''This is the way'' : En kritisk diskursanalys om deltagande fans i en populärkulturell subreddit

Sammanfattning: Star Wars has since its initial release in 1977, become a pop cultural phenomenon. In the beginning of the franchise, it only consisted of films. Now, almost 40 years later the franchise has become a multimedia experience with many produced spin-offs over the years, such as The Mandalorian (2019). On social media platforms such as Reddit, fans of the universe can discuss intertextual references from the series together with other fans. This study aims to examine how these fans present their opinions regarding the intertextual references and the transmedia extension that is The Mandalorian (2019). Furthermore, it discusses how collective intelligence is built and how this injects meaning to a fan of the franchise. This study mainly consists of a theoretical frameworks popularized by Henry Jenkins, such as transmedia storytelling and participatory culture. Theories on identity, intertextuality and collective intelligence are also used. Critical discourse analysis is the main method of the study, more specifically, Anabela Carvalho’s CDA model for media texts. The results show that Reddit enables participation on different levels, with different types of content. It enables fans to create more value within transmedia fandoms by building on the collective intelligence in the community. The study also shows that fans of transmedia universes, are competent participants who value intertextuality and are like-minded.