From Korean Culture Fever to Hybridization of Eastern Asian Culture

本文研究的目的嘗試回答「在以國族認同的現實中，東亞流行文化的交流是否能使東亞國家成為一個想像中的共同體，進而創造一個令人嚮往認同的東亞認同？」。在理論層次上，本研究認為一個想像中的東亞共同體可以建立在亞洲閱聽人對東亞國家間混種流行文化產品的消費上，東亞共同體代表了形形色色的生活型態，並結合傳統、現代及後現代的價值觀。為了要找出混種的文化實踐能否建構東亞認同，必須探討這些文化實踐在社會及歷史的情境中各種既有的連接方式。 本研究發現，在消費進口流行文化的情境下，消費混種流行文化文本不僅能提供消費者反思社會議題，同時也讓生產者理解其他國家如何產製產品的機會。此外，大眾媒體藉由討論國家主義，試圖干預閱聽人對他國文化產品的消費行為。當審視東亞流行文化實踐之間所發生複雜的互動關係，本研究也發現構想東亞認同應該是想要面對並克服各種非民主及壓制的力量，而非去認同其所定位的文化內容。National identity has traditionally played a central role in shaping a person’s views and beliefs. However, is it possible that we are moving towards a new paradigm, where exchanges of popular culture in East Asia make it possible to visualize an integrated East Asia bloc and connect with a broader East Asian identity? On the theoretical level, we contend that the new East Asian image is being cultivated by the commonality of consuming hybridized popular culture products exchanged among East Asia countries, which represent various shapes and forms of cultural memes, which are ingrained in tradition and values of modernity and post－modernity. In order to find out whether hybrid cultural practices can constitute the basis for the establishment of an 「East Asian identity」 with the potential to change the current landscape in power relations, we need to investigate concrete ways in which specific cultural practices are articulated in the social and historical contexts. In the context of the consumption of imported popular cultural products, the experience of hybrid popular culture products provides the consumer with an opportunity to critically reflect on the problems in their society as well as gaining an insight into the foreign country producing the product. For the part of audiences enjoying other Asian cultural products, some make use of the cultural products as symbolic capital as a way of distinguishing themselves from other users