Source: http://twitaddons.com/itsvictorialee
My Hallyu research examines the hybridized nature of Hallyu cultural production, its blending of various global cultures with Korean culture and the impact of global cultures on Hallyu. Using qualitative and cultural studies methods, I study born-digital materials (websites, blogs), cultural texts that migrate to digital spaces (music, videos, Kdramas, film), culture industries, industry and creative personnel (i.e. the artists) and international audiences, many of whom primarily experience Korean popular culture as a digital phenomenon.
The Korean Popular Music International Fanbases Study explores the appeal of post-1997 Korean Popular Music (Kpop) for international audiences. I assert that Kpop appeals to international audiences because of its hybridized nature, which combines elements of American (often African American) and Korean culture. Because international audiences engage Kpop in a mostly digital format, they form digital communities, discourses and cultures. This research fills a void in the current body of knowledge of global popular music and culture by interrogating fanbases for Kpop outside of East Asia.
The Korean Drama International Audiences Study explores the appeal of contemporary popular Korean television dramas (Kdramas), 2005-present and how international non-Korean speaking audiences understand them. I assert that Kdramas of all genres (historical, romantic comedy, comedy, melodrama, action) appeal to a variety of global audiences of both genders. In focusing on international audiences and a variety of Kdrama genres, this project fills a void in the current scholarship on Kdramas, which tends to focus almost exclusively on modern melodramas.
This research has been reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board at Elon University, North Carolina, United States. If you would like to see the IRB documentation for this project, click here and here. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your rights as a research subject, you may contact the Chairman of the IRB, Stephen Bailey at baileys@elon.edu or 336-278-6431.
