Unpacking the Discursive Construction of Masculinity among Filipino Male K-Pop Fans

Abstract

In recent years, the effects of globalization in the amalgamation of various cultural identities brought profound impacts upon the notion of gender. The dissemination of cultural products such as Korean Popular culture (K-Pop) brought forth a shift in societal expectations of gender roles. By virtue of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), this study aimed to examine how Filipino men construct their gender expressions through their lived experiences as K-Pop fans, taking into account their awareness and perceptions towards the gendered nature of K-Pop music in the Philippines as well as the highly nuanced concept of masculinity. Drawing from an in-depth, semi-structured interview and a questionnaire derived from the interview guide, this study arrived at four key themes that were deemed essential in understanding the lived experiences of Filipino men and their construction of masculinity as informed by their consumption of K-Pop: (1) general knowledge about the K-Pop culture; (2) perceptions and understanding of masculinity; (3) effects of K-Pop to personal and social experiences; and (4) effects of K-Pop to masculinity as a greater concept. The study found that amongst a small number of young Filipino men, K-Pop presents an accessible and substitute form of masculine identity that is distinct from the traditional imagery. This alternative form of masculinity is reinforced and propagated by further consumption and the growth of the media itself.