Bridging The Boundaries of Genres, Culture, and Language in North American K-Pop Fandom

Kuk, Bryan Cho Hang

Bridging The Boundaries of Genres, Culture, and Language in North American K-Pop Fandom

dc.contributor.advisor	Patterson, Matt
dc.contributor.author	Kuk, Bryan Cho Hang
dc.contributor.committeemember	Whaley, Ben
dc.contributor.committeemember	McLean, Scott
dc.date	2021-11
dc.date.accessioned	2021-08-30T19:18:37Z
dc.date.available	2021-08-30T19:18:37Z
dc.date.issued	2021-08-23
dc.description.abstract	K-pop is currently one of the most popular genres of music in the world. K-pop is not the first Korean product to make it over to North America, but rather, it is an extension of the “Hallyu”, a term coined by scholars to describe the period where there was an increase in Korean exports. Korea reverses the usual flow of cultural diffusion, competing with major cultural exports such as North America, Europe, and Japan through the exportation and diffusion of K-pop (Choi and Maliangkay 2015). Existing research shows that K-pop has established a following in North America and across the globe in places such as Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East. Inspired by DeNora's (2000) focus on music and identity, this research examines how consumers engage in the consumption of K-pop through qualitative interviews with self-proclaimed fans. This is to observe why North American fans consume a product that is external to their culture, and how is consuming K-pop related to identity construction and distinction from other fans. Building off previous research that did not include how the Korean language affects K-pop consumption, this study bridges the gap through the addition of a sample comparison between English and Korean-speaking audiences to observe themes and patterns of consumption practices. First, K-pop’s appeal is tied to its ability to transcend the boundaries of genre and media, which can procure fans from a wide range of interests. Second, K-pop consumption is an expression of cosmopolitan identity. Third, K-pop fandom is a subcultural community, and its members conduct a variety of fandom practices, deal with potential stigma, and distinguish themselves from extreme or obsessive fans known as “sasaengs”. The thesis ends with examining possible ways to improve the study and how it can be replicated to expand upon existing literature in the sociology of culture and K-pop studies.	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Kuk, B. C. H. (2021). Bridging The Boundaries of Genres, Culture, and Language in North American K-Pop Fandom (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.	en_US
dc.identifier.doi	http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/39132
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/1880/113782
dc.language.iso	eng	en_US
dc.publisher.faculty	Arts	en_US
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary	en
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.	en_US
dc.subject	Sociology	en_US
dc.subject	Sociology of Culture	en_US
dc.subject	Popular Culture	en_US
dc.subject	Fandom	en_US
dc.subject	Music	en_US
dc.subject	Boundaries	en_US
dc.subject	Consumption	en_US
dc.subject	Subcultures	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Music	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Education--Sociology of	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Anthropology--Cultural	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Sociology	en_US
dc.title	Bridging The Boundaries of Genres, Culture, and Language in North American K-Pop Fandom	en_US
dc.type	master thesis	en_US
thesis.degree.discipline	Sociology	en_US
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary	en_US
thesis.degree.name	Master of Arts (MA)	en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopy	true	en_US