Minds of Manship: Where K-pop Meets Communication Research

For doctoral student Yueliang Wang and Manship professor Dr. Janice Lee, the opportunity to study Korean popular music, colloquially known as K-pop, and how Chinese fans interact with Korean media was an opportunity they simply couldn’t turn down.

The Manship School provides a space for interdisciplinary research regarding communications so students can pursue unique research concentrations. For Wang and Dr. Lee, that freedom turned curiosity into a collaborative and extensive research endeavor funded by the Korean American Communication Association’s KACA-KOFICE grant.

The KACA-KOFICE grant is a competitive research grant given to small research teams who align with the annual research theme and have gone through the extensive application process. The grant has helped Wang and Dr. Lee fund and expand their research beyond the Manship School.

The study being conducted by the group is a Q-methodology survey method to understand Chinese K-pop fans and how they interact with K-pop culture. Q-methodology combines quantitative and qualitative approaches by having participants rank 33 specific statements. Participants then prioritize statements based on agreement or disagreement, allowing researchers to conduct in-depth follow-up interviews regarding their choices and attitudes.

The questions explored complex topics such as the K-pop labor system, idol management, and how historical political tensions between China and South Korea influence consumption by Chinese fans. By utilizing Q-methodology, the participants have to prioritize the statements among the selections rather than simply agreeing or disagreeing, providing a more comprehensive outlook on Chinese attitudes and interactions with K-pop.

Looking ahead, their findings are headed straight for the annual KCA Conference in Hawaii, providing the pair a platform to share their findings and to learn more from other scholars studying similar subjects from around the world.

“I also want to bring some research ideas back to the Manship, and especially about Asian culture, Korean culture, and how to combine with the different cultural backgrounds,” said Wang.

By combining international perspective and research with local scholarship, Wang and Dr. Lee are expanding the scope of communication studies at Manship. As these global insights are brought back to the Manship School, they provide future communicators and scholars a comprehensive way to understand international attitudes. As global media evolves, understanding the intersection of regional politics and international fandoms allows communicators to communicate effectively.

“One thing I learned from Manship is you never limit yourself. You can try anything you want,” said Wang. This is the philosophy that drives Manship students to continue to push the boundaries of communication and research here at LSU.