Sociology
Mohammad Mahdi Zadeh Taleshi; Mohammad Maghamian Zadeh
Abstract
Today, with the pervasive influence of media, celebrities have acquired a significant position in popular culture. They serve as emergent referents in modern society, possessing the capacity to form devoted and enthusiastic fan communities. The study of fandom is important as it plays a foundational ...
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Today, with the pervasive influence of media, celebrities have acquired a significant position in popular culture. They serve as emergent referents in modern society, possessing the capacity to form devoted and enthusiastic fan communities. The study of fandom is important as it plays a foundational role in shaping the individual and collective identities of fans. The present research focuses on adolescents and the phenomenon of subculture fandom, seeking to explore the ways in which Iranian teenagers identify themselves through their fandom of Amir Tataloo. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 16 teenagers who manage Tataloo fan pages on Instagram; and a thematic analysis ran over the data using MAXQDA software. The findings suggest that Tataloo fans abide by group norms such as supporting Tataloo and not denying Tatality identity, individualism, respecting diverse tastes, purposeful living, optimism toward the future, and ultimately, following Tataloo's lifestyle. Thus, Tatalities can be considered as members of a digital subculture that differentiates themselves from others through the aforesaid identity components. Moreover, regarding the second research question, the forms of involvement of Tatalities with tataloo were examined by the study to shed light on the levels of engagement and relationship of the fans with their celebrities.
