My current research project is Nerds! A Media-Ethnographic Case Study in Subculture Theory, which I am conducting for my PhD in the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC. This page contains (1) a brief overview or summary of the study, (2) a more detailed outline of its aims, methods, and procedures, and (3) contact information for myself and the SFU Office of Research Ethics.
1. Overview
Nerds! is a research study on the nerd culture scene in the Metro Vancouver area. The study examines the resources that are available to participants through local retail establishments and organizations serving the nerd subculture (for example, comic book stores, gaming shops, and fan clubs) and the experiences of individual participants through a series of interviews and sessions of participant observation.
2. Outline of Study Aims, Methods, and Procedures
Goals of Study
The recent prominence of nerd culture in the mass media and pop culture—as evidenced by sci-fi, fantasy, and super-hero movies becoming Hollywood blockbuster material, the number of films and sit-coms about nerds or featuring a nerdy protagonist, the massive revenues generated by hit video games, and the continued incorporation of the World Wide Web into everyday life—has led many commentators to suggest that “the geeks have inherited the earth” and the nerds have, at last, had their “revenge.”
Yet, in all of these cases nerd culture is still largely defined by stereotypes about nerds, and it remains unclear what the impacts of this mainstreaming process might be on the original audiences. The goal of this study is to examine how nerd culture and identity is defined, how the various aspects of nerd culture are organized into a coherent subculture or lifestyle, the ways that participation in this subculture contributes to its members’ lives, and the effects of the mainstreaming process.
This study contributes to the scientific literature on subculture and lifestyles by exploring how shared tastes and cultural activities contribute to the creation of groups and communities and what factors enable and limit these activities..
Procedures
The study has two phases. Phase I focusses on retail stores and organizations related to the nerd subculture (for example, comic book stores, gaming shops, fan clubs, and so on). Phase II focusses on the experiences of individuals who participate in nerdy activities and/or consume nerdy products and media.
Both phases of the study make heavy use of two social-scientific research methods, qualitative interviewing and participant observation:
- Qualitative interviews are guided but open-ended interviews about the experiences, thoughts, and feelings of the interviewee, usually lasting between 1 and 1½ hours each.
- Participant observation involves the investigator researching an activity by taking part in it, observing and talking to other participants, and comparing his or her experiences with what other participants do and say.
In Phase I, the owners or managers of retail stores and the organizers of groups will be interviewed about their role in the local nerd culture scene and about their customers/members. Two sessions of participant observation on the premises of retail locations or at group events will be scheduled at times agreeable to the participant, preferably one before and one after the interview. They will also be asked to refer the investigator to potential participants for Phase II.
Phase II research participants will complete a one-week media diary, a booklet that will be provided for them to record the media that they view or consume (for example, movies, television shows, books, or web sites) during a one-week period, and a series of interviews related to their personal backgrounds, experiences in nerd culture, and shopping and media consumption habits. Depending on how much participants wish to talk about these topics, this may involve 2 to 5 or more interviews, each lasting roughly 1 to 1½ hours. Access may be sought to their homes for later interviews in order to view and discuss collections of objects associated with nerd culture (for example, action figures, video tapes and DVDs, or books). The investigator will accompany Phase II participants to nerdy sites, events, and activities in which they ordinarily participate (for example, shopping for comic books, a Dungeons & Dragons game, or an anime convention).
Given the study’s focus on leisure activities, the risk of harm to all participants is low. It is possible, though unlikely, that interviews may touch on sensitive personal information. However, research participants are free to decline any question that they feel uncomfortable answering, and their anonymity will be guaranteed in order to protect any information they provide.
3. Contact
If you have questions about this project, its progress, or its results and findings, please contact me (nerdstudy@benjaminwoo.net). If you participated in this study and have any concerns about my conduct as a researcher, please contact the SFU Office of Research Ethics, attn: Dr. Hal Weinberg (hal_weinberg@sfu.ca).