Fans

A Journey into the Psychology of Belonging

Michael Bond

$44.99

Hardback

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English

Picador
10 October 2023

Fans takes the reader on a journey through a constellation of fandoms, and along the way demonstrates some fundamental truths about the human condition. Part behavioural study, part entertainment, at its heart the book is a story of collectives, of what happens to us when we interact with people who share our passions. The human brain is wired to reach out, and while our groupish tendencies can bring much strife (religious intolerance, racism, war, etc.), they are also the source of some of our greatest satisfactions.

Fandoms offer much of the pleasure of tribalism with little of the harm: a feeling of belonging and of shared culture, a sense of meaning and purpose, improved mental well-being, reassurance that our most outlandish convictions will be taken seriously, and the freedom to try to emulate (and dress like) our hero.

In Fans, Michael Bond explores the subject through the lens of social identity theory, a set of ideas used by social psychologists and anthropologists to understand how people behave in groups and why groups have such a profound effect on human culture.

By: Michael Bond
Imprint: Picador
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 241mm, Width: 162mm, Spine: 29mm
Weight: 450g
ISBN: 9781529052473
ISBN 10: 1529052475
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 10 October 2023
Recommended Age: From 18 years
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Author Website: https://www.michaelbond.co.uk/

Michael Bond, who won the 2015 British Psychological Society prize for The Power of Others, is a writer specializing in human behaviour and a former editor and reporter at New Scientist. He is currently teaching writing as a Royal Literary Fund fellow at Oxford Brookes University.Fans takes the reader on a journey through a constellation of fandoms, and along the way demonstrates some fundamental truths about the human condition. Part behavioural study, part entertainment, at its heart the book is a story of collectives, of what happens to us when we interact with people who share our passions. The human brain is wired to reach out, and while our groupish tendencies can bring much strife (religious intolerance, racism, war, etc.), they are also the source of some of our greatest satisfactions. Fandoms offer much of the pleasure of tribalism with little of the harm: a feeling of belonging and of shared culture, a sense of meaning and purpose, improved mental well-being, reassurance that our most outlandish convictions will be taken seriously, and the freedom to try to emulate (and dress like) our hero. In Fans, Michael Bond explores the subject through the lens of social identity theory, a set of ideas used by social psychologists and anthropologists to understand how people behave in groups and why groups have such a profound effect on human culture.

Reviews for Fans: A Journey into the Psychology of Belonging

Entertaining and insightful * The Times * Highly enjoyable * Independent * A celebration of human idiosyncrasy and of our talent for building shared meaning and solidarity out of the strangest material * TLS * A fascinating insight into why people come together in pursuit of something they love and the very real benefits it can bring to our lives * i-D * Bond’s research is extensive, informative, engagingly presented and his topic timely. * Financial Times *