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Language

English (en)

Date of Award

5-6-2014

Author's School

College of Arts & Sciences

Author's Department

International and Area Studies

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (A.B.)

Restricted/Unrestricted

Restricted

Abstract

South Korean popular culture has been a huge and influential force across East and Southeast Asia for over a decade. Korean popular music, television, and fashion are all consumed by an increasingly large number of people and groups across the region. Korean television dramas in particular are popular internationally and many viewers are sucked into their romantic settings and plots. One particular genre of Korean drama, called the "trendy drama," seems to follow a similar pattern in the characterization and representation of male protagonists. They are often wealthy, arrogant and socially elite men who fall deeply in love with women socially beneath them. Some dramas, however, defy this stereotype by introducing male protagonists in unique situations, therefore diversifying types of masculine representation. With this background, the present thesis explores several different representations of masculinity in Korean dramas and discusses their social and historical implications. The goal for this research is to showcase an analytic model - in this case, representation of subversive masculinity - that would offer a balanced understanding of Korean society as well as the changing images of gender in popular Korean television.

Comments

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