Now that I have completed my dissertation i have come to some interesting conclusions. I thought I would recap my research process and present my research findings:

This study set out to answer the questions “how do zines create a sense of local community within the context of Dunedin, New Zealand?”

To discover the answer to this question I selected four case study Dunedin zines: Marrow Magazine, DUDzine, The Envoy from Bedlam and Permanent Vacation. I interviewed the editors of these zines about their zines and their connections to different communities related to their zines, motivations for starting their zines, and their opinions on both online and printed media. The findings of this study suggest that firstly sense of community is not something that can be created, but it can be encouraged. This study also indicates that zines can increase a sense of local community in Dunedin, and this can be enhanced by a number of factors:

1. The physical nature of a printed zine- all editors had a preference for paper zines as they appeared to facilitate communication with their readers on a more personal and direct level.
2. The connection with readers though supplementary blogs or other online media- online components helped the editors strengthen the connection between their community of interest and the local community
3. Collaborative production and publishing efforts relating to the local community’s culture- The two zines that indicated the strongest connection to the local Dunedin community both had a major focus on collaboration from the Dunedin locals. This content was mainly artistic content, relating to the Dunedin’s artistic culture. Furthermore, this artistic focus may be more open for a community gathering in a local environment as opposed to personal or existential themes.
4. Alternative spaces and cultural establishments that reinforce their identity as creative outsiders- One of the zines showed a particular connection and support for local cultural or ‘alternative’ establishments such as Modaks cafe, Mint DVD rental, or Re:Fuel Bar and Cafe. This connection could be largely due to the fact that they identify with these particular places.
5. The size and plan of the civic space in which the zine is published and distributed- Dunedin has a centralised business and cultural district, therefore functions more as a small town than a sprawling city, even though it has the population of a city. Research shows that small towns are more likely to allow members to have a sense of local community (Prezza and Constantini 191).
6. Sense of community is not an aspiration for all people; zines can validate and strengthen the position of the outsider- One of the editors positioned himself outside any community, with his zine announcing and celebrating the status of the outsider.