Institutional Affiliation

Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Manitoba

Start Date

17-1-2025 2:30 PM

End Date

17-1-2025 4:00 PM

Proposal Type

Presentation

Proposal Format

On-campus

Proposal Description

In Vietnam, where public protests are criminalized (Kerkvliet, 2022), young people continue finding creative ways to advocate for their rights through different venues, particularly the arts. This research combines digital ethnography and duoethnography to examine K-pop dance covers in Vietnamese public spaces as a platform for youth to explore their gender identities, connect, and visibilize queerness.

K-pop is a music genre, pop culture, and cultural phenomenon that emerged in South Korea and has gained significant popularity and influence around the world (Aini, 2020). We, two researchers (one is a K-pop dancer), began the research by using digital ethnography (Zorn, & Underberg, 2013) to critically examine 20 YouTube videos (2017 – 2024) from Vietnamese non-professional dance groups using the search term “K-pop in public Vietnam,” covering music from 20 K-pop girl groups (GG, groups made up of female members) and boy groups (BG, groups made up of male members). Utilizing queer theories (Paiz, 2018; Trinh 2020), we use duoethnography (Dong & Damasceno, 2024; Sawyer & Norris, 2015) to add insights from our lived experiences.

We find that more female dancers crossdress to appear masculine than male dancers dressing femininely, which reflects how societal binary norms affect youth’s ability to express queerness. From Researcher 2’s observation as a K-pop dancer, many youth change their fashion, hairstyle, and make-up as they enter the K-pop dance cover community. Many feel accepted and come out to the community or families. This demonstrates “K-pop in public” creates a community of belonging for youth to express their gender identities and challenge gender norms.

However, many youth continue operating within a binary paradigm. When female dancers cover BG songs, most cut their hair short or tie their hair up, as these hairstyles are historically considered to be masculine (Eyssel & Hegel, 2012; Zipkin, 1999). Dancing in public attracts diverse audiences, giving exposure to a more inclusive gender expression than what is shown in the news media. To queer public spaces, we must deconstruct the binary paradigm of gender, center marginalized voices, and re-imagine a more inclusive world where gender is fluid and human worth is not bounded by oppressive societal expectations.

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Jan 17th, 2:30 PM Jan 17th, 4:00 PM

“K-Pop in Public”: Vietnamese Youth Using Dance to Queer the Public Space

In Vietnam, where public protests are criminalized (Kerkvliet, 2022), young people continue finding creative ways to advocate for their rights through different venues, particularly the arts. This research combines digital ethnography and duoethnography to examine K-pop dance covers in Vietnamese public spaces as a platform for youth to explore their gender identities, connect, and visibilize queerness.

K-pop is a music genre, pop culture, and cultural phenomenon that emerged in South Korea and has gained significant popularity and influence around the world (Aini, 2020). We, two researchers (one is a K-pop dancer), began the research by using digital ethnography (Zorn, & Underberg, 2013) to critically examine 20 YouTube videos (2017 – 2024) from Vietnamese non-professional dance groups using the search term “K-pop in public Vietnam,” covering music from 20 K-pop girl groups (GG, groups made up of female members) and boy groups (BG, groups made up of male members). Utilizing queer theories (Paiz, 2018; Trinh 2020), we use duoethnography (Dong & Damasceno, 2024; Sawyer & Norris, 2015) to add insights from our lived experiences.

We find that more female dancers crossdress to appear masculine than male dancers dressing femininely, which reflects how societal binary norms affect youth’s ability to express queerness. From Researcher 2’s observation as a K-pop dancer, many youth change their fashion, hairstyle, and make-up as they enter the K-pop dance cover community. Many feel accepted and come out to the community or families. This demonstrates “K-pop in public” creates a community of belonging for youth to express their gender identities and challenge gender norms.

However, many youth continue operating within a binary paradigm. When female dancers cover BG songs, most cut their hair short or tie their hair up, as these hairstyles are historically considered to be masculine (Eyssel & Hegel, 2012; Zipkin, 1999). Dancing in public attracts diverse audiences, giving exposure to a more inclusive gender expression than what is shown in the news media. To queer public spaces, we must deconstruct the binary paradigm of gender, center marginalized voices, and re-imagine a more inclusive world where gender is fluid and human worth is not bounded by oppressive societal expectations.