Merchandise Ownership and Social Stratification: A Study of Taylor Swift Fandom in Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30656/lontar.v14i1.12298Keywords:
merchandise, fandom, distinction, social stratification, Indonesian SwiftiesAbstract
This research examines how merchandise ownership can create social stratification among Taylor Swift fans (Swifties) in Indonesia. Using a qualitative approach with a critical paradigm, primary data were collected through in-depth interviews with six purposively sampled Indonesian Swifties representing variations in merchandise ownership. Secondary data came from digital observation of a fan’s account identified by informants as an influencer and a community’s WhatsApp Group’s transcript. Analysis utilized Miles & Huberman’s (1994) interactive model within the theoretical frameworks of Illouz’s (2007; 2018) Emotional Capitalism, as well as Bourdieu’s (1984; 1986) Distinction and Cultural Capital.
Findings reveal that social stratification in Swifties Indonesia’s community is driven by emotional capitalism, making consumption feels unlike economic transactions. As a result, merchandise becomes cultural capital, consumed unevenly due to disparities in economic power and constraints on structural distribution. That inequality is used as a means of differentiation, leading to stratification. Rooted in false consciousness, this hierarchy resists change. Therefore, researcher propose that fans break free from false consciousness, community becomes more introspective, and the entertainment industry becomes more inclusive to transcend from a hierarchy framed as love.
Future research suggestions include international comparisons, extending the research period, and focusing on peripheral perspectives.
References
Ambadar, A. M. (2024). Swifties Experience: Examining Taylor Swift The Eras Tour (2023) Movie as Concert Mediatization. EKSPRESI DAN PERSEPSI : JURNAL ILMU KOMUNIKASI, 7(3), 520–536. https://doi.org/10.33822/jep.v7i3.8381
Ayuning Gitafitri, B., & Kusumawati, N. (2024). The Fundamental Role of Brand Experience in Building Brand Loyalty Behind The Everlasting Success of Taylor Swift. Journal of Consumer Studies and Applied Marketing, 2, 47–56. https://doi.org/10.58229/jcsam.v2i1.167
Bengtsson, L. R., & Edlom, J. (2023). Commodifying participation through choreographed engagement: the Taylor Swift case. Arts and the Market, 13(2), 65–79. https://doi.org/ 10.1108/AAM-07-2022-0034
Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste (R. Nice, Tran.). Harvard University Press.
Bourdieu, P. (1986). The Forms of Capital. In J. G. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education (pp. 241–251). Greenwood Press.
Butler, J. (1990). Gender Trouble (Feminism and the Subversion of Identity) (L. J. Nicholson, Ed.). Routledge, Chapman & Hall, Inc.
Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (3rd ed.). SAGE.
Duffett, M. (2013). Understanding Fandom: An Introduction to the Study of Fan Culture. Bloomsbury Academic.
Fuchs, C. (2021). Social Media: A Critical Introduction (M. Ainsley, Ed.; 3rd ed.). SAGE.
Hall, S. (1997). Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. SAGE Publications & Open University.
Hills, M. (2002). Fan Cultures. Routledge. www.cult-media.com
Illouz, E. (2007). Cold Intimacies. Polity Press.
Illouz, Eva. (2018). Emotions as Commodities: Capitalism, Consumption and Authenticity. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York University Pres.
Khanal, K. (2024). Taylor Swift’s Branding Strategy. In Compelling Storytelling Narratives for Sustainable Branding (pp. 230–243). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/ 10.4018/979-8-3693-3326-6.ch012
Kozinets, R. V. . (2015). Netnography: Redefined (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Lukács, G. (1923). History & Class Consciousness. Merlin Press.
Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative Data Analysis (2nd ed.). SAGE.
Mosco, V. (1996). The Political Economy of Communication: Rethinking and Renewal. SAGE Publications.
Neuman, W. Lawrence. (2014). Social research methods : qualitative and quantitative approaches (7th ed.). Pearson.
Patton. (2002). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods (3rd ed.). SAGE.
Satya, T. B. L. T., & Susilastuti, D. H. (2024). Beyond Spectators: An In-Depth Analysis of Fan Practices on Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour. Jurnal Universitas Gadjah Mada.
Swartz, D. (1997). Culture and Power: The Sociology of Pierre Bourdieu. The University of Chicago Press.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Nawang Wulan , Desideria Dwihadiah
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
By submitting an article to the journal, the author(s) agree to transfer the published article's copyright to the journal, which will act as the publisher. This means the journal will have the right to publish the article in various forms, including reprints. The journal will maintain the publishing rights to the published articles.
In line with the license, authors and third parties (readers, researchers, and others) are allowed to share and adapt the material. In addition, the material must be given appropriate credit, provided with a link to the license, and indicated if changes were made. If authors remix, transform, or build upon the material, authors must distribute their contributions under the same license as the original.
