Geschichte | Geographie | Wirtschaft | Gesellschaft
Eva Greenwald, 2004 | Ennetbaden, AG
This paper explores the portrayal of love in South Korean and American pop music using conceptual content analysis on 60 songs. While both genres address the topic, differences emerge: American pop tends to address sex more openly, whereas K-pop prioritises self-love. Despite limitations in dataset size, several interesting discoveries were made that could be elaborated upon in follow-up studies, and an original categorisation scheme was developed that could be extended and applied to other songs and possibly other genres.
Introduction
The study attempts to compare how love themes are depicted in K-pop and in American pop song lyrics, focusing on relationships involving love rather than specific types of love, making the abstract concept of love more approachable. To reach this goal, this paper seeks to answer the following question: What types of relationships involving love are featured in the American pop song lyrics compared to the K- pop song lyrics? The following presumptions guide the analysis: (I) Sexual relationships are to be found more often in American pop than K-pop song lyrics. (II) Self-love, friendship, and familial love are more common in K-pop song lyrics. (III) Romantic relationships are the most frequent type of relationship for both music genres.
Methods
Sixty song lyrics underwent conceptual content analysis to examine the types and frequency of love relationships depicted. The analysis was done in two steps: First I assigned macro-categories to reflect the overarching love relationship that the song is about, then subdivided them into more detailed subcategories. The macro-categories were established by merging the study’s definition of love with existing relationship types from literature. Subsequently, subcategories were created by inductively coding the song lyrics, then regrouping the codes obtained. ATLAS.ti, a software for qualitative data analysis, facilitated data organisation. Interpretations and categorisations were based on both the researcher’s analysis and online interpretations of the lyrics which were documented in analytical memos for transparency.
Results
The analysis shows that themes revolving around sex are more prominent in American pop music, while self-love is more prevalent in K-pop. Both genres address broken-up romantic relationships more frequently than ongoing ones. A more positive image of the ex-partner is maintained in K-pop, and self- blame for breakups is more common. American pop artists lean towards self-empowerment through material possessions and sexual attractiveness, while K-pop artists emphasise non-sexual attractiveness. Finally, it was found that K-pop artists, particularly female K-pop artists, present themselves in a more charming light.
Discussion
The study confirms the first presumption that American pop tends to depict sexual relationships more frequently, suggesting a greater openness towards sex themes in American culture. Contrary to the second presumption, friendship, family, and community love were not prevalent in either genre. However, self-love was more frequent in K-pop, possibly reflecting societal pressure in Korea. The third presumption turned out to be more valid for American pop. Romantic love was the most frequent type of love relationship, perhaps due to its relatability and marketability. However, this presumption was not confirmed for K-pop, as self-love was more frequent than romantic love. This analysis, using not only macro- but also sub-categories, revealed further insights into both genres. Firstly, breakup songs dominate both genres, possibly influenced by societal changes favouring the expression of negative emotions. Interestingly, K-pop tends to portray ex-partners more positively, which might be related to Confucian values emphasising responsibility. Differences were also observed in how singers portray self-empowerment, with American pop focusing on material possessions and sexual attractiveness, while K-pop emphasizes non-sexual attractiveness, particularly among female artists, likely due to cultural expectations and norms regarding gender roles and behaviour.
Conclusions
Possible shortcomings of this study include the lack of intercoder reliability, which could have increased the consistency and validity of the analysis, as well as the use of only a small dataset. Despite these limitations, the study led to several interesting discoveries and hypotheses that could be further examined in follow-up studies. Finally, the main value of this study lies in the innovative categorisation scheme that could be extended and applied to other song lyrics and possibly other genres.
Würdigung durch die Expertin
Dr. Ursula Ganz-Blättler
Die Arbeit vergleicht Popsongs aus Südkorea und den USA hinsichtlich der Darstellung von Liebe und Partnerschaft. Die Untersuchungsanlage ist methodisch anspruchsvoll: Der Bestimmung von Makro- und Subkategorien innerhalb des Korpus folgt die Analyse, die neben erwartbaren Befunden (wie kulturell geprägte Unterschiede bei als anziehend gewerteten Eigenschaften und Attributen) auch Überraschendes bei der Behandlung genretypischer Sujets zutage fördert. Die Arbeit liest sich spannend und bezeugt den souveränen Umgang der Autorin mit komplexen Forschungsanlagen.
Prädikat:
hervorragend
Sonderpreis «Mostratec» gestiftet von der SJf-Trägerschaft
Kantonsschule Baden
Lehrer: William Maupin
