The Construction of Female Self-Identity in Subcultures under Post-subcultural View: A Study of Social Media-Based K-pop Fandoms

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-440-2_115How to use a DOI?

Keywords

post-subculture; female fandom; self-identity; K-pop; social media

Abstract

This study employs a post-subcultural lens (Bennett, 1999 [2]; Thornton, 2018 [14]) to investigate how female K-pop fans on social media negotiate fluid identities through emotional engagement, transnational fandom practices, and resistance to gendered norms. By integrating.

Jenkins’ (2008) [9] participatory culture framework, the findings reveal that fans actively hybridize global and local influences, challenging static subcultural boundaries while navigating industry-driven commodification. The study advances post-subcultural discourse by foregrounding gender as a critical axis of identity negotiation in digital fan ecologies. The discussion provides a concise examination of gender differences, pointing out that male fans tend to concentrate more on the artistic performances of idols, whereas female fans tend to place a greater emphasis on their own experiences. The purpose of this investigation is to investigate the fan practices of eleven participants, nine of whom are female and two of whom are male, in both virtual and physical settings. The investigation makes use of ethnographic techniques, such as comprehensive qualitative interviews and participatory observation. According to the findings, female fans of K-pop idols develop their own distinct identities, which are formed by the motional bonds they form, the social engagements they participate in, and themselves. In addition to being influenced by broader social norms and gender frameworks, the process of identity formation provides insight into the complex characteristics that are associated with post- subculture. This process demonstrates a profound engagement with fan culture. Fans are women who actively explore their self-identity in both mainstream and subcultural environments. They use their passion for fandom as a means to challenge or redefine traditional social and gender roles. Fans are women who are fans. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of K-pop fandom as a contemporary cultural landscape. It highlights the independence and diversity, among female fans in the process of constructing their identities.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Jiayu Liang
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/07/10
TI  - The Construction of Female Self-Identity in Subcultures under Post-subcultural View: A Study of Social Media-Based K-pop Fandoms
BT  - Proceedings of the 2025 11th International Conference on Humanities and Social Science Research（ICHSSR 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 1004
EP  - 1010
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-440-2_115
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-440-2_115
ID  - Liang2025
ER  -