Contemporary Asian Popular Culture Vol. 2 - by Yeojin Kim & Dharshani Lakmali Jayasinghe & Hiba Aleem & Karen A Ritzenhoff (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

This second of two volumes explores broader cultural, economic, and socio-political dynamics exchanged between Asian popular media and the world. The authors analyze how the said media navigate complex global markets and technological advancements. They discuss how dissemination and consumption of Asian popular culture, such as early Chinese-language movie theaters, Netflix, subtitling of Asian content, impact the popularity of cultural contents. They also examine the portrayal of ajummas (middle-aged women) in Korean TV and film, along with the varying representations of utopia and dystopia embedded in Asian science fiction. This volume illustrates the soft power of media in transnational exchanges.

From the Back Cover

"The current two volumes are the most comprehensive and authoritative academic publications on Asian popular culture. They aptly document the ways in which Squid Game plays a pivotal role in shifting cultural production, and how the Korean Wave around the globe keeps going strong, both practically and academically. The readers of the books will be able to utilize cutting-edge debates and empirical studies guided by some of the finest scholars in the field."

--Dal Yong Jin, Simon Fraser University, Canada

"Squid Game is a game-changer, and this essential two-volume collection pays tribute to the power of Asian popular media to speak to audiences far beyond the region about the precarious lives we share in the second decade of the twenty-first century."

--Gina Marchetti, Pratt Institute, New York, USA

"Contemporary Asian Popular Culture is essential for anyone seeking to understand the profound influence and intricate narratives of contemporary Asian popular media. Together, these volumes provide a crucial resource for scholars, students, and enthusiasts alike."

--Eunyoung Kim, Auburn University at Montgomery, USA

This volume explores the broader cultural, economic, and socio-political dynamics exchanged between Asian popular media and the world. The authors analyze how the said media navigate complex global markets, technological advancements, and cultural exchanges. It brings together interdisciplinary voices discussing various facets of Asian popular culture and illustrates the media's soft power in transnational exchanges.

Yeojin Kim is an associate professor in Communication at Central Connecticut State University, USA.

Dharshani Lakmali Jayasinghe is an assistant professor of Anglophone and World Literatures in the Department of English at Central Connecticut State University, USA.

Hiba Aleem is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of English, Writing, and Communication at Emmanuel College in Boston, USA.

Karen A. Ritzenhoff is a professor in Communication and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Central Connecticut State University, USA.

About the Author

Yeojin Kim, Ph.D. is an associate professor in Communication at Central Connecticut State University. She is also affiliated with the East Asian Studies and Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies. Her primary research area is digital media and strategic communication, focusing on how organizations and the public communicate in a digital media environment, employing various messages and channels to achieve specific strategic goals.

Dharshani Lakmali Jayasinghe, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of Anglophone and World Literatures in the Department of English at Central Connecticut State University, USA. With a background in comparative literature, Jayasinghe's interdisciplinary and cross-cultural research and teaching interests include themes in immigration, visa law and policy, LGBTQIA+ identity, Global South epistemologies, and translation studies in anglophone and world literatures and film.

Hiba Aleem, Ph.D. is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of English, Writing, and Communication at Emmanuel College in Boston, where she teaches Literary Methods and has taught Global Literature and Film and Academic Writing. She is also a Fulbright program scholar from Washington College, Chestertown, holds a Ph. D in English from JNU, New Delhi, and has more than six years of experience teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in English literature, language, and writing.

Karen A. Ritzenhoff, Ph.D. is a professor in Communication and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Central Connecticut State University. In 2021 she co-edited Mediated Terrorism in the 21. Century (Palgrave) with Elena Caoduro and Karen Randell. New Perspectives on the War Film was published by Palgrave in 2019, co-edited with Clémentine Tholas and Janis L. Goldie. Ritzenhoff has published three additional anthologies with Palgrave.