GLOBALIZATION, CONSUMPTION AND POPULAR CULTURE IN EAST ASIA

by Tai Wei Lim, Wen Xin Lim, Xiaojuan Ping, Katherine Hui-yi Tseng

Overview

This book aims to provide comprehensive empirical and theoretical studies of expanding fandom communities in East Asia through the commodification of Japanese, Korean and Chinese popular cultures in the digital era. Using a multidisciplinary approach including political economy, East Asian studies, political science, international relations concepts and history, this book focuses on a few research objectives. In terms of methodology, it is an area studies approach based on interpretative work, observation studies, policy and textual analysis. First, it aims to examine the closely intertwined relationship between the three major stakeholders in the iron triangle of production companies, consumers and states (i.e., role of government in policy promotion). Second, it studies the interpenetration, adaptation, innovation and hybridization of exogenous Western culture with traditional popular cultures in (North) East Asia. Third, it studies the influence of popular cultures and how cultural products resonate with a regional audience through collective consumption, contents reflective of normative values, the emotive and cognitive appeal of familiar images and social learning as well as peer effect found in fan communities. It then examines how consumption contributes to soft cultural influence and how governments leverage on its comparative advantages and cultural assets for commercial success and in the process augment national (cultural) influence. These questions will be discussed and analyzed and contextualized through the case studies of J-pop (Japanese popular culture), K-pop (Korean popular culture or Hallyu) and Chinese popular culture (including Mando-pop and Taiwanese popular culture).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789814678216
Publisher:	World Scientific Publishing Company, Incorporated
Publication date:	09/02/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	412
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

Table of Contents

Section 1 Introduction 1

Chapter 1 Introduction Tai Wei Lim 3

Chapter 2 Particularism within the Context of Universalistic Popular Culture: A Historiographical Survey Approach in the Literature Review of Soft Power in East Asia Tai Wei Lim 31

Section 2 Japan 51

Chapter 3 Introduction to the Section on Japan Tai Wei Lim 53

Chapter 4 Size and Reach of the Japanese Popular Cultural Industry Tai Wei Lim 57

Chapter 5 Centering Akihabara: The Positionality of Tokyo's Pop Cultural Nucleus in Cool Japan Industries and Globalized Fandom Consumption Tai Wei Lim 63

Chapter 6 Observation Studies Fieldwork in Japan from 2012-2015 Tai Wei Lim 107

Section 3 Republic of Korea 135

Chapter 7 Hallyu Power: The Transformative Impact of the Korean Wave Wen Xin Lim 137

Chapter 8 Hallyu Power: Cultural Policies of the Korean Government Wen Xin Lim 167

Chapter 9 Korean Wave (Hallyu) in Singapore: Policy Implications Hallyu and Its Background - The Southeast Asian Context Wen Xin Lim Tai Wei Lim Xiaojuan Ping 183

Section 4 China 197

Chapter 10 Reality TV in China Xiaojuan Ping 199

Chapter 11 Yuzhaizu: A Study of Otaku Identity in Mainland China Anying Lin 219

Section 5 Hong Kong 307

Chapter 12 Interview with a Self-identified Otaku JL, a Hong Konger Who Is a PhD Student on 30 March 2015 Monday at 9.30 pm in Singapore Tai Wei Lim 309

Chapter 13 A Survey of Cantopop Fandom in Hong Kong Up Till the 1980s Elim Wong Wilson Lee 317

Chapter 14 K-pop Fandom in Hong Kong: A Fan's Perspective Elim Wong 337

Section 6 Taiwan 361

Chapter 15 A Constructed 'Immaginarium": Cultural Dimensions of the Taiwanese Identity Construct Katherine Tseng 363

Section 7 Conclusion 385

Chapter 16 Conclusion: Commonalities and Convergence Tai Wei Lim 387

Index 399