Course Description
For over twenty years, South Korea has worked tirelessly to generate soft power through its music, television, film, food, cosmetics, and sports. South Korea has enjoyed resounding success: consumption of popular culture has spread from Asia to the rest of the world. The sheer size of the popular culture industry and the staggering funds pouring into it raise questions that will be addressed by the class, namely: What is soft power and how is the South Korean government leveraging it? What are the social, economic, and cultural implications of this growing industry? What are its main expressions, and how are we to read its growing popularity? How has North Korea contended with South Korea's popular culture? How are technological advances transforming the entertainment industry? And finally, what can we learn from South Korea's popular culture about the kinds of stories it tells about itself and about its position in the global economy?
To answer these questions, we will cover different aspects of the popular culture industry and contextualize them historically. We will consider the economic engine that moves these "cultural contents," and will discuss the diverse manifestations of K-pop narratives. We will also pay attention to the way fans both consume content and participate in its production. Field trips may be included. At the end of the seminar, students will have been exposed to a variety of K-pop genres. They will be able to apply critical analysis to a range of material both in written projects and in class discussion. Students will be encouraged to explore topics of their own interest and present them in class, and their written work will be considered for publication and for various writing awards.
Meet the Instructor: Dafna Zur
"As a professor of Korean literature of non-Korean heritage, I frequently get asked how I got interested in Korean culture. For me, it was Taekwondo: I went to Korea in 1993 to get my black belt, and my life was changed forever. Though my primary research focus is Korean literature, I never cease to be fascinated by how Korea produces some of the most high-quality storytelling and addictive popular culture in the world. This class is an opportunity for us to think about the Korean popular culture industry both as fans and as critics, and to acquire the vocabulary and knowledge that will help us understand K-pop and its growing prevalence and popularity."
