"Cultural acupuncture": Fan activism and the Harry Potter Alliance

Fan activists have struggled to defend series from cancellation, defend themselves from cease and desist orders, promote alternative representations, and raise money for charity. Building on this background, this article examines how the Harry Potter Alliance encourages young people to speak out as...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inTransformative works and cultures Vol. 10
Main Author Jenkins, Henry
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Organization for Transformative Works 15.06.2012
Subjects
Civic engagement
Star Trek
Youth
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Summary:Fan activists have struggled to defend series from cancellation, defend themselves from cease and desist orders, promote alternative representations, and raise money for charity. Building on this background, this article examines how the Harry Potter Alliance encourages young people to speak out as fans on a broad range of human rights and social justice issues through what the group's leader, Andrew Slack, calls "cultural acupuncture." The group's practice of mapping the fictional content world onto real-world concerns helps empower young people to become civicly engaged and politically active.
ISSN:1941-2258
1941-2258
DOI:10.3983/twc.2012.0305