Source 3

Introduction to Cultural Appreciation vs. Cultural Appropriation

• Tension: Cultural appreciation is viewed as a valorized identity project by ethnic consumers while cultural appropriation poses societal implications, indicated by two types of consumer subjects: the ethnic consumer and the responsibilized consumer.

• Study Focus: Analysis of international K-pop consumers illustrating how they navigate self-authorization, defined as reflexive self-reconfiguration concerning cultural consumption.

Self-Authorization Strategies

• Types Identified: Four self-authorization strategies:

  • Reforming: Consumers critique and engage with issues like racism and cultural appropriation, positioning themselves as responsible custodians of culture.

  • Restraining: Consumers limit their engagement to less controversial cultural expressions to avoid social judgment, becoming cautious appreciators.

  • Recontextualizing: Consumers situate their cultural engagement within sociohistorical contexts to understand appropriative issues better.

  • Rationalizing: Consumers mitigate appropriative concerns by framing cultural exchange positively, positioning themselves as enlightened cosmopolitan participants.

Theoretical Framework

• Reflexivity Concept: Consumers reflect on their identities through the lens of cultural discourse which influences their protectionism and expansion of cultural knowledge.

• Consumer Subjectivity: Understanding of how consumers position themselves in relation to others' cultures being consumed, enabling the blending of cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation discourses.

Cultural Appreciation Discourse

• Orientation: Promotes a moral view as consuming cultural difference as a benign and enriching practice, often shown through various domains like international foods and music.

• Market Dynamics: Cultural consumption has been reframed from conflict to a source of commodified difference, enhancing consumer identity through global market engagement.

Cultural Appropriation Discourse

• Understanding: Articulated as problematic use of cultural elements by externally identifying groups that may ignore underlying historical tensions.

• Market Implications: The increasing awareness of cultural appropriation challenges the normative practices of cultural consumption, arguing for deeper ethical considerations in marketing strategies.

Consumer Self-Authorization Strategies in K-Pop

• Reforming: Activist custodians analyze anti-appropriation and seek systemic changes within K-pop consumption practices.

• Restraining: Limiting engagement to avoid negative associations and moral conflicts, protection against cultural misrepresentation.

• Recontextualizing: Consumers educate themselves about the cultures involved, fostering a respectful approach to cultural engagement in the K-pop arena.

• Rationalizing: Dismissing appropriation concerns by framing cultural exchanges as globally acceptable, downplaying potential negative impacts.

Methodology

• Data Sources: Combination of in-depth interviews, netnographic observations within K-pop fandoms, and analysis of social media discourse on cultural appropriation concerns in K-pop.

• Participants: 38 international K-pop fans engaged in qualitative interviews aimed at exploring individual engagement with cultural difference.

Implications of Self-Authorization

• Consumer Level: Increased awareness around cultural appropriation encourages more informed consumer choices while navigating societal pressures and cultural sensitivities.

• Industry Level: Brands must account for cultural representation dynamics as they craft identities and marketing narratives, lest they provoke backlash from aware consumers.

• Societal Level: The evolving discourse encourages a more nuanced understanding of cultural interactions, but risks creating divisions among consumer bases based on cultural sensitivity perceptions and resulting behaviors.

Conclusion

• The study sheds light on complexities surrounding cultural consumption in the global marketplace, particularly reflecting on identity construction amid current social dynamics concerning cultural appreciation and appropriation in contexts like K-pop.