Contributions are being sought for a planned book on the K-pop phenomenon being planned by JungBong Choi of New York University and Roald Maliangkay of Australian National University. Titled K-Pop Politics: Digital Mediation and Global Fandom, the volume will, according to the editors, bring together academic and professional writings on a wide range of topics:
- Cultural/Political Frameworks: hallyu (Korean wave) and cultural nationalism/transnationalism; European crises; cultural de-Westernization; cultural empowerment and global south, etc.
- Political Economy: state/corporate sponsorship; soft power; nation branding; cultural diplomacy;Â popular culture as a strategic industry; transnationalism in cultural production, etc.
- History and Stylistics: history of idol bands; esthetic genealogy of K-pop; group performance and collective identity; linguistic miscegenation; body/gender/sexuality; genre mix; kinship with J-pop or hip hop, etc.
- Media and Mediation: specific workings and functions of You Tube, Twitter, and Facebook vis-à -vis broadcast mass media; distinct routes/patterns of distribution; specific meaning of “socialâ€Â media in K-pop; digital mobility and transferability; viral communication and cultural synchronicity, etc.
- Audience and Fandom: the power of fan clubs/blogs/sites; fan as expert/critic/quasimanager; metropolitan subculture and the role of minorities/diasporas/sojourners; collectivity and peer culture; cultural capital and race/ethnicity; the meaning of entertainment in generational/youth culture; Japanophile and K-pop; anti-Korean wave movements; K-pop and consumption chains including, but not limited to, fashion, cosmetics, food, and tourism, etc.
For more information about the rationale and scope of the project, contact the co-editors, JungBong Choi and Roald Maliangkay. To be considered for inclusion in the volume, send an abstract of 500 to 700 words to JungBong Choi by Friday, November 2, 2012. The abstract must include a working title, a bibliography, and a short (100 words) author biography.