Academic Work Research Articles

The Beginning of a "Regulatory Renaissance": Positioning Regulatory Coverage at the Interface of Human Expertise and Digital Support.

Following the largest reorganization in its history, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now working to modernize how it defines and engages in regulatory oversight of the quality of products that the agency regulates. However, the volume and complexity of these tasks, coupled with the size and interdependent nature of the global supply chains that generate and distribute these products, raise questions about how the agency can keep up with the pace of change. This dilemma, together with the FDA's recent reorganization, create an opportunity to rethink the FDA's strategy for regulatory coverage and usher in a "regulatory renaissance." In this article, we examine how the agency is working to develop a more quantitative, comprehensive approach to ensuring that the wide arrays of FDA-regulated commodities are produced and distributed in systems that meet societal expectations for safety and quality in a global digital environment. We discuss a number of tools and methods that the agency can bring to bear to achieve this goal, including leveraging internal FDA data and information from third-party audits; utilizing information from foreign regulators; incorporating data and findings from state and local inspections; and applying sophisticated data technologies including AI systems. The underlying concept for this regulatory renaissance is for the agency to focus on leveraging multiple sources of data, information, and analysis to inform its actions in order to optimize the quality of products produced by regulated industries, including the dimensions of safety, effectiveness, and reliability of manufacturing, as well as distribution and instructions for use throughout their product lifecycle. The degree of success of this approach will depend upon a broad recognition of similar opportunities across the regulated industries, sister federal and state agencies, and academia working on regulatory science.

Challenges and expectations of emerging student-athletes among catholic institutions: a qualitative study

Catholic institutions in India are known for providing holistic education focusing all round development of the children. However, there are contextual dilemmas in practicing the holistic approach while meeting the gospel values amidst diversity. The study aims to understand the various challenges student-athletes face in Catholic institutions while pursuing their sporting aspirations. It includes support systems, infrastructural facilities, mental well-being, career aspirations, and policy requirements. Through semi-structured interviews, study explored the challenges and expectation of emerging student-athletes in Catholic institutions across India. Ten lead student-athletes from diverse sports categories were selected for an in-depth interview through snowball sampling technique. The narrative analysis revealed that, athletes are not satisfied with the institutional support. Furthermore, academic demands and time constraints are affecting their mental health. They frequently fall sick, face physical injuries, and lag in academic work. They are feeling unattended by their institution and are looking forward for institutional support in sport related expenses and academics. The study found that, encouragement and emotional support from family, teachers, and coaches would help them lead a healthy and purposeful life. The study recommends stakeholders to help emerging student-athletes find support for their financial, emotional, and professional goals. Future research may take an account of sports-education practices among Catholic institutions in India.

Procedimentos metodológicos para a construção de epi-historiografias

Situated within the Historiography of Linguistics (HL), a disciplinary field that investigates and narrates the history of knowledge and reflections related to language and languages, this article aims to systematize some possible methodological procedures for the construction of "epi-historiographies" (Swiggers, 2010). Epi-historiography is understood as an activity that results in documentary material selected, organized, and described by the linguistics historiographer to support their interpretative practice. This material largely determines the nature of the research (Altman, 2012) and is usually divided into original documents for observation and historical analysis (primary sources) and biobibliographical and contextual materials about the texts, their agents, and the intellectual and sociocultural atmosphere of the period in which linguistic ideas emerged and circulated (secondary sources). Thus, presented here is the epi-historiographical journey undertaken in Mesquita (2023), a research project investigating the grammatical ideas of Julio Pires Ferreira (1868-1930), a teacher and grammarian who developed teaching materials adopted in schools in Pernambuco between the late 19th century and the first three decades of the 20th century. In addition to consulting digital bibliographic collections from different institutions, other strategies that contributed to the availability and accessibility of primary research sources stand out: consulting computerized library systems and digital book search engines; searching for collections inherited from private libraries of intellectuals contemporary to Pires Ferreira; research and acquisition of copies on book sales websites; contacts with research groups focusing on historiographical studies; contacts with researchers who referenced works by Pires Ferreira in academic works; and contacts with descendants of Pires Ferreira. The abundance and diversity of strategies involved in this journey proved to be quite productive in achieving a comprehensive primary and secondary documentation. These strategies can be replicated or adapted by other researchers in the process of constituting and exploring epi-historiographies. Aligned with the interest in establishing a cooperative science, the article adds to the efforts undertaken by Coelho (2021) to present concrete examples of paths taken by historiographical research with the aim of bringing to light the backstage preceding the writing of the history of linguistic knowledge.

Understanding PSE students’ reactions to the postplagiarism concept: a quantitative analysis

This study examines postsecondary education (PSE) students’ perspectives on postplagiarism—a framework that reconceptualizes academic integrity in response to generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). Through a quantitative survey of 581 PSE students across five English-speaking countries, the research investigated student responses to the six tenets of postplagiarism articulated by Eaton (Int J Educ Integr 19:23, 2023a). The findings reveal a complex pattern of acceptance and resistance: while students broadly embrace the integration of GenAI in academic work, with 93.1% acknowledging the normalization of hybrid human–AI writing, significant concerns persist. Notable resistance emerged regarding the distinction between human and AI-generated content (65.92%), the potential impact of AI on human creativity (60.76%), and the retention of human agency in writing (32.7%). The study also validates a novel instrument for measuring postplagiarism perspectives, achieving acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.718) while identifying areas for refinement. These insights suggest that educational institutions must develop nuanced policies that address student concerns while facilitating ethical AI integration, particularly in areas of attribution, creative expression, and academic agency. The findings contribute to our understanding of how academic integrity frameworks can evolve to remain relevant in an AI-integrated educational landscape.

The moderating effect of the psychosocial working conditions (effort/reward/overcommitment) on the association between noise annoyance and cognitive performance among adolescents

ObjectivesThe primary objective of the current study was to evaluate the correlation between noise-induced annoyance and the cognitive performance within the Lebanese adolescent population and the moderating effect of psychosocial work aspects-namely effort, reward, and overcommitment- in this association.MethodsAn anonymous online survey was conducted in Lebanon between April and May 2023, using a snowball sampling technique and distributed across various social media platforms, to gather data from Lebanese adolescents. The sample was composed of 1269 adolescents. Participants voluntarily completed a self-administered Arabic questionnaire that consisted of a sociodemographic section and implemented three scales: Noise Annoyance scale, Effort-Reward in school scale, as well as LEAF scale.ResultsThe moderation analysis findings revealed that at low levels of effort, higher noise annoyance was significantly associated with worse memory function (Beta = 0.94; p =.002) and mathematics skills (Beta = 0.40; p =.002), whereas at low (Beta = 0.49; p <.001) and moderate (Beta = 0.29; p =.001) levels of effort, it was significantly associated with worse sustained sequential processing. At low and moderate levels of reward, higher noise annoyance was significantly associated with worse attention (Beta = 0.48; p <.001 and Beta = 0.20; p <.031 respectively), sustained sequential processing (Beta = 0.43; p <.001 and Beta = 0.22; p =.013 respectively) and working memory (Beta = 0.47; p <.001 and Beta = 0.28; p =.002 respectively). At low levels of reward, higher annoyance was significantly associated with worse memory function (Beta = 0.82; p =.007), processing speed (Beta = 0.38; p =.001) and mathematic skills (Beta = 0.28; p =.026). Finally, at low and moderate levels of overcommitment, higher noise annoyance was significantly associated with worse factual memory (Beta = 0.49; p <.001 and Beta = 0.25; p =.005 respectively), worse attention (Beta = 0.45; p <.001 and Beta = 0.26; p =.005 respectively) and worse processing speed (Beta = 0.43; p <.001 and Beta = 0.23; p =.012 respectively).ConclusionThis study could encourage the integration of targeted interventions and strategic measures that address both noise annoyance and psychosocial working conditions, defined as the academic work students perform both at school and at home, to proactively prevent the emergence of cognitive impairment among the adolescent population.

Academics’ psychological contract: applying discretionary effort

ABSTRACT Limited research has been conducted on the academic psychological contract and the role it plays in influencing academic behaviour. This qualitative study investigated the impact that the psychological contract has on 18 academics working across 9 university business schools, by understanding how they perceive the employment relationship, and how this perception influences their work activities with a particular focus on the application of discretionary effort. The research conducted followed an interpretivist design using semi-structured questions to seek out the lived experience of the academics. Findings suggest that discretionary effort is focused on what individuals perceive as being or not being academic work, but is not readily recognised as such; instead, it is considered part of the job, suggesting that perhaps it may be considered induced and is an outcome of increased managerialism in the sector. The outcomes of this research provide an interesting insight into the workings of academics and as such should enable improvements in the employment relationship between academics and their host university. The research investigates the construct of the psychological contract from a different perspective.

Review of Detecting Text generated by ChatGPT Using Machine and Deep-Learning Models: A Tools and Methods Analysis

Recently, generative models, such as ChatGPT, have gained considerable attention because of their capacity to generate text almost identical to that produced by humans. However, ChatGPT raises several concerns, particularly regarding the integrity of academic work, the protection of personal information and security, the reliance on artificial intelligence (AI), the evaluation of learning, and the precision of information. Distinguishing between writing generated by machines and text that humans wrote is one of the most critical issues at present. The purpose of this literature review is to provide a comprehensive, up-to-date analysis of the most recent methods for identifying text that ChatGPT created. It examines more than 60 academic papers, especially research articles published after the model’s release in 2022, and analyzes state-of-the-art machine learning, deep learning, and hybrid approaches for detecting AI-generated text. The review categorizes detection methods into statistical models, transformer-based architectures, perplexity-based techniques, and human-assisted evaluation. The findings indicate that deep learning models, particularly the Robustly Optimized BERT Pretraining Approach (RoBERTa) and Cross-lingual Language Model with RoBERTa Architecture, have high detection accuracy (up to 99%), whereas traditional statistical methods exhibit limitations in distinguishing complex AI-generated content. This work recommends the use of machine and deep learning techniques and human reviewers in ongoing efforts to distinguish between AI-generated and human-written text. However, given the increasing sophistication and complexity of models, such as ChatGPT, detection techniques have to be continuously improved and innovated to ensure reliability and maintain the integrity of content across various sectors.

Losing Confidence and Networks as an Impact of Staff/Faculty-Student Sexual Harassment: Quantitative Findings From the UK.

Sexual misconduct perpetrated by faculty/staff in higher education can have severe and long-lasting impacts. This study reports on a survey of 1,768 current and former students in U.K. higher education carried out in 2018, of whom 734 had experienced at least one incident of sexual misconduct. Sexual misconduct was measured by questions on sexual conduct from faculty/staff that aimed to establish whether a sexualized environment existed rather than asking whether behaviors were unwanted. Within this sample, 734 had experienced a sexualized environment from faculty/staff. They were asked to self-assess the impacts this had on them, and 34% reported that they had been negatively impacted by this conduct. The most common impacts were loss of self-confidence; mental health problems; professional relations being damaged; loss of confidence in academic work; and avoiding parts of campus, each experienced by 14% to 18% of this sample. Items that measured academic disengagement such as missing contact hours or dropping/changing a module were also impactful for a minority of respondents, in line with existing literature. The article discusses two impacts that are underexplored in previous research on sexual misconduct in academia: the ability to network; and self-confidence. First, our study indicates that there are significant impacts of sexual misconduct on students' ability to network and build professional relationships. However, existing studies on this topic have not discussed sexual misconduct as a barrier to networking. Second, the study reveals that, among this sample, loss of confidence was the most common impact of being subjected to sexual misconduct. This supports Gill and Orgad's theorization of the "confidence culture," a trend among popular and corporate gender equality discourses that exhorts women to develop their confidence, obscuring the structural reasons for women's lower confidence; our findings show that sexual misconduct is one of these reasons.

USE AND MISUSE OF CHATGPT IN ACADEMIC WRITING AMONG THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDENTS

The paper presents the results of a study on the use of ChatGPT, an increasingly popular tool among English language students striving to enhance their academic writing skills. This emerging technology introduces both opportunities and challenges for educators and researchers, particularly concerning plagiarism issues and the difficulty of identifying AI-generated content. Addressing this dilemma requires a multifaceted approach, beginning with raising awareness among English language students about the responsible use of ChatGPT. By fostering an understanding of both its benefits and limitations, students can make informed decisions about incorporating this tool into their academic writing practice. To investigate the perceptions of English language students regarding the potential applications of this AI tool, a questionnaire comprising 11 targeted questions was designed as part of this research. The cross-sectional study was conducted with participants from two English Departments: the University of Priština in Kosovska Mitrovica, Serbia, and the University of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. These institutions provided a diverse student sample, enabling a comprehensive analysis of attitudes and behaviors related to ChatGPT usage. The primary aim of the research was to assess the extent to which students utilize ChatGPT and their ability to distinguish between original, human-generated ideas and AI-produced content. Additionally, the study sought to gauge students' awareness of the limitations and potential biases inherent in AI-powered tools. By understanding these perceptions, educators can better guide students in ethical and effective practices for leveraging AI in their academic work. Ultimately, this study underscores the importance of equipping students with the skills to evaluate AI-generated content critically. By doing so, institutions can promote academic integrity and foster a balanced approach to using innovative technologies like ChatGPT in higher education. Future research could expand on these findings by exploring the perspectives of faculty members and comparing them with those of students, offering a holistic view of the role of AI in academic settings.

CREATIVE AND PUBLISHING HISTORY OF MYKHAILO HRUSHEVSKYI’S STORY “THE LAST KUTIA”

The Ukrainian historian Mykhailo Hrushevskyi is most renowned for his academic and publicist works. However, he also left behind a considerable literary legacy, with only a small part of it published during his lifetime. Soviet authorities suppressed the study of Hrushevskyi’s works, labeling him a ‘bourgeois nationalist.’ Today, research on all Hrushevskyi’s writings can be freely conducted and has already made significant progress. This research focuses on Hrushevskyi’s story “The Last Kutia,” one of his earliest works. Drafts and final autographs of the early version, along with fragments of the final recension bearing the author’s notes, are preserved in the archives of Kyiv and Lviv. The reconstruction of the story’s creative history is based on archival materials, including correspondence, diaries, and memoirs. The first version of the story was written in 1884 when Hrushevskyi was still a student at a gymnasium in Tiflis. The plot of the story reflects certain biographical events from the author’s life. Hrushevskyi sent the completed work to I. Nechui-Levytskyi, who edited it. In 1885, Nechui-Levytsky forwarded the work to Lviv, proposing it for publication in the newspaper “Dilo.” However, some Ukrainian publications in Galicia were restricted from circulation in Russia-controlled Ukraine due to censorship, and Hrushevskyi was unaware that “Dilo” published “The Last Kutia” in 1887. In 1891, Hrushevskyi decided to revise the story, reducing the text by one-third and adding two new substantial passages that significantly altered the fate of the main character. The second version emphasizes social motives, especially the role of women in family and society. The text, reconstructed from several archival fragments, was published in 2012. An analysis of the plot, language, and textual changes made by Hrushevskyi reveals the development of his unique voice, civic stance, and writing style. The paper also examines the timeline of the story’s publication and offers an explanation of why the initial publication of “The Last Kutia” was not recorded in Hrushevskyi’s bibliographies.

The Face as Image: Witnessing, Minimizing Harm and Testimony

The Face as Image: Witnessing, Minimizing Harm and Testimony

Navigating the Neoliberal maze: South African academics’ coping strategies in modern higher education

Orientation: The invasion of neoliberalism in higher education institutions as an ideology has significantly changed how these institutions are governed. The emergence is primarily aimed at emphasising market-driven and consumerist principles. In turn, it has impacted the academic work environment and academics. A clear example of the impact is the subjection of academics to surveillance processes to promote productivity.Research purpose: This study aimed to explore the coping strategies academics employ to navigate their academic work environment within this framework of the neoliberal university.Motivation for the study: Diminutive attention has been given to how academics adapt to and cope with the shift to and the demands of the neoliberal institution. The exploration of their coping strategies provided an in-depth understanding of how they navigate the perceived negative effects they experience in their work environment.Research approach/design and method: This study employed a cross-sectional, qualitative interpretative phenomenological research design. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with a diverse sample of 20 academics. Data were analysed following the principles of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).Main findings: The findings revealed that academics mainly rely on five key coping strategies. These strategies centred around social support, active coping, distraction coping, interpersonal communication and religiosity.Practical/managerial implications: To embrace and sustain the changes in the governance of the modern university, engagement between academics and new management needs to be authentic.Contribution/value-add: The findings of this study may aid managers in their efforts to address the ideological differences between academia and new management.

Exploring traditional and modern techniques in fruit disease detection and classification with IoT integration: A comprehensive survey

Farm produce suffers greatly from fruit diseases, and scaling up the interrogation of crops is not a practical step because of manual identification. Recent trends have emerged regarding various studies on some of the recently discovered computational methodologies used for identification and classification purposes pertaining to fruit disease via application of technologies from machine learning and deep learning. In the beginning, simpler methods, such as SVM and ANN, were successful at their respective tasks but faced problems with feature extraction and generalization. However, the overall accuracy of these models increased with the introduction of newer techniques like CNNs, achieving up to 98.7% in the real-time detection model of strawberry fungal disease. This survey also indicates the possible extent of DL techniques implemented while treating issues related to the diversity of datasets and scalability of models that are necessary for further developing these technologies in agriculture. This survey provides scholars and researchers with wide-ranging information and insights into both traditional and state-of-the-art approaches to fruit disease diagnosis, this survey article can be treated as a treasured reservoir in research academia working in the domain. It provides a comprehensive framework for future research and innovation in agricultural disease control by synthesizing the existing approaches and identifying significant improvements.

An Evaluation of the NANDA International, Inc., Diagnostic Classification Among Spanish Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Objectives: The NANDA International, Inc., (NANDA-I) diagnostic classification is the most widely used standardized nursing language internationally. The EVALUAN-I tool was developed to evaluate the NANDA-I diagnostic classification. The aim was to analyze the use of the NANDA-I diagnostic classification among Spanish nurses and assess its correlation with sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a non-probabilistic sample of Spanish nurses working in clinical, management, and academic settings using the EVALUAN-I tool (September 2019–December 2020). The analysis was conducted using R® (version 3.6.3, Lavaan package; R Core Team, 2020), with statistical significance set at p &lt; 0.05. This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee (2019-190-1). Results: A total of 483 responses were obtained. There was a correlation between the intensity of use of NANDA-I and its application in practice (polychoric correlation = 0.50; p &lt; 0.001). Nurses with a PhD degree considered nursing diagnoses to be less evidence-based (p = 0.037) but more useful (p = 0.035). Academic and research nurses stated that NANDA-I was more useful (p = 0.007), even for exclusive responsibilities (p = 0.034), and that it provided greater significance to diagnoses (p = 0.0012). Conclusions: NANDA-I is the most widely used standardized nursing language in Spain. Nurses’ academic qualifications and work environment significantly influence their perceptions and use of NANDA-I. Advanced education fosters a critical yet positive perspective, highlighting a relationship between the intensity of its use, its application in clinical practice, and the nurse’s educational background. Tools such as EVALUAN-I promote its integration and evidence-based practice, but challenges remain in improving perceptions, scientific evidence, and visibility in electronic health records to enhance its clinical impact and nursing recognition.

What does "Teaching Philosophy" mean? A case study: Professor X teaching philosophy

In higher education, teaching philosophy is a crucial tool for conducting and assessing teaching quality. Yet, there is limited focus on exploring its essence. Teaching philosophy can be interpreted as a strategy in education and pedagogy, depicting how teachers tackle the teaching process. This involves both pedagogical and educational aspects. A different perspective on teaching philosophy is to view it as the direct conveyance of philosophical knowledge from teacher to students. The qualitative study in higher education is explored by looking at Professor X social and educational background, teaching in different settings, professor’s methodology of teaching philosophy from basics as well as teacher’s broader academic work, which includes writing, research, and public presentations. The research investigates teacher’s self-reflection on philosophy and the development of a "teaching philosophy from scratch," exploring how it supports X dedication to pushing philosophy beyond conventional academic environments and a particular teaching philosophy. The findings suggest that there is a connection between teaching methods and research and publication endeavors. The outcomes extend beyond the typical association to explore the essence of the link between research and teaching. This deepens our insight into the meaning of "teaching philosophy" as a diverse process that includes teaching, writing, academic endeavors, and public contributions.

“We would like to have some playing time here too” – Ghanian students push back at essentialist teachers and cognitive focused curriculum in resource rich school

Despite extensive research highlighting the benefits of play in education, many educators still perceive it as a distraction from “real” academic work. Existing studies on play have largely overlooked learners’ perspectives, focusing instead on the views of parents, educators, and policymakers. Grounded in Michael Schiro’s curriculum theorisation, this qualitative case study explores how students in a resource-rich public school in Ghana perceive and experience play. Over one school term, we engaged 14- to 15-year-old students and teachers through interviews, observations, and photo elicitations. Our findings reveal that while abundant resources can enhance learning, they may also unintentionally restrict play opportunities, creating tensions between students’ holistic development and curriculum priorities. These contradictions underscore the need for a balanced approach to education. We call on educators to rethink curriculum design and prioritise holistic learning experiences that acknowledge adolescent students’ right to play as an essential part of their growth.

Conservation, recreation, or both? The National Trust for Scotland’s exploitation of UK country park policy, 1967 – 1992

Britain&amp;rsquo;s two National Trusts are charitable bodies, primarily known for conserving historic buildings, but also ensuring public access to those properties and their surroundings, and to important or historic landscape areas. With that remit in mind, it is curious to find the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) engaging closely in the creation of country parks, intended by the UK Government as dedicated (and somewhat expendable) recreational spaces. This paper uses five separate and distinct case studies to compare the approaches taken by the NTS in its Scottish country park projects. Very little academic work has been done on the NTS, and this paper fills an important gap in exploring the organisation&amp;rsquo;s approach with recreational land under its control. It shows the organisation addressing restrictive donor conditions contradicting a published ethos of open access, showing itself willing to bend, and even to subvert, the rules set by legislators, to use funding in innovative ways, and to promote &amp;lsquo;passive&amp;rsquo; recreation &amp;ndash; walking, picnicking, relaxing &amp;ndash; as an approach less likely to compromise the scenic aspects of the landscape that visitors are seeking to enjoy. This analysis is important to present-day understandings of the balance between landscape conservation and public access, a dilemma that continues to trouble organisations concerned with conservation but dependent on public support and desirous of opening up access.

Age as a Source of Academic Rent or a Resource Curse of University Youth?

The article is devoted to the age policy implemented by modern Russian universities and focused on largescale and accelerated rejuvenation of the scientific and pedagogical community. The relevance of the research topic is related to the problems of attracting and retaining young scientific and pedagogical workers (SPWs). The authors focus on the theory of academic rent, which makes it possible to explain the limitations of institutional and organizational measures to support university youth. The purpose of the article is to show monetary and non–monetary academic rents as a factor in attracting and retaining young graduates in universities. The article is based on research data carried out in 2024 using methods of analyzing documents and interviews with graduate students and applicants (n = 30 people) and SPWs of Russian universities (n = 30 people). At the theoretical level, the content of tangible and intangible elements of academic rent characterizing a group of young SPWs is disclosed. Based on the materials of an empirical study, the restrictive nature of financial support measures for young SPWs is shown. It was revealed that not all categories of young scientists and not all Russian universities have access to monetary rent. Only a part of the measures of financial support for young SPWs have signs of academic rent. Satisfaction with academic work and the prestige of the academic profession as elements of non-monetary academic rents do not bring dividends to young SPWs. The non-material “superprofit” of a part of the university youth is provided by membership in the institutions of representation of university youth. They serve as a launching pad for their career growth. Based on the ratio of two types of academic rent – monetary and non-monetary, the types of rent-oriented behavior of young SPWs (“ideological”, “pragmatists” and “ambivalent”) are identified and characterized. The practical significance of the research lies in the possibility of using its results to develop and improve programs for attracting and retaining young SPWs through the expansion of material and non-material academic rents and the development of scientific mentoring. The novelty of the study is because for the first time, the theory of academic rent is used to explain the problems of attracting and retaining young SPWs and the prospects for their consolidation in an academic career.

To be, or not to be, part-time in academia.

Part-time working can be beneficial for individual academics, and also for academia as a whole. In addition to improving work-life balance and well-being, the benefits of part-time working include increased motivation, reduced burnout, and workplaces that are more diverse and inclusive. Here, six researchers who have experience of working part-time discuss what individuals, employers and funders can do to promote and support part-time working in academia.

Normalising Fan Parasociality within Pathologising Traces

The past decade has seen an influx of academic work on and popular usage of the term ‘parasocial’, but this work largely theorises fans rather than listens to them. This paper corrects that. Drawing on 16 focus groups with fans of Harry Styles, I explore fans’ understanding and appropriation of the once-forgotten academic term, parasocial. Fans, here, are quite aware of Styles’s star persona and the illusion of their intimacy. They use the concept of parasociality to manage, understand, and police both their own behaviour and that of other fans. The paper argues that the fans actual parasociality and their usage of the term exists as a multisocial, fandom-wide experience, and mimics well-explored concepts in fan studies, including performativity, playful engagement with “easter eggs”, the “fangirl as pathology”, and boundary policing. Their performance of parasociality positions the concept as a normal part of the fan persona to be explored further academically, and at the same time, their self-conscious and hyper-nuanced use of the term contradicts its very definition.