Fandom and The Archers audio book Chapter 1, Claire Astbury

Fans, Flouncers, Fundamentalists: Understanding Online Archers Fan Cultures

Claire Astbury

Fans of The Archers interact in many different groups across multiple online platforms. This chapter explores the motivations of moderators in establishing groups and of fans in joining them, considers how different groups develop their own subcultures, and summarises the benefits of online engagement for fans. The findings are based on two surveys in December 2019 and January 2020. The results indicated that fans noticed different cultures in different online spaces, and that they moved into spaces they preferred, and left those which they didn’t enjoy. The research also confirmed the existence of multiple fan spaces which have evolved from a base of Archers listeners, whilst being focused on other outside interests. Despite some adverse experiences which were described by respondents to the survey, the benefits of online engagement were very clearly articulated. A sense of community, personal friendships and emotional support featured strongly for fans involved in online discussions.

Claire Astbury has been an Archers listener since 2002 and was a regular contributor to the former BBC The Archers messageboards, known as Mustardland. More recently, she has participated in various online fan groups and is a long time callerinerer to the DumTeeDum podcast. Since the start of the coronavirus lockdown(s) in March 2020, she has spent more time involved in Archers fan activity than actually listening to the programme, being a regular attendee of the Saturday Academic Archers group and DumTeeDum zoom meetups. Her career as a housing professional with 25 years’ experience informed her analysis of rural housing issues which was presented to the 2018 Academic Archers conference at the British Library and included in Flapjacks and Feudalism: Social Mobility and Class in The Archers (Courage & Headlam, 2020). In this book, her research into online fan cultures and subcultures has been expanded from her presentation to the 2020 Academic Archers conference in Reading.