The sacred force of Star Wars Jedi / William Sims Bainbridge.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bainbridge, William Sims, author.

Series:

Cambridge elements. Elements in new religious movements

Cambridge Elements. Elements in New Religious Movements Series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Religion and sociology.

Genre:

Film criticism.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (73 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, England : Cambridge University Press, [2024]

Summary:

"As secularization threatens the stability of traditional religions, Star Wars provides a case study of how key functions of religion may transfer to innovative organizations and subcultures that challenge conventional definitions of faith, sacredness, and revival. This Element therefore examines the vast community of fans, especially gamers, who have turned Star Wars into a parareligion, providing them with a sense of the meaning of life and offering psychological compensators for human problems. The research methods include ethnography, participant observation, census of roles played by gaming participants, and recommender system statistics. The Element also shows the genetic connections between Star Wars and its predecessors in science fiction. Investigating the Star Wars fandom phenomenon - which involves hundreds of thousands of people - illustrates how audience cults and client cults evolve. Ultimately, Star Wars remains culturally and economically significant as we approach completion of its first half-century"-- Provided by publisher

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Dec 2024).

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9781009512176

100951217X

9781009512190

1009512196

9781009512206

100951220X