In this thesis, I examine definitions of fan activism in context of the assumption that Millennials are not politically active and that all online political engagement is superficial. I argue that the perception of political apathy is partially due to the fact that some of the most enthusiastic and intensive political work done by this generation is simply not picked up by conventional means. Some of this ‘hidden’ work is being accomplished by way of radical fanworks. Specifically, I examine Harry Potter fanworks and the ways in which they place marginalized identities at center stage, as well as the misogyny and homophobia that underlie the stigmatization and belittlement of fanworks. While many validate fan activism only when it engages with traditional political problems via traditional political means, I advocate for the validation of the cultural politics work done by fandom—of the purposefully transgressive narratives individuals create in defiance of typical cultural stories. To dismiss fandom is to dismiss a critical element of youth culture, and to dismiss the cultural politics of fandom in favor of traditional civic and political engagement by fandoms is to ignore the more radical positions being explored online.

Studiens syfte är att undersöka pojkars attityder till läsning av skönlitteratur. Vi vill med våra frågeställningar ta reda på vilka faktorer som påverkar deras läsning av skönlitteratur. Arbetet syftar till att undersöka vad pojkarna läser samt vad de anser att de får ut av sin läsning. Vi har använt oss av enkätundersökningar och kvalitativa intervjusamtal för att uppnå studiens syfte. Resultatet visar sammanfattningsvis att pojkarna i urvalet sällan uppger har läsning som ett prioriterat intresse. Det finns en tydlig trend bland pojkarna där Harry Potter (Rowling) och Kalle Anka (Disney) var de vanligaste förekommande böckerna. Fantasygenren läses för dess möjlighet att fly från verkligheten och serietidningar för det låga engagemang som krävs och lättillgängliga händelseförlopp.

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<p>The paper's aim is to show the fight of the church against the Potter book series of Joanne K. Rowling and the actual situation which is presented in the books. This fight is based on the acrimonious claims and heated-up discussions which were made by some church members who sued the books as "being evil" and a "seduction to the bad side" for children as well as "having a satanic content" etc. At the same time, positive comments of several church leaders and the author's declared opinion are stated. Finally, book four "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" is interpreted regarding the claims of the church and a neutral observation of the story.</p>

The paper's aim is to show the fight of the church against the Potter book series of Joanne K. Rowling and the actual situation which is presented in the books. This fight is based on the acrimonious claims and heated-up discussions which were made by some church members who sued the books as "being evil" and a "seduction to the bad side" for children as well as "having a satanic content" etc. At the same time, positive comments of several church leaders and the author's declared opinion are stated. Finally, book four "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" is interpreted regarding the claims of the church and a neutral observation of the story.

Le constat d’une difficulté est à l’origine de cette thèse : est-il encore possible de parler de clôture de la fiction face au fonctionnement contemporain des franchises fondées sur le développement transmédiatique d’univers transfictionnels ? Cette thèse traite des problématiques de création dans le cadre des industries culturelles : quelles sont les influences de l’industrie sur la création d’une fiction ? Quelles sont les influences de la fiction sur les médiations et les représentations de l’industrie ? Quelles sont les conséquences de l’industrialisation sur les circulations de la fiction ? Comment comprendre la permanence d’une figure d’auteur dans un régime de création collective ? L’étude se structure autour de quatre hypothèses principales, correspondant à autant de parties : tout d’abord, il est désormais nécessaire de parler de « fictions industrialisées », dans la mesure où la fiction, ses formes et ses contenus sont façonnés par l’industrie. Réciproquement, on constate l’émergence d’une « industrie narrativisée » : l’industrie participe de la création culturelle mais devient aussi objet culturel marqué par les codes de la fiction. La proposition de la notion de « fiction totale » rend nécessaire de repenser les notions de participation et de convergence qui, paradoxalement, ne sont pas incompatibles avec le concept d’autorité ; ainsi, il semble que l’ouverture de la fiction soit le symptôme d’un verrouillage institutionnel accru. Enfin, cette thèse pose l’hypothèse de l’émergence d’une nouvelle forme d’auctorialité, fondée sur l’assimilation de la figure d’auteur à un triple produit. / One main question originated this PhD Thesis : is it still possible to talk about the closure of a fiction when contemporain franchises work on continual developments and expansions ? This document questions the concept of fiction through the notion of cultural industry. How is the creation of fiction influenced by its industrial environment ? What consequences does fiction have on its industrial environment ? What does industrialisation do to the circulation of fiction ? How does evolve the notion of authorship in this collective environment for creation ? Our study is structured around four main hypothesis, which are each studied in a dedicated part of this thesis : firstly, we underline the relevance of the notion of « industrialised fictions » ; indeed, fictional contents and formats’ evolutions are deeply linked to industrial developments. Furthermore, these contents and formats are sometimes shaped accordingly to their potential industrial developments. Reciprocally, we emphasize the notion of « narrated industry » : industry participates in cultural creation and is a cultural creation contaminated by fiction. A new notion is therefore necessary : the « totalizing fiction ». We worked on a renewed approach for the notions of convergence and participatory cultures which are, paradoxically, strongly linked to the concept of authority : the oppenness of fiction would be the symptom of an institutional lockout. Finally, this thesis defines the appareance of a new form of authority, shaped on the assimilation of authorship to a product : the author is produced as a figure, as a comercial and cultural object and as a self-creation.

Each year over 300 million people visit theme parks, making them the major vacation destination worldwide. Theme parks are known for their elaborate spectacle, the creation of artificial realities through intricate immersive experiences including costumed characters, stage shows, and extravagant decor. Though many aspects of the theme park experience have been reviewed, little focus has been given to the role of food in the overall immersion, particularly how food extends the spectacle into a fantastical created reality. This study examined the function of food within a highly immersive theme park setting, and how it contributed to the overall illusion and immersion of the fantasy environment. Research was conducted from December 2014 to March 2015 at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Orlando Resort themed food served three overarching functions: (1) it operated as an experience, (2) it functioned as a conduit to authenticity, and, (3) it extended sensory perceptions. Food immersed tourists in the themed experience, though visual cues remained the primary sensory stimulus. However, guests considered the location to be more authentic when coupled with a themed food item, as opposed to the generic food choices found in other parks. Themed food functions as an extension of the spectacle by maintaining the illusion and contributes to the overall exhibition of the themed space. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015 / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Thesis (MA (Afrikaans and Dutch))—University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / The purpose of this thesis is to highlight the importance of a consistent translation strategy in the translation of proper names. Coupled with this is the importance of translators having a sound theoretical knowledge that serves as a foundation for the translation of any given text. These aspects are central to the successful realisation of cultural communication seeing that proper names are one of the most important cultural indicators. First, we looked at the first book in the Harry Potter series as to determine the number of proper names that were translated and how many were not translated. Different translation strategies were then looked at to determine whether there was a purposeful and logical explanation, and motivation behind the manner and degree of translation of the proper names. This was followed by a close comparison between book one and book five as to determine whether the inconsistent use of translation strategies, was consistently applied throughout the series. Central to this study is the necessity of successful cultural communication and how the inconsistent use of certain elements can have a negative impact on the cultural communication in any literary work. To establish successful cultural communication, every translator needs a clear skopos/brief for the target text. As a point of departure I will look at certain concepts such as translation norms, culture and translation as well as various translation strategies. The impact of inconsistent translation strategies on texts will be highlighted throughout this thesis.

O presente estudo teve o objetivo de compreender como a obra literária Harry Potter (edição brasileira), considerada em seu contexto de produção/disseminação e seu discurso, dialoga com leitores brasileiros, especificamente os jovens moradores da comunidade de Paraisópolis, na periferia da cidade de São Paulo. O estudo reconstituiu o percurso realizado pela obra até chegar aos leitores de Paraisópolis, com levantamento de dados primários e secundários do mercado editorial internacional e brasileiro. O embasamento para discussão teórica apoiou-se nos Estudos de Comunicação, além de estudos historiográficos e de Sociologia da Leitura, os quais trouxeram importantes subsídios para a compreensão dos múltiplos fatores envolvidos na prática da leitura na contemporaneidade, promovendo-se o diálogo interdisciplinar entre essas áreas. Para a constituição do corpus, realizamos a análise da discursividade dos sete volumes da série de livros voltada aos elementos de realidade e modelos ideológicos presentes na narrativa. Buscamos apoio nas teorias da área de Estudos de Linguagem, notadamente o ferramental bakhtiniano, por meio do qual foram identificadas relações de produção de sentido que se estabelecem entre o discurso da obra e os leitores adolescentes contemporâneos. O corpus discursivo constituído foi utilizado para o estudo de recepção de abordagem qualitativa realizado na comunidade de Paraisópolis com dez adolescentes, leitores espontâneos da obra. Adotou-se a técnica de formação de dois grupos de discussão segundo as variáveis gênero e faixa etária. Durante os encontros, foram aplicadas atividades de leitura, escrita, debates, dinâmicas (jogos e brincadeiras), exibição de cenas de filmes, além de questionário com perguntas abertas e fechadas sobre perfil socioeconômico e hábitos culturais. Também foi realizada entrevista em profundidade para coleta de dados e discursos que compuseram material para análise da recepção da obra. Apoiado por reflexões pertinentes às áreas de Estudos de Comunicação, Estudos de Linguagem, Estudos Culturais, notadamente os dedicados aos Estudos de Recepção, o conjunto de procedimentos possibilitou a identificação de indicadores de singularidade e diversidade cultural dos leitores de Paraisópolis perante formas hegemônicas de comunicação e cultura, com aspectos ambivalentes que contestam a oposição dicotômica inclusão/exclusão. A emergência e a análise, segundo a perspectiva bakhtiniana, de correlações discursivas inéditas entre a obra Harry Potter e o universo de vivências locais dos dez sujeitos da pesquisa deixaram evidente o seu posicionamento como enunciadores, situados em tempo e espaço concretos, conscientes de sua participação responsável no processo comunicativo que extrapola os limites da recepção cultural e define o seu lugar no mundo. / The present study aimed to understand how the Harry Potter literary work (Brazilian edition), taking its context of production/dissemination and discourse into account, speaks to Brazilian readers, especially young residents of the Paraisópolis community in São Paulo. It has reconstituted the path taken by the work to reach Paraisópolis community\'s readers, with primary and secondary data collection from both the international and the Brazilian publishing markets. The basis for the theoretical discussion was supported on Communication Studies, historiographical studies, and Reading Sociology, which enable understanding the multiple factors involved in the practice of reading in contemporaneity, nurturing the interdisciplinary dialogue among those areas. For the constitution of the corpus, we analyzed the Brazilian edition of Harry Potter books focusing on elements of reality and ideological models that integrate the narrative, with the support of Bakhtin\'s theories, in an attempt to identify the relations involving the construction of meaning that are established between the speech in the Harry Potter series and contemporary teenage readers. This discursive corpus was used in a survey of the reception of qualitative approach carried out in Paraisópolis community with ten adolescents, spontaneous readers of the referred literary work. Two discussion groups were delimited by demographics such as gender and age, with which we carried out reading and writing sessions, group discussions, group dynamics (plays and games), exhibition of movie clips, and the application of a questionnaire consisting of open- and closed-ended questions about their socioeconomic profile and cultural habits. An in-depth interview was also conducted, with a view to collecting data and speeches that made up material for the analysis of the reception of the referred literary work. Supported by reflections concerning the areas of Communication Studies, Studies of Language, Cultural Studies, especially those dedicated to the Reception Studies, the set of procedures allowed the identification of indicators of uniqueness and cultural diversity of Paraisópolis community\'s readers, in response to hegemonic forms of communication and culture, with ambivalent aspects that challenge the dichotomous opposition inclusion/exclusion. The emergence and the analysis, from Mikhail Bakhtin\'s perspective, of unknown discursive correlations between the Harry Potter literary work and the universe of local experiences of the participants showed their positioning as enunciators, situated at a particular time in a given space, and aware of their responsible participation in the communicative process that goes beyond the limits of cultural reception and defines their particular place in the world.