Synopses & Reviews
The rise in popularity of South Korean entertainment and culture, known as the Korean Wave, began and has been promoted as an official policy of the Korean government to revive the country's economy. As such, popular culture products such as K-pop and K-drama are tailored to appeal to the widest possible audience beyond national and regional boundaries. This study of the appeal of Korean popular culture examines cultural production and consumption, hybrid culture, the West versus. Asia, global race consciousness, and changing views of masculinity and femininity, among other topics.
Synopsis
The rise in popularity of South Korean entertainment and culture began and is promoted as an official policy of the Korean government to revive the country's economy. This study examines cultural production and consumption, glocalization, the West versus. Asia, global race consciousness, and changing views of masculinity and femininity.
About the Author
Yasue Kuwahara is Professor of Communication and Director of Popular Culture Studies at Northern Kentucky University, USA. She has published articles in various journals, including The Journal of Popular Culture.
Table of Contents
Introduction; Yasue Kuwahara
PART I: PRODUCTION
1. Hallyu as a Government Construct: The Korean Wave in the Context of Economic and Social Development; John Walsh
2. Transformations of Korean Media Industries by the Korean Wave: The Perspective of Glocalization; Hyejung Ju
3. The Politics of the Dancing Body: Racialized and Gendered Femininity in Korean Pop; Chuyun Oh
PART II: GLOCALIZATION
4. My Sassy Girl Goes Around the World; Jennifer Jung-Kim
5. 'Gangnam Style' as Format: When a Localized Korean Song Meets a Global Audience; Claire Seungeun Lee and Yasue Kuwahara
6. That's My Man!: Overlapping Masculinities in Korean Popular Music; Crystal S. Anderson
7. The S(e)oul of Hip-Hop: Locating Space and Identity in Korean Rap; Myoung-Sun Song
8. A Cultural Imperialistic Homecoming: The Korean Wave Reaches the United States; Sherri L. Ter Molen
PART III: CONSUMPTION
9. Winter Sonata and Yonsama, Ideal Love and Masculinity: Nostalgic Desire and Colonial Memory; Young Eun Chae
10. Hanryu: Korean Popular Culture in Japan; Yasue Kuwahara