The Image of Romantic Relationships in Russian Online Literature on the Example of the Most Popular Works of Domestic Fanfiction Stories

Abstract

The current Constitution of our country has given the Government of the Russian Federation the authority to preserve traditional family values. This makes it relevant to study the trends in changing the ideas of Russian youth about family and family relationships, and, in particular, the study of the image of romantic relationships created in the works of Russian fanfiction, which is a kind of network literature.This study is a pilot academic venture. The major features of representing romantic relationships have been identifid and systematized based on the analysis of the characteristics of the 150 most popular fanfictions and 100 fanfiction reader submissions. The conclusions have been drawn concerning the sexualization of the image of romantic relationships by fition writers and the predominance of relationships contradicting the traditional concepts of family: both the authors and the readers are largely interested in describing relationships in which physical and psychological violence are frequent. The so-called “alternative universes” have also become popular, enabling one to transform the reality of interpersonal interaction and move away from standard notions of romantic relationships. To clarify the reasons for this phenomenon, it is planned to go on analyzing the personal characteristics, value orientations, and motives of the activities of the main “actors” of the Russian fanfiction - the authors and readers of fanfiction works.