Book & Media Studies Directed Research Course + Research Assistant Opportunity
SWARMING SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON
Supervised by Prof. Felan Parker

Are you interested in fan cultures, media industries, media franchises, and/or pop culture conventions and festivals? Are you a Book & Media Studies student in at least third year, with availability between January-August 2023? Prof. Felan Parker invites applications to participate in SWARMING SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON, a study of the influential San Diego Comic-Con using innovative team-based “swarm ethnography” research methods to better understand how it mediates fan/industry relationships. Swarming Comic-Con is a SSHRC Insight Grant project led by principal investigator Dr. Benjamin Woo (Carleton University) and co-investigator Prof. Parker. This opportunity has two parts, a for-credit directed research course in Winter 2023, followed by paid research assistantships for Spring/Summer 2023.

Interested students should read the full description and requirements carefully and send a resume and letter of interest to felan.parker@utoronto.ca by Sunday, December 18. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Prof. Parker.

Selected students will first complete the SMC457: Directed Research course (0.5 credits) in the Winter 2023 term supervised by Prof. Parker. This course will provide students with background knowledge about Comic-Con and training in ethnography through readings, workshops, and practical exercises, including a “test run” at a local Toronto event. The course will have roughly the same workload as a regular course, but with only occasional meetings and asynchronous independent work rather than weekly classes.

Based on the results of the directed research course, students may be recruited as research assistants for on-site fieldwork at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2023, working closely with a team of leading fandom/media industry scholars and graduate students to conduct ethnographic observation of different parts of the con. All travel and accommodation costs will be covered by the project, and students will additionally be paid an honorarium for their work. 

Requirements

  • Must be a current Book & Media Studies major/minor and a current University of Toronto student until August 2023 (i.e. not graduating until Fall 2023 at the earliest).

  • Must be in third year or higher, having completed BMS100/200/201 foundational courses (or pre-2021 foundational courses SMC219/228/229).

  • Must available locally in Toronto between January-April 2023, including Reading Week (February 20-24, 2023) for occasional in-person and/or online directed research meetings and practice research excercises.

  • Must have a valid SIN between May-August 2023 to be paid honorarium.

  • Must be available and legally able to travel to San Diego, California between July 18-25, 2023.

  • Completion of BMS303/SMC301: The Media Franchise or other courses on fandom and/or entertainment media industries is an asset, but not mandatory.

  • Personal and/or academic interest in fan cultures, media industries, media franchises, pop culture conventions and festivals, or related topics.

  • Curious to learn more about fan conventions and ethnographic research methods.