Pop Culture Research Articles

Gaga for Golgappa

The article documents and discusses the special bond between women and one particular street food item: golgappa (also known as pani puri). The study relies on two sets of data collected in Purnea, a small city of North India. First, a survey (n = 530) provides evidence that snacking patterns are highly gendered, as women display a disproportionate penchant for golgappa, while men have more diverse eating preferences. Second, quantified ethnographic observations (n = 120 food stands) confirm that golgappa stalls represent key spaces of socialization for female urban dwellers. The article proposes several hypotheses to explain the popularity of golgappa among women. Moving beyond patriarchally engineered biological explanations, it focuses on issues of access to the public space. In a context of restricted mobility, golgappa serves as a convenient pretext for women to venture onto the streets. Designed for rapid consumption, golgappa allows women to conform to societal norms by minimizing the time spent in public, thereby reducing the disruption of gendered expectations. Additionally, the (imagined) association of golgappa with femininity—particularly in pop culture—increases its social legitimacy for women. The concluding section offers a reflection on the nature and texture of socialization practices among men and women in small Indian cities. Overall, the article contends that eating out represents a critical feminist issue.

Research on the Sexualization or Empowerment of High-heeled Dancing on Social Media

With the rapid development of modern technology and the internet, social media has become the mainstream way to shape groups. Many people will express their ideas online, which can greatly affect their psychology and spirit. Heel dancing has evolved, incorporating different dance styles and cultural influences. In terms of high-heeled dancing, social media also became a hotbed of debate.This article delves into the sexualization of heel dance on social media platforms, highlighting the difficulties dancers, particularly women, encounter as their image shapes society's perceptions. By reviewing and analysing historical insights, we have revealed the social factors that contribute to this phenomenon. In addition, the paper aims to challenge stereotypes and regain the empowering narrative of heel dance as a symbol of strength and self-expression. According to the study, social media, pop culture, and fashion, whether heels dancing or its industry, empower women overall, portraying a powerful, free, and diverse female role. Therefore, eradicating negative comments and stereotypes about heels and other dances would be beneficial.

The Cultural Construction of NewJeans from the Perspective of Cross-cultural Communication

The communication analysis of Korean pop culture has been the topic of academic research. NewJeans, a K-pop girl group, is a popular global pop music group of the new generation, which has the characteristics of a typical example of cross-cultural communication and strong cultural attraction. This paper attempts to explore the great innovation of the K-pop industry by analyzing its cultural construction, and conducts an empirical study on the text analysis of NewJeans music works. The study found that by establishing a common connection with the market based on the cultural narratives of East Asia and the Western market, and fully utilizing its artistic pursuit as a literary and artistic work, it can express its cultural core of companionship aimed at the young market group, combine the retro elements of the millennium with contemporary popular culture, endow Western mythological stories with contemporary metaphors and modernized expressions, and thus achieve a balance between artistic and market value. Through the analysis of the cultural construction of NewJeans, it can be seen that under the macro-guidance of global market demand, only by respecting the market characteristics of different regions, tapping the internal needs of consumers and guiding the situation in different cross-cultural perspectives can the success probability of cross-cultural communication be increased.

The Impact of the Peculiarities of EVA Characterization on Its Commercialization

At present, the issue of Japanese anime pop culture has received widespread attention from all walks of life. However, there are still insufficient studies on the relationship between character creation and commercialization. This paper analyzes the particularity of character building in Neon Genesis Evangelion and the influence and connection of character building on the commercialization of EVA. It is concluded that the characterization of EVA has the particularity of the times. It contains a lot of negative shaping and human nature analysis, and this characteristic has gained the audience's sense of recognition and empathy, thus promoting the development of commercialization. The commercialization of EVA is inseparable from the Japanese production committee system, and at the same time, character building is the fundamental reason that affects whether fans buy or not, character appearance is an important reason that affects the desire to buy. Based on this, this paper puts forward the following suggestions: Start with marketing and innovation to retain old audiences and attract new ones. Seize the hot spots of the times and maintain multi-sector cooperation.

Exploring the construction of masculinity among male K-POP fans: a case study of K-POP fandom in Makassar City within the context of social environmet and education

Background: In contemporary Indonesian society, K-Pop has emerged as a significant cultural phenomenon with a unique impact on gender perceptions. This study aims to explore the social construction of masculinity among K-Pop fanboys in Makassar, Indonesia, and examine the societal positioning of this form of masculinity. It draws on the definition of masculinity as a societal construct and examines how masculinity is shaped by social influences. Method: Utilizing Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann's theory of social construction, the study views masculinity as a dynamic process involving externalization, objectivation, and internalization. It also references Janet Saltzman Chafetz's identification of areas of masculinity and R.W. Connell's concept of hegemonic masculinity to understand the hierarchical nature of masculine identities. Findings: Despite the popularity of K-Pop, male fans often face negative stigma and discrimination due to perceptions of K-Pop as feminine. The study reveals how masculinity is constructed among K-Pop fanboys in Makassar and their experiences of societal discrimination. Conclusion: By analyzing these dynamics, the study contributes to a broader understanding of the diverse forms of masculinity and the impact of cultural phenomena like K-Pop on gender constructs. Novelty/Originality of this study: This study highlights the unique dynamics in the construction of masculinity among male K-Pop fans in Indonesia, revealing the complex interactions between global culture, local gender identities, and social stigma. By applying social construction theory to the K-Pop phenomenon, this study opens up new perspectives in understanding the evolution of masculinity in the era of pop culture globalization.

Foreign but familiar: Hallyu spaces and K-culture in urban Hanoi, a walking and participant observation study

ABSTRACT For over two decades, South Korean pop culture has occupied the Vietnamese' cultural lives as it has conquered numerous other markets, giving rise to the global cultural phenomenon of the Korean Wave, or Hallyu. While Hallyu has spread across Vietnam, businesses serving made-in-Korea or (mimicking) “Korean-style” products and services have also developed in many of its cities, including the capital, Hanoi. Tracing the “Hallyu spaces” which such businesses constitute, this article explores the extent and patterns of those spaces and how they fit into the day-to-day flows of Hanoi and its residents' consumerist lives. It focuses on two main areas of discussion: the kinds of Korean (or Korean-inspired) products and services on offer and the locations in which these are found. Using a combination of methods, including walking, participant observation, photo-taking, mapping, casual interviews, and digital ethnography, the study contributes to the scholarship on the urban spaces and consumption practices in Hanoi and the cultural exchange between Vietnam and South Korea. It reveals how Hallyu spaces add to Hanoi's experience economy as well as the conspicuous and seeping effects of Hallyu in urban Hanoi and Vietnam. Theoretically, the study advances the conceptualisation of “K-culture” and “global Koreanness” in Hallyu studies.

The Implications of Queer Representation in Contemporary South Korean TV Narratives

Existing scholarly works on the topic of queer representation in South Korean media focus primarily on Korean cinema and K-pop, but there are far fewer studies on queer or queer-coded portrayals in Korean TV media. Queer characters and relationships are gradually becoming more visible in mainstream South Korean TV with some examples being Semantic Error which centers on the romantic relationship between two men and Nevertheless which depicts the feelings of friendship between two women turn clearly romantic. Considering the significant rise in popularity of Korean TV dramas not only in Asia but also in western society, where audiences are more conscious of queer narratives, the realm of queer representation in Korean TV definitely warrants more scholarly attention. I aim to contribute to the conversation about depictions of queerness in Korean media by analyzing the representation of queer characters in 2021 TV drama Work Later, Drink Now, specifically the queer subtext of Jigoo and Jiyeon’s relationship, and how this story reveals South Korean perceptions of queer experiences by matching and/or distinguishing itself from the tragic narratives that queer characters are often depicted in Korean TV dramas. I will also analyze the reception of this show by South Korean society in relation to queer identity based on its references in Korean pop culture and online fan discussions. I argue that the writer of Work Later, Drink Now intended to provide commentary not only on the situation of women in contemporary South Korean society, but she also pushed an underlying queer narrative, aiming to shed light on the reality of being, specifically, a queer woman in South Korea.

Malamente? Niełatwe relacje lokalności i kultury popularnej w twórczości Rosalíi

MALAMENTE? UNEASY RELATIONS BETWEEN LOCALITY AND POPULAR CULTURE IN ROSALÍA’S WORK The aim of the text is to ask questions about how contemporary popular culture enters into transcultural interaction with artistic manifestations of local Spanish identities, using the example of selected works by the Catalan artist Rosalía Vila Tobella, known as Rosalía. The artist mediates between several cultural spaces: Spanish, Andalusian, Roma and Latin American, but also subcultural ones – related to urban culture and the Spanish working class. Importantly, her artistic message should be analyzed both musically and visually. The text examines the relationship between local flamenco culture and popculture in the artist’s work, using the example of the song Malamente from the album El mal querer. There will also mentioned other artist’s audiovisual productions created between 2018 and 2023, which consistently build Rosalía’s musical and visual imaginary on the border of local form of expression – flamenco and global pop culture.

Affordances, challenges, and possibilities of Hallyu in the classroom: Korean language instructors’ perspectives

ABSTRACT The intense popularity of Korean pop culture, known as Hallyu, which has increased interest in Korean language learning, is just one example of a pop-culture-driven globalising language. In the wake of such globalisation, language instructors must be responsive to the evolving needs of their learners, but few studies address how language instructors respond to such changes. Through a qualitative, thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with six language instructors of Korean, this study investigates how the globalisation of Korean media and cultural products has impacted these language instructors’ teaching contexts as well as their responses to these changes. While Hallyu can serve as a motivational tool in the classroom, instructor perspectives underscore challenges in incorporating such content. Specifically, concerns about cultural and linguistic authenticity and tensions between heritage and non-heritage learners in relation to Hallyu’s impact on the language classroom emerged from the data. We draw on these findings to put forth actionable recommendations and strategies that address prevalent pedagogical issues of fostering engaging, effective, and inclusive language instruction.

Son Gokū i Power Rangers w Galicji

SON GOKŪ AND POWER RANGERS IN GALICIA: THE USE OF JAPANESE POP CULTURE IN THE ARTWORK OF GALICIAN MURALIST YOSEBA MP My paper discusses the influence of Japanese art on Galician art. Firstly, I provide a historical overview of the Spanish Japanese relations, with particular emphasis on Galicia. Second, the analysis of the works of Galician artist Yoseba MP allows reflection on the changes generated by the application of elements of Japanese pop culture to another cultural area. I put particular emphasis on the figure of the superhero and his transformation to the local context, so as to show how the author engages in a cultural dialogue about the myth of the Galician matriarchy. Although the research part is based on the analysis of the works of only one artist, it allows new approach to Galician culture and the position of women in this society.

Zeitschriften als Common Grounds früher Popkulturen

ZusammenfassungDer Artikel untersucht Strukturen in illustrierten Unterhaltungsmagazinen der Weimarer Republik, die dazu dienen, Leser:innen dauerhaft zu binden und die das Gefühl erzeugen, als Rezeptionsgemeinschaft einen Common Ground auszubilden. Ostentative Serialität, Mitmachangebote, die Suggestion einer gemeinsamen Bewertungskultur etc. sorgen für eine ästhetische Kopplung der Zeitschriften mit den Leser:innen und gefühlt auch unter den Leser:innen. Das close reading ausgewählter Zeitschriftenausgaben basiert auf linguistischen und interaktionsanalytischen Grounding-Theorien.

Postmodernism. The Phenomenon That Has Gained Authority

The concept of postmodernism has been theorized over time by several authors, highlighting the importance of the link between it and postmodernity, the period in which it began to develop, within the formulation of the features of the current. Postmodernism appears in a post-industrial world, a world in which architecture, electronics, genetics, art etc. have developed. In postmodernity, the world begins to change, to tend towards the expansion of pop culture, to become much freer and to accept new behaviors. Against the background of such a cultural context, a new literary trend begins to take shape, postmodernism, which, broadly speaking, is characterized by: the apotheosis of capitalism, the fading of emotions, the decomposition of the subject, irony on the past, the triumph of parody, kitsch, mediation and representation, the disappearance of the individual style, a greater rupture between the signified and the signifier, the collapse of realism as a method that claims to provide access to reality etc. Although postmodernism has received several definitions or descriptions, it has been understood differently, it remains a phenomenon that also imposes itself in Romanian culture.

The state of formation of vocal-pedagogical culture among future music teachers

The article analyzes the level of formation of vocal pedagogical culture among future music teachers. The formation of a vocal pedagogical culture is an important task that helps them effectively train and educate students in the field of vocal art. There is a problem in the education of students – a decrease in the level of artistic and aesthetic needs. Most students prefer to listen to samples of low-quality mass youth music that does not meet the criteria of artistry. One of the reasons for determining the unformed musical and aesthetic taste of the younger generation is the lack of information about artistic examples of vocal culture and domestic and foreign performance. In this context, special attention should be paid to the training of vocational education specialists who are capable of creating an alternative to pop culture, preserving and enhancing the best traditions of professional musical art. To solve this problem, it is necessary to obtain special theoretical knowledge that will contribute to the development of the performing culture of the future music teacher. In the framework of our research, the concept of vocal pedagogical culture is considered as a certain integrative quality of a person, which includes a value attitude towards the heritage of humanity in the field of various types of singing activities, a high level of professional abilities (in the field of vocal pedagogy), a high vocal and performing level, as well as creative component in vocal and pedagogical skills.

A Taste of Japanese Junk Food

By courtesy of Sam'l P Arnold, our long-time friend and contributor in Denver, we recently received the text of an article by Gil Asakawa which we found both amusing and illuminating. The author has kindly given us permission to reprint it here. It was originally published in 'Nikkei View', which he describes as 'a weekly column about pop culture and politics from a Japanese American perspective'. It is primarily published online on the author's home page: http://home.earthlink.net/-gillers/nikkeiview.html to which we have pleasure in inviting your attention.

Heuristic political behavior in the 2024 presidential general election: Fandom humanies case study

The K-Popers phenomenon in the elections in Indonesia in 2024 is the first record in the history of election contestation because it contains a combination of South Korean Pop culture and Indonesian Politics. K-Pop fans have the characteristics of a strong social group so that when they enter politics they join the Humanies fandom and form a social group that supports Anies Baswedan as a candidate for President of Indonesia in 2024-2029. This research aims to describe the representation of heuristic political behavior from the Humanies fandom in the 2024 elections. This research uses qualitative research methods with a literature study approach. So the data source in this research comes from secondary data. The research results show that the representation of heuristic political behavior from the Humanies fandom is in the form of creating a social media account K-Pop terms in updates on Anies' activities, right up to making fan merch (photocards, light sticks, glasses, etc.). The political behavior carried out by individuals in the Humanies fandom is based on the styles of K-Popers present in politics which have inadvertently been formed by Anies. This K-Popers style ultimately makes individuals in the Humanies fandom more expressive in politics.

The Importance of Friendship; Storytelling in Korean Music Industry by SEVENTEEN

Hallyu or K-Pop or pop culture from South Korea divided into several generations, the third generation that truly blasted through their most distinguishable of developing and storytelling concepts, conveying more than music, but stories and own concepts. SEVENTEEN's storytelling conveyed messages about friendship lead to being a support system in the community seek answering the where some researchers also mentioned having a strong support system led to many positive benefits and with many estimations of adult over the world experienced loneliness to mental illness. Using the narrative paradigm and observing SEVENTEEN’s concerts and its contents to discover the meaning of SEVENTEEN’s storytelling. Based on Friendship research by Parker & Asher, founded SEVENTEEN growth, relationships, and life are all embodied in performances the members create together becoming the value they brought to the world. Their shared moments, music and performances lead to a positive special and unique relationship with their audience and establishing a supportive and affective environment throughout the community. SEVENTEEN lights up the positive energy, as a support system were it being able to minimize the negative effects from youth-hood period.

한중 대중문화의 기능적 담론 비교 연구

The purpose of this paper is to examine the meaning of popular culture in Korea and China, and to analyze and compare the pure and dysfunctions of popular culture in the two countries. In China since its transition into the market economy by the reform and opening, its people have become well-off and had more desire to enjoy culture. Under these circumstances pop culture played affirmative roles such as relieving economical and mental stress, educating people and forming civic society. On the other hand, because of cultural imperialism, cultural values and a way of thinking from the West have influenced upon Chinese pop culture and collapsed its traditional spiritual culture, causing the crisis of Chinese humanism. In Korea, the positive aspects of its pop culture are as follows: the Korean pop culture not only serves as a way to express oneself and relieve mental stress but also produces economical profit. However likewise the Chinese case, South Korea is confronted by the crisis of the humanities, traditional art and folk culture. Studying these diverse functions of the two nations’ pop cultures, I could understand the two cultures and seek plans to achieve mutual development gradually through the two countries’ cultural interchanges.

A Catalyst of Acculturation of Korean Pop Culture Towards Religious Attitude and Habits of BTS Army Indonesia: A Review of Communication Study

This research examines how Korean pop culture, especially through the music group BTS, functions as a catalyst in influencing the religious attitudes and habits of their fans (Army) in Indonesia. Using a communication science framework, this research explores the process of intercultural communication that occurs through social media, as well as how the messages conveyed by BTS are constructed, disseminated, and interpreted by their fans. The research method used is a qualitative approach, involving in-depth interviews and participatory observation of members of the Lampung Army. Media content analysis was also carried out to understand the influence of BTS content on fans' religious attitudes and habits. The research results show that the influence of BTS and Korean pop culture creates a complex dynamic between the adoption of new cultural elements and the maintenance of existing religious values. The findings of this research provide insight into the role of communication in cultural acculturation and its impact on non-secular aspects of fans' lives, also contributing to the understanding of how media and intercultural communication can influence religious identity and practice in the era of digital globalization. These findings are important for cross-cultural studies, the sociology of religion, and communication science, and provide practical guidance for researchers and practitioners in the fields of communication and culture.

The Iconography of Pop Culture in Ghana: Black Sherif’s Music in Perspective

The Iconography of Pop Culture in Ghana: Black Sherif’s Music in Perspective

Beyond the Korean Wave: Understanding the Motivation of Among Indonesian Gen Z to Learn Korean in the K-Pop Trend

This research aims to uncover the motivation that drives the Indonesian Generation Z (Gen Z) to learn Korean and absorb Korean Pop culture as a lifestyle that is now increasingly trendy. Pop-Korean Language and Culture referred to in this research is the Pop-Korean language and culture used in South Korea, a language that has recently become popular with young people not only in Indonesia but in several other countries in the world. This research was designed with the aim of; 1) to reveal the motivations that encourage Gen Z to learn Korean, and 2) to measure their level of perception of Korean pop culture. The results of this research show that Gen Z’s interest in Korean in the trend of K-Pop is caused by K-Pop being a trend among the younger generation. The implications of this research contribute to the reader’s understanding that the cultural orientation of Gen Z is different from the Old Generation who tend to keep themselves away from new things.