“Masculine Domination” in Nonprofessional Women’s Writing (Based on Russian-Language Fanfiction)

Abstract

The article analyzes the reproduction of gender stereotypes and traditionalist gender norms in online Russian-language nonprofessional fiction. The empirical basis of the study consists of data from a gender-focused discourse analysis of popular (as of October 2023) fanfics in the Harry Potter and Major Grom: Plague Doctor fandoms, as well as materials from semistructured interviews and a focus group with fanfiction authors. In the theoretical section, the authors show how popular fanfiction differs from the creative and subversive space in terms of which it is often described in fan studies. Whereas previous research has highlighted the potential of fanfiction to subvert gender stereotypes, this study demonstrates that opposite tendencies are dominant in its most popular segment. Drawing on the results of the corpus analysis of fanfiction texts, the authors identify the normalization and romanticization of violence, the predominance of subordinated and dependent female figures, and the persistent reproduction of traditional gender roles in plots centered on heterosexual couples. This is explained by the nature of networked convergent culture, in which fanfiction authors, dependent on audience approval, adhere to familiar and easily recognizable stereotypes even when they do not personally share them. The authors conclude that contemporary popular Russian-language fanfiction functions not as a space of gender emancipation but as a media practice that legitimizes androcentrism. The creative potential for engaging with strong female characters and egalitarian relationships in this segment of nonprofessional literature remains unrealized, giving way instead to conservative plots that reflect and reproduce patriarchal norms and beliefs.

Text in Russian