Film as cultural diplomacy: South Korea’s nation branding through Parasite (2019)

Lee, Seow Ting

doi:10.1057/s41254-020-00192-1

Cited by 18 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 31 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The theory accounts for how the integration of cinematic and cultural context portrayed in particular content is to be interpreted by consumers ( Lovric, 2018 ). This in turn spikes viewers’ interest and prompts audiences to further explore the culture of their favorite characters and their respective histories ( Lee, 2019 ; Javed et al, 2022 ).…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Knowledge Foreign consumers are considered potential promotional targets internationally, and brands and destination managers are increasingly collaborating with producers to capitalize on these consumers’ interests ( Mendes et al, 2017 ). Aside from entertainment and educational purposes, the export of cultural products such as tv shows and movies, facilitated by online access, can significantly boost the domestic economy and create a favorable climate for international trade, employment and tourism ( Lee, 2019 ), increasing the income from fashion, entertainment, food and tours. Thus, with widespread and easy access through digital channels, cultural product expansion has increased significantly ( Wei and Rafael, 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The impact of TV series consumption on cultural knowledge: An empirical study based on gratification–cultivation theory

2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study aims to clarify the media-induced trends of cross-cultural transmission and examine the implicit promotional potential for cultural branding. The gratification and cultivation theories are used to explore the promotional media prospect in forming perceptions of foreign cultures’ traditions, habits, norms, and values to contribute to international communication. We analyzed the theoretical applicability in the case of China–Thailand contemporary media culture. A total of 856 Chinese series watchers were surveyed. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the path effect of consumption of Chinese TV series on other endogenous variables. Results showed that cross-cultural media product consumption strengthens bilateral relations. Moreover, the acceptance and appropriation during engagement with media characters and producers lead to favorable attitudes toward the target culture. Results confirm the positive mutual association between the gratification and cultivation theories and their applicability in the current context. This study offers an important contribution through its finding that the need for gratification significantly and positively impacts consumption and cross-cultural learning and raises cross-cultural awareness, thereby leading to sustainable practices.

show abstract

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of TV series consumption on cultural knowledge: An empirical study based on gratification–cultivation theory

2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This is the reason why the socioeconomic status of parents influences the social standing of their kids. People with property and more money are able to equip their kids with a multiple-step head start that could not be easily overcome only by working hard (Lee, 2019). The poor Mr. Kim was unable to pass down any financial resource, not even social or cultural capital to their kids, thus their ambition to change their lower-class identity was not more than an airy hope.…”

Section: Struggles In Social Mobilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The major reason Bong Joon-Ho's Parasite is worth to be analyzed that is because this movie is not merely a source of entertainment, but it also serves as social commentary on the class divisions and inequalities in South Korea (Lee, 2021). Although the setting is in South Korea, the issue presented is universal.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Living in a hamster wheel: Identity construction through hopes and terrors in Bong Joon-Ho’s 'Parasite'

Octavia

2021

RAINBOW

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite (2019) has successfully depicted universal issues regarding class identity and social mobility. It tells us a story about a lower-class family, the Kims who aspired and struggled in their journey of climbing the social ladder. This research aims to explore the process of identity construction of the Kims. Close textual analysis is employed as a tool for investigation and Althusser’s ideological interpellation is used to explain the process. The research also focuses on the socio-cultural factors that influence the Kims’ social mobility which contribute to the permanence of their class identity. The findings found out that many symbolic markers such as differences in property, neighborhood, education, diet and behavior distinguish the lower- and upper-class families. Thus, interpellation occurs when the family is lured into believing the ‘American dream’: by working hard enough and taking more risks, it is possible to climb up the social hierarchy. It constructs their identity as a lower-class with aspirations to move upward. This study also concludes that the persistence of social immobility is highly influenced by the level of education, perceptual discrimination, the impossibility of cross-class marriage and the economic inequality. Therefore, it proves that class identity can be unfavorable inheritance.

show abstract

“…Both the issues of efficacy and the role of branding consultants are prioritized, focusing on the failures or successes of such often top-down campaigns. But as a nation brand is “inherently a complex, multifaceted construct” (Lee 2020 , p. 2), it is productive to widen the investigation and track the heterogeneity of Brand China, especially since previous studies have already focused on official events like the aforementioned 2008 Olympics Games in Beijing, the World Expo in Shanghai 2010, national image films and the promotion of Confucius Institutes (Berkowitz et al 2007 ; Paradise 2009 ; Manzenreiter 2010 ; Wallis and Balsamo 2016 ; Barr 2012 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The visual politics of Brand China: Exceptional history and speculative future

Chao

2022

Place Brand Public Dipl

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

As a global power, China is a provocative case study for nation branding practitioners and scholars. It is mired in a contested process of global image-making animated by Western media headlines, often negative ones, which draw the ire of the country’s Foreign Ministry and its ripostes. Into the fray are also self-representations, or nation branding moments, that disseminate idealized visions of the country. This paper dissects two such promotional events: an art exhibit and a science fiction blockbuster through visual and narrative analysis. It considers how cultural diplomacy, political ideology, and visuality coalesce to engender images of the nation, punctuated by the country’s prized cultural values and global political yearnings. Rather than examining official branding campaigns, this study is grounded in the liminal space of popular culture where there is state oversight, and yet, also some creative freedom. The findings point to two time-related themes and visual strategies that showcase the country through its distinct dynastic past and through anticipatory spectacles of its hoped-for future. These serve as a harbinger of nationalistic visions to come. An understanding of this time-sensibility and visuality of Brand China yields a keener sense of how the country reinforces itself as a global leader.

show abstract

Film as cultural diplomacy: South Korea’s nation branding through Parasite (2019)

Cited by 18 publications

References 31 publications

The impact of TV series consumption on cultural knowledge: An empirical study based on gratification–cultivation theory

The impact of TV series consumption on cultural knowledge: An empirical study based on gratification–cultivation theory

Living in a hamster wheel: Identity construction through hopes and terrors in Bong Joon-Ho’s 'Parasite'

The visual politics of Brand China: Exceptional history and speculative future

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About