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor)
Created2022-05