Looking for essays....

[featherxquill]

I've just started work on my final essay for cultural studies. The question that I have chosen to answer is:

"Space is a construction and material manifestation of social relations that reveals cultural assumptions and practices." Critically discuss with reference to at least one of the following: class, gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity, the body.

My plan is to dicuss 'cyberspace', in particular the Harry Potter fandom, and the way gender and sexuality are constructed and expressed in slash fanfiction. I'm interested in the fact that the vast majority of this fandom (its writers and readers) seem to be women (either heterosexual or homosexual), and wonder why male/male fiction is so popular.

I haven't done much critical reading yet, but I'm after any kind of essay written on slash, gender, sexuality, etc in the Harry Potter fandom, and anything else anyone might have read that they think could be relevant for me.

I'll love you all forever.

Comments

[the-dark-twin.livejournal.com]

Here via daily_snitch.

I wrote an essay about the fascination with slash in October last year. It's not an academic essay (no footnotes and stuff), more a personal exploration of my own motives, but it has some "further reading" at the end, too.

In case you might find it helpful or interesting, here's a link:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/the_dark_twin/2361.html


Good luck with your own project! :)

[featherxquill.livejournal.com]

Excellent article! Thanks!

[the-dark-twin.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. :) Will you be posting the results of your research anywhere public?

I've just remembered another great source for information: Do you know the Fanfic Symposium? They have all sorts of essays on fanfic and writing, you'll very likely find something to interest you there.

http://www.trickster.org/symposium/

[featherxquill.livejournal.com]

I'll probably post it on here, when its been handed in, since there seems to be a bit of interest in it.

Thanks for the link! I hadn't found that place. *runs off to investigate*

[blackletter]

Here's a short one I wrote:

http://www.livejournal.com/users/blackletter/54087.html#cutid1

I don't know if it's exactly what you're looking for, but it is about gender, sexuality and slash.

[featherxquill.livejournal.com]

Thats great! Thanks

[skuf.livejournal.com]

cathexys can set you up:

http://www.livejournal.com/community/metabib/5398.html

http://www.livejournal.com/community/metabib/6299.html

Happy reading :o)

[featherxquill.livejournal.com]

WOW! That is some serious material! Thanks for the links!

[mashlie.livejournal.com]

fanthropology is not specifically HP fandom, but has loads of essays on things like that within fandom.

[featherxquill.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'll take a look.

Here via daily_snitch

[seraphtrevs.livejournal.com]

I've written THREE essays you might be interested in (well, the last one isn't so much an essay as it is an idea for an essay - it needs some polishing).

Here are the links:

Why Harry Potter is the Best (slash) Fandom Ever (http://www.livejournal.com/users/seraphtrevs/631.html)

What's a Nice Girl Like You Doing in a Fic Like This? (http://www.livejournal.com/users/seraphtrevs/2692.html)

In Defense of Mpreg (http://www.livejournal.com/users/seraphtrevs/9458.html)

I'd be very interested to read your paper - obviously, it's a subject I have a lot of interest in. : )

Re: Here via daily_snitch

[featherxquill.livejournal.com]

Your essays are great, thanks for the link.

I will probably post my essay online once it's been handed in.