»Taylor Nation followed 10.02.2016 :'( ♥«

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Abstract

This article investigates a Taylor Swift fan community active on Instagram. Using a
combination of methods — Netnography (Kozinets) and Thick Description (Geertz) — the article tries to understand the different ways and forms with which these young women choose to narrate their fan identities online. The study pays particular attention to existing discourses of misogynous and sexist gender stereotypes surrounding female fandom and the harmful influence that Instagram supposedly has on its primarily young female users.
The analysis suggests that the accounts in question use the social network in different and unexpected ways, thus creating a complex working consensus (Goffman) among different users. This online fan space seems to be a place for empowerment, motivation, and self-expression, as well as a community whose members share with, encourage, and support each other.