A communicative ecology refers to “the context in which communication processes occur” (Foth & Hearn, 2007, p.9). The Beyhive was an ideal choice because of its expansive, loyal and active nature. We have examined how the fanbase communicate with each other (and with her) on Beyonce’s social channels, associating it with the idea of affordances…
Hive Formation
The Beyhive is a digital fan community that utilises the affordances of social platforms to communicate online, but also to connect with the fan happenings offline. They are to an extent an “imagined community” (Anderson, 2006) in that everyone a part of the fan community associates themselves with the community that has been created. However,…
Social media as a facilitator
The Beyhive is known as one of the most fiercely loyal fandoms and is highly active on various social media platforms, with each platform promoting a different sort of interaction between fans. Bruns and Burgess’ (2011) research established social media like Facebook and Twitter as a platform for the online community to follow, voice their opinions…
How Beyoncé became Queen of the Hive
For communities to function they operate within their own set of guidelines that allow people to either be a part of the group or be ostracised depending on their contributions. The Beyhive all have a love of Beyoncé in common causing their communication to centre around the content that she produces. In order to properly…
Conclusion
Overall, the Beyhive community represents how a fanbase can be considered an ‘imagined community’, with a strong sense of belonging created by the members of the close-knit group. This is characterised by Rachel K. Ghansah, “the BeyHive to some extent thrives off the sense that their bond to the object of their affection is intimate…
Ecology map
This is our ecology map of the Beyhive fanbase, and how they communicate with Beyoncé and each other through all her platforms, both digitally mediated and physical.
References
Anderson, B. 2006, Imagined Communities: reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism, Verso, London. Baym, N. 2010, ‘Chapter 4: Communities and Networks’, Personal Connections in the Digital Age, Polity Press, Cambridge, pp. 106-39. Beyoncé (Facebook Page) 2016, ‘#LEMONADE the Visual Album Available Now! […]’, Facebook Post, 26th April, viewed 9th May 2016, <https://www.facebook.com/beyonce/photos/a.252225550600.296474.28940545600/10156956506310601/?type=3&theater> Bruns, A. &…
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