Abstract
Since the 1990s, ‘Hallyu’ or the ‘Korean wave’ has become one of the biggest cultural phenomena across Asia, resulting in a surge in foreign demand for all things Korean. Hallyu first spread to China and Japan, later to Southeast Asia, including the Philippines. The present study delves into ‘Hallyu,’ more specifically, the K-dramas. This study is a feminist reading of the female reception on how women are portrayed in K-dramas, specifically the empowered female characters, in terms of the Western values and ideologies. This study employs mixed method approach using online survey (N=34) and in-depth interviews for data collection. Textual analysis of the data is anchored in Hall’s encoding-decoding theory, dual-systems theory and the concept of the female gaze. The results reveal that the middle-aged Filipino women perceive the interaction of power and oppression brought about by the influence of Western values and ideologies of patriarchy and capitalism as depicted in the male villains’ aggressive and violent behavior, the male dominance over women, and the perennial characterization of heroes as heirs to the family-owned companies. Using the female gaze, the middle-aged Filipino women’s dominant readings of the characterization of empowered/disempowered women in the K-dramas uncover values of self-confidence, independence, competence, hard work, leadership, perseverance and determination.
Author Information
Maria Rhodora S. Salazar, AMA University, Philippines
Paper Information
Conference: KCAH2024
Stream: Media
This paper is part of the KCAH2024 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Salazar M. (2025) The Female Gaze and the Middle-Aged Filipino Women’s Reception of Empowered/Disempowered Women in Korean Television Series ISSN: 2759-7571 – The Korean Conference on Arts & Humanities 2024 Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 93-104) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2759-7571.2024.9
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2759-7571.2024.9
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