It's What I Do that Defines Me

Real Life Superheroes, Identity, and Vigilantism

Bibliographic Data

ID2153517
AuthorsBenjamin Meade (0000-0002-5755-6654, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, USA, corresponding author), Taimi Castle (0000-0001-7691-3664, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, USA)
Year2022
Volume43
Issue9
Pages1088-1102
Publication date2022-09-02
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueDeviant Behavior (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0163-9625 • E-ISSN: 1521-0456
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01639625.2021.1953948
OpenAlexW3196030840
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited24

Real Life Superheroes (RLSH) create unique superhero personas and engage in a variety of community-based activities, including street patrols with the stated purpose of responding to and deterring crime. Prior research on RLSH explored the psychological motivations for participating in the subculture, engaging concepts such as edgework and extreme altruism, while also avoiding framing RLSH as vigilantes. Most RLSH reject the vigilante label, even though the community recognizes vigilante traditions as a precursor to the contemporary movement and cites popular vigilante superheroes as influences. In this study, we apply a criminological conceptualization of vigilantism through an analysis of RLSH interviews and social media posts over a two-year period. Based on this framework, RLSH activity classifies as vigilantism despite declarations of community outreach and activism. We also identified themes of extreme altruism and communal narcissism in our data and provide observations about RLSH messaging during the pandemic

Altruism (biology · Conceptualization · Criminology · Framing (construction · Immorality · Morality · Political science · Sociology · Adventure Sports and Sensation Seeking · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Digital Games and Media · Law · Psychology · Social Psychology

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