An investigation into crime tourism, screen tourism and dark fandoms

Screen tourism, dark tourism and dark fandom are three growing fields of scholarship that have predominantly been explored in isolation. This study aims to extend knowledge in each of these areas and is the first to explore these interrelationships comprehensively. It employs a distinct mixed-methods approach, conducted in both physical and online spaces. Through ethnographic observation at eight true crime attractions (four in the UK and four in the US), the study positions true crime tourism as a niche form of dark tourism. Transatlantic similarities and contrasts in tourist practices and site narratives are identified and a positive relationship between dark tourism supply and demand is found. This study advances the field by extending the exploration of dark fandom beyond the digital sphere into its physical, place-based expressions whilst providing the first behavioural account of this phenomenon. The research introduces the concept of the “dark fandom gaze” which highlights the contrasting modes of interpretation and interaction within immersive true crime experiences. This thesis develops a revised spectrum based approach in dark tourism scholarship that interprets the cultural tensions surrounding true crime as a scale that must be consciously balanced for representation and engagement to remain within the bounds of mainstream social acceptability. Immersive true-crime experiences are found to function in diverse and multifunctional ways. However, this thesis identifies perception-shaping factors that contribute toward their stigmatisation. Accordingly, the thesis argues that more ethically responsible modes of marketing and representation can help stabilise this balance and broaden appeal amongst mainstream cultural participants. It further examines the supply and demand dynamics of immersive true crime experiences through the identification of participant demographics and underlying cultural drivers. This study argues that true crime cases function as generational events linking individuals to shared narratives and spaces circulated through participatory culture that reinforce collective memory and emotional investment. The findings benefit scholars in cultural criminology, business, film and cultural studies as well as practitioners developing immersive true crime experiences.

Grantor dc:publisher

Oxford Brookes University

Author dc:creator

• McFadden, Simon

Contributors dc:contributor

• Steenberg, Lindsay
• Cateridge, James
• Wyatt, Brianna

Statement dc:rights

• All rights reserved

Language dc:language

en

DOI dc:identifier

https://doi.org/10.24384/ebny-xm10

OAI identifier oai:identifier

tle:d9332fdd-0320-4143-85f0-c5ab5b95a75e:d6bd9758-527a-46cd-bfe2-c433766e8fca:1