A Study In Sherlock: Knowing To Be Known

Wooley, Allana

Publication

A Study In Sherlock: Knowing To Be Known

Wooley, Allana

Date

2015

Additional date(s)

2015-05-01

Abstract

This thesis explores the ways social communities are consciously, purposefully created and maintained so that they reinforce both individual identity and notions of personal value. Ethnographic research was conducted on a small Sherlockian community in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, The Crew of the Barque Lone Star: A Sherlock Holmes Literary Society. Through participant observation at the monthly meetings, attendance at a few of the extra 'outings' and lectures, and interviews with five members, participant interest in Sherlock Holmes, commitment to the fan community, and the identity politics of participating in the Holmes fandom were examined. Created communities, in which members self-select their level of commitment, revolve around shared interests, foci, and rules of belonging in order to remain functional and active. Members who choose high levels of commitment earn the respect of their peers, and the opportunity to elevate their societal engagement by demonstrating their knowledge of these interests, foci, and rules.