INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERNET AND POSTMODERNISM

In Semester 1, students were tasked with investigating online communities through the lens of postmodernism. Students could select any community, including internet forums, online fandoms, private chat servers, and Whatsapp groups. In terms of theoretical framework, students had to adopt an analytical stance in line with either Baudrillard, Derrida, Eco, Jameson, Bhaba, or Kristeva, among others. This challenging task required empathy, understanding, and a keen critical eye. The brief called for exploring and critically analysing their chosen community while demonstrating an in-depth understanding of its social interactions. The essays selected below demonstrated a masterful sensitivity in discussing their chosen topic. Essays were chosen on their academic merit, methodological rigour, and commitment to their case study without bias or prejudice.

A Critical Analysis of the Online Community of Shipping: Our Flag Means (Death) ‘Fanfiction’ by Shelby Smit (They/Them)

Smit’s paper investigates the tenuous relationship between fans and authors in an online community centred around the television series Our Flag Means Death. Their paper artfully explores the anxiety between fans’ increasing expectations of a participatory role in media and corporate ownership. Simultaneously, Smit deploys the notion of the “fanboy auteur” to destabilise the hierarchical author/fan dichotomy. Their argument implies reframing historical revisionism and adaptation as sophisticated fanfiction—ambiguating distinctions between what is considered “canon” and “fanon” in contemporary media and historical texts.

The Subreddit r/AmITheAsshole and its Unique Form of Cultural Relativism by Gordon Madison (She/Her)

Madison’s essay explores the novel moral framework emergent in the online subreddit r/AmITheAsshole through the lens of cultural relativism theory. Her argument valorises the everyday interactions that insightfully constitute online sociality, demonstrating great sensitivity towards the topic. Madison’s investigation deftly explores the impact of online social normalisation in offline contexts by unpacking the microecology evolving in siloed communities online. Through meticulous research methods, her paper highlights the consequences of the increasing trend towards more private micro-publics on moral regulatory practices.