Date of Award
Spring 5-20-2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
MCM - MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Department
Expressive Therapies
Advisor
Raquel Stephenson
Abstract
Participation in Online Fandom culture has become a highly valued aspect of many individuals' self-expression and how they seek to build social connections with others. Furthermore, within the Fandom community, the phenomenon of creating and sharing fan-based work also plays a significant role in the interactions between group members. These factors are important to acknowledge in a therapeutic context as future practitioners can choose to utilize a client's pre-established fandom involvement to explore their identity and social connections with other fans. This thesis is a literature review that examines the academic journals and individual interviews of Fanart Creators. The topics explored in the review are: what motivates the creation and public sharing of fan-based art, what role online communities play in the process, and what therapeutic potential therapists can utilize while working with clients.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Kilian, Miriam, "Exploring the Motivations and Therapeutic Benefits of Fandom and Fanart Online Communities: A Literature Review" (2023). Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses. 701.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_theses/701
Rights
The author owns the copyright to this work.
