The Emotional Core of Hyperconsumption: Reciprocity and Self-realization Amongst Swedish Hallyu Enthusiasts
(2024) SANK03 20241Social Anthropology
- Abstract
- In just the last decade, the popularity of Korean cultural exports has skyrocketed, and fans are to be found everywhere from Seoul to Sweden. While the K-phenomenon is often conceptualized as a global force, engagement tends to be personal and emotionally charged. As such, involvement is closely interlinked with the process of self-realization. This paper visualizes consumption of Hallyu as the co-creation of “emodities” (emotional commodities), emphasizing its role in achieving emotional authenticity and well-being. It continues by arguing that fans perceive themselves to partake in a reciprocal gift exchange with K-pop idols, which comes to define how fanship is expressed whilst mediating a parasocial kinship. This is explored through a... (More)
- In just the last decade, the popularity of Korean cultural exports has skyrocketed, and fans are to be found everywhere from Seoul to Sweden. While the K-phenomenon is often conceptualized as a global force, engagement tends to be personal and emotionally charged. As such, involvement is closely interlinked with the process of self-realization. This paper visualizes consumption of Hallyu as the co-creation of “emodities” (emotional commodities), emphasizing its role in achieving emotional authenticity and well-being. It continues by arguing that fans perceive themselves to partake in a reciprocal gift exchange with K-pop idols, which comes to define how fanship is expressed whilst mediating a parasocial kinship. This is explored through a lens of the gift economy. Such a framework simultaneously reveals how fans create meaning around the “Koreanness” of the culturally branded content. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9160222
- author
- Pettersson, Edvin LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SANK03 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Social Anthropology, Hallyu, Emodity, Gift Economy, Cultural Consumption
- language
- English
- id
- 9160222
- date added to LUP
- 2024-06-10 09:49:44
- date last changed
- 2024-06-10 09:49:44
@misc{9160222, abstract = {{In just the last decade, the popularity of Korean cultural exports has skyrocketed, and fans are to be found everywhere from Seoul to Sweden. While the K-phenomenon is often conceptualized as a global force, engagement tends to be personal and emotionally charged. As such, involvement is closely interlinked with the process of self-realization. This paper visualizes consumption of Hallyu as the co-creation of “emodities” (emotional commodities), emphasizing its role in achieving emotional authenticity and well-being. It continues by arguing that fans perceive themselves to partake in a reciprocal gift exchange with K-pop idols, which comes to define how fanship is expressed whilst mediating a parasocial kinship. This is explored through a lens of the gift economy. Such a framework simultaneously reveals how fans create meaning around the “Koreanness” of the culturally branded content.}}, author = {{Pettersson, Edvin}}, language = {{eng}}, note = {{Student Paper}}, title = {{The Emotional Core of Hyperconsumption: Reciprocity and Self-realization Amongst Swedish Hallyu Enthusiasts}}, year = {{2024}}, }