"Winter is comming": um estudo sobre os projetos de identidade dos fãs de Game of Thrones

Abstract

In this study, the culture will be understood as a set of values, symbols, and attitudes that – from their domains – can change several social aspects. This along with the consumption enables the social actors to be classified based on their possessions, creating mechanisms of reproduction of subjectivities, the formation of communities as well as the construction of identities. Thus, the cultural consumption arises as a form of distinction considered as powerful as those caused by economic, social, ideological, ethnic, and gender differences among others. In this way, television series fit into this aspect because they are understood as a cultural field capable of altering life narratives, forming new consumption experiences, strengthening affective social bonds, intensifying the search for status, defining limits of their shared interpretations of social reality and foster the accumulation of cultural capital derived from the knowledge of the subculture that they appreciate. From the above, the present study aimed at investigating the characteristics of consumption and the fan-identity projects of the Game of Thrones, series with great repercussion in the current context, catching a great number of fans around the world. Furthermore, it seeks to understand the dimensions of the construction of fan-identity projects; characterize the image transmitted by the series; to identify the congruence between the projects of identity of the fans of the series and the perceived image of the fundamental attributes of Game of Thrones; and relate the projects of identity of the fans with the image of the series and to detail its influence in the consumption of products, the extension of the self and the participation in the fandoms. To do so, the qualitative perspective is adopted with the aid of semi-structured interviews, made from the learning contained in the literature that supports the knowledge. The investigated subjects are expected to be fans of the Game of Thrones series and some of them will be selected by the criterion called "snowball". Based on the data that will be reached the knowledge will be developed and interpreted in the light of cultural studies of the consumption. Thus, it was observed that the fans participating in the study use the series as a mechanism to interpret social relations, based on this action, alter the meanings found and assimilate transmitted values. It was confirmed that participating in a fandom participants altered their life narratives to capture social benefits, elevate self-esteem, develop identities, create references, and reinforce collective memories.