Confessions of a Liberal Puritan

This is a rough draft of the survey I hope to persuade some people to fill out at a SciFi convention this weekend, as a step toward getting more direct data for my dissertation, as my Anthropology professor suggested.

If you have a chance to look this over and offer [constructive] criticism, I'd be very grateful. I MAY have a chance to revise it before I run off copies, or to revise it for later distribution on the internet.

In any case, I've discovered that writing a survey that will secure pertinent data for my dissertation, without inadvertently offending or violating the privacy of the people being interviewed, is a whole lot harder than I'd expected. I should have KNOWN that just because I AM a fan doesn't mean that I know the right way to talk to all other fans. Oh, well.

FANDOM PARTICIPATION QUESTIONNAIRE


1) How long have you been a fan (involved in any fandoms, media or literary)? ___ 2 years or less. ____ 2-5 years. ____ 6-10 years. ____ 11-15 years. ____ 16-20 years. ____ more than 20 years.

2) In which fandoms do you currently participate? See question #3, below, for examples of different ways of participating in fandom, if you're unsure. (check all that apply, or write in your own)

A. Media: ____ Star Trek (any or all incarnations). ____Star Wars. ____Dr. Who. ____Buffy/Angel. ____Babylon 5. ____Farscape. ____Stargate. ____Firefly. ____new Battlestar Galactica. ____Xena. ____Anime/Manga (specify which series or artist you follow, if relevant:_______________________ ). ____Other(s) _______________________________________________________________________.

B. Literary (NOT a comprehensive list, by any means): ____Harry Potter. ____Terry Pratchett. ____Anne McCaffrey. ____Douglas Adams. ____Heinlein. ____Asimov. ____Andre Norton. ____Anne Rice. ____Tolkien/LotR. ____Others:___________________________________________________________________.

3) In what ways do you participate in your fandom(s)? (check all that apply, or write in)
____Attending real world meetings with fellow fans (discussion groups, fan clubs, conventions, etc.)
____Online discussions with other fans (TWoP or other posting sites, blogs, e-mail groups, fanfic reviews)
____Re-reading/re-watching your favorite books/movies/programs numerous times.
____Creation and/or consumption of fan fiction, fan art, fan music videos, filking, costuming, etc..
____Building/maintaining fan web-sites.
____Organizing/volunteering at conventions.
____Others:_________________________________________________________________________.

4) Approximately how many hours a week (on average) do you spend on fan activities (reading,
watching, writing, reviewing, talking, filking, creating, etc.)? ____ 1 hour or less. ____ 2-3 hours.
____ 4-5 hours. ____ 6-10 hours. ____ 11-15 hours. ____ 16-20 hours. ____ more than 20 hours.

5) Roughly what percentage of your RL (real life, as opposed to online) friends and family are also fans (that is, involved in any SF/Fantasy fandom, even if they don't share your exact interests)? ____ 0% (none). ____ 5% (1 in 20). ____ 10% (1 in 10). ____25% (1 in 4). ____ 50%. ____ 75%. ____ 100%.

6) What do you get from your participation in fandom? (Check all that apply, or write in.)
____Creative outlet (a safe place for self-expression or the exercise and refinement of my talents).
____Supportive community, real world or online (friends who share my interests and care about me).
____Fun (chance to play in & with some very cool worlds/characters, and to share my “toys” with others).
____Inspiration (ideas to discuss, principles to live by, or just a bit of hope for the future).
____Refuge (safe place to go and people to be with when life beats me up).
____Love (real or virtual; long- or short-term; sexual, platonic, romantic, friendship, or any combination).
____Other:___________________________________________________________________________.

7) Of the options given in question #6, which is most important to you, personally? (Check one) ____Creative. ____Supportive. ____Fun. ____Inspiration. ____Refuge. ____Love. ___Other:_______________.

8) How satisfied are you with your current experience in fandom? ____Very Satisfied (most of my
needs or expectations being met). ____Satisfied (could be better, but all essentials are covered).
____Not Really Satisfied (some serious gaps or problems). ____Dissatisfied. ____Very Dissatisfied.

9) What is the best experience you’ve had in fandom, to date? (Best convention, best reading
group, best discussion/panel/argument, best friend you’ve made, best encounter with an
actor/writer/musician you admire, or whatever you consider to be the high point, so far.) Are you
willing to describe it?__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________.

10) What is your sex and age? (check all that apply) ____Male. ____Female. ___ 13 years or under.
____ 14-17 years old. ____18-22 years old. ____ 23-29. ____ 30-39. ____ 40-55. ____ Over 55.

11) Do you hold any particular religious beliefs? (Y / N) If no, skip to question #14 below.

12) If yes, how would you describe your beliefs? (options listed in alphabetical order) ____Atheist. ____Buddhist. ____Christian. ____Hindu. ____Jewish. ____Muslim. ____Native American. ____Pagan. ____Sikh. ____Taoist. ____Wiccan. ____I prefer not to answer. ____Other:____________________________________________ .

13) If you have religious beliefs, how do they interact with your fandom? Check the answer that
comes closest, or write your own:_______________________________________________________.
____They don’t interact (two separate parts of my life, religion & entertainment).
____They frequently come into conflict or seem to be competing for my loyalty (clashing world views).
____I sometimes see my beliefs reflected in my favorite texts and fan activities (fandom occasionally expresses or reinforces faith).
____My fandom is an extension of my religious beliefs and values (fandom as faith in action, in a sense).
____My fandom and my religious values are both part of me and my world view (not really separable).
____My fandom has shaped and/or informed my faith (fandom influences religious beliefs or practices).
____My fandom is the source of my religious beliefs and ethical world view (faith as extension of fandom).

14) Do you write fanfic or create other forms of fan art? (Y / N). If you do, what is it about the
literary or media “texts” you follow that you find most meaningful? That is, what makes a piece of
popular art more than just an object to be enjoyed or consumed in the moment, but rather a source
of raw material and a spur to your own creative efforts? (I know, it’s a bit like asking you to tell me
the Meaning of Life in 10 words or less, but please give it a shot anyway!) _____________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________.


Thank you for generously taking the time and trouble to respond to this survey! You have made a valuable
contribution toward moving this fan/scholar closer to graduation and to having more time to read fanfic!

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Alright, many of you know my dissertation proposal, at least slightly, so tell me, how useless and/or sucky is this survey?