Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Honors Thesis (Open Access)
Department
Colby College. East Asian Studies Dept.
Advisor(s)
Ankeney Weitz
Second Advisor
Inga Kim Diederich
Abstract
This thesis explores the representations of men attracted to men (MAM) in South Korean media through the theoretical lens of queerscapes. Queerscapes refer to the physical and metaphorical spaces alternative queer existences occupy amidst dominant heteronormative environments. By analyzing a queer independent film, a bestselling novel, and a subversive boys’ love (BL) drama, this study examines how characters in these media actively carve out alternative spaces of existence. The first chapter delves into the concept of queerscaping as a verb to articulate direct conflict with intolerant institutions and dominant ideologies that seek to suppress non-normative sexualities. This precarious balancing act of selectively revealing or concealing identities underscores the challenges inherent in asserting agency and identity. The second chapter reframes queerscapes as queer(multi)scapes, highlighting how different characters engage with queer spaces in distinct ways based on factors like generational divides, societal expectations, personal struggles, class, and health status. This framework underscores the diversity of queer experiences and the need to move beyond essentialist notions of queer identity. The final chapter explores how the BL drama To My Star 2 queerscapes the genre itself by challenging traditional representations of masculinity, emotions, domestic labor, and family structures. This demonstrates how even commercially driven media forms can be subverted to provide more progressive and diverse representations. This thesis contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the complexities involved in depicting MAM experiences in South Korean media. It emphasizes the value of the queerscape framework in illuminating the nuanced strategies employed to assert identity and agency amidst sociocultural constraints. The findings can inform future scholarly endeavors and media productions toward more inclusive and representative portrayals of queer identities.
Keywords
boys' love, homosocial, same-sex sexuality, queerscapes, Confucianism, Love in the Big City
Recommended Citation
Khosla, Tegh, "Interactional Queerscapes: Representations of Men Attracted to Men in South Korea" (2024). Honors Theses. Paper 1528.https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/honorstheses/1528