View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Repository UPI Ambara Andanawari Muhammad, 2020 WOMEN STEREOTYPE IN K-POP GIRL GROUP SONGS Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia|repository.upi.edu|perpustakaan.upi.edu Women Stereotype in K-pop Girl Group Songs Ambara Andanawari Muhammad, Nia Nafisah, S.S., M.Pd. Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia [email protected] Abstract This study is about women stereotypes in Korean pop music, specifically in girl group songs. There are six songs as the data of this study, which are Itzy with “Dalla Dalla” and “Icy,” CLC with "No“ and ‘Me,” and Mamamoo with “Yes I am” and “HIP.” This present study aims to give a new perspective on how the issue of women stereotype is implied in Korean girl groups’ songs’ lyrics. Since the issues of gender stereotypes are still prevalent in our everyday life, people tend to take gender issues for granted. The present study mainly analyzes how women are constructed through the songs and determine whether the songs confirm or subvert the stereotype. By using qualitative method, the study uses the theory of gender stereotype traits by Evans and Davies (2000) and the theory of stereotypical gender traits by Copenhaver (2002). The study reveals that women, especially in Korea, are more aware of the beauty standards issue in society. They try to change women’s way of thinking and not to be bound by the stereotypes through their songs’ lyrics. Keywords: Beauty Standards, Gender, Gender Stereotypes, Girl Group, K-pop 1 Ambara Andanawari Muhammad, 2020 WOMEN STEREOTYPE IN K-POP GIRL GROUP SONGS Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia|repository.upi.edu|perpustakaan.upi.edu INTRODUCTION made them follow everything that is happening in the industry, be it the way There is a trend about Korea called the entertainers act or how they look. Korean Wave or Hallyu, which refers to Since many Korean women liked K-pop, the popularity of anything from Korean they start to follow everything done by the origin (Kim & Ryu, as cited in Choi, idols from how they dress, the kind of Meza, and Park, 2014). In many countries, makeup they use and the extreme diet they such as Indonesia, Japan, and Thailand do. They feel that what K-pop idol does is this trend ranges from the spread of something that is accepted by Korean Korean restaurants, Korean style or K- society. K-pop plays an influential role in fashion, and the most popular are Korean Korean entertainment media and therefore Drama and Korean Music. Hallyu makes has an impact on society's perception people more aware of Korea. People often (Abrahamsson, 2017). The idol looks watch Korean Drama in Television indirectly represent what Korean beauty Station or attend their favorite idols’ is. Korea has a standard of beauty for concert. However, compared to Korean women that has become a trend around the TV dramas, Korean music (Korean Pop or society. It is because “only beautiful K-Pop) is a much better-planned industry women receive better treatment in that targeting international audiences from society” (Woo, 2004). Therefore, Korean its start (Kim, 2013). Especially in 2009, Girl groups are also highly affected by it. K-pop groups decided to promote their Each member of the girl groups try so hard music outside Korea to other countries to fit in the standards and being accepted such as South East Asia, Europe, and even by the audiences. America. Since K-pop is starting to know In order to fully understand the by the spread of Hallyu widely, K-pop issue of women stereotypes in Korea, it is music has to become a global trend best if we understand the notion of gender nowadays in the music industry. The first as women are considered to be a type growth of K-pop all around the world is of gender. Gender is different from Sex. fascinating as more and more people are Gender is something that defines every attracted to it in the present decade. individual based on his or her social The rapid development of interaction with other human beings. technology in Korea made Korean society Lorber (1994) states that gender easier to access everything in the construction starts with an assignment to a entertainment industry. This is indirectly 2 Ambara Andanawari Muhammad, 2020 WOMEN STEREOTYPE IN K-POP GIRL GROUP SONGS Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia|repository.upi.edu|perpustakaan.upi.edu sex category based on what genitalia look of women working outside the house is like at birth. A sex category becomes a increasing, women are still expected to gender status through naming, dress, and fulfill their traditional responsibilities as use of the gender markers (Lorber, 1994). wives, mothers, and daughters-in-law A gender stereotype consists of beliefs (Choi 1985). Thus, the stereotype of about the psychological traits and women prevails in Korean society characteristics of, as well as the activities nowadays. appropriate to men or women (Brannon, This study will analyze the data 2017). using the theory of stereotypical gender Brannon (2017) further elaborates traits by Copenhaver (2002) and the more about the notion of gender theory of gender stereotype traits by stereotype. Gender stereotypes provide a Evans and Davies (2000). According to system of classifying people that operates Copenhaver (2002), to describe the gender throughout people’s lives; these influence roles of the characters, the division of their expectations for self and others, as masculine and feminine characteristics well as the judgments they form about was needed. This is closely related to the people based on their gender-related issue where women are always seen as the characteristics and behaviors (Brannon, opposite of men. Copenhaver’s separates 2017). Since there are expectations that the characteristics of the trait into four attached to each gender, it creates areas, which are behavior characteristics, confusion or judgment if one of the communication patterns, sources of genders does not act or behave like what power, and physical appearance. First, they are expected to be. Nam, Lee and behavior characteristics describe how men Hwang (2010) give some insight into how and women are reflected to act in relation gender stereotypes perceived in Korea. to each other. Second, communication Gender stereotypes in Korea are patterns describe how men and women established based on Confucian behave towards one another, towards philosophy in the patriarchal system. members of the same sex, and towards the Confucian philosophy or Confucianism world at large. Third, sources of power argues women, in general, are expected to explain wherein women in the domestic be obedient and submissive to their sphere, and men in the public sphere found husbands and family (Nam, Lee, and their loci of control. Lastly, physical Hwang, 2010). Even though the number appearance emphasizes how men and 3 Ambara Andanawari Muhammad, 2020 WOMEN STEREOTYPE IN K-POP GIRL GROUP SONGS Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia|repository.upi.edu|perpustakaan.upi.edu women are viewed from a physical In another study, Nam, Lee, and standpoint. Furthermore, Evans and Hwang (2010) use Goffman's (1979) Davies (2000) (as cited in Kimsey, 2011) typology theory to analyze gender role develop a list of traits characteristics stereotypes in Korean fashion magazines representing eight masculine (aggressive, targeting adolescent girls. The result adventurous, argumentative, assertive, shows that Korean women are competitive, decisive, risk-taker, and self- stereotypically portrayed differently from reliant) and eight feminine (affectionate, Western. Korean women more emotionally expressive, impetuous, stereotypically portrayed than any other nurturing, panicky, passive, tender, and group as smiling, pouting, and with a understanding) traits of gender childlike or cute expression. However, stereotypes. Both of the theories Western women more stereotypically mentioned above are very suitable for portrayed than any other group in the analyzing the data from this study which categories of licensed withdrawal and brings up the issue of a gender stereotype, body display. In some categories, male especially for women. models more female-stereotypically There have been many previous portrayed than female models of a studies that analyze the issue of gender particular race. roles. Abrahamsson (2008) states that his Those studies discuss gender roles study shows how women are portrayed in in K-pop constructed in Media. However, Korean media, in order to give an example little is known about the content carried by of how gender is constructed in media. K-pop groups. Therefore, this study This study used Judith Butler’s theory in focuses more on lyrics song by ITZY with Gender Trouble to analyze ten most "Dalla Dalla" and “Icy,” CLC with "No" viewed music videos of the 5 most popular and “Me,” and Mamamoo with "Yes I groups in South Korea. The result of this Am" and “HIP.” This research tried to study revealed that there are two typical answer questions on how women are ways of women's actions. They also either constructed through the songs and behave in a cute or a sexy way, or even a determine whether the songs confirm or mix between cute and sexy. They are also subvert the stereotype. Through their concerned with their looks and their lyrics, the six songs bring out the issue of primary interest is focused on men. stereotyping in Korea especially for women. Since the issues of gender 4 Ambara Andanawari Muhammad, 2020 WOMEN STEREOTYPE IN K-POP GIRL GROUP SONGS Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia|repository.upi.edu|perpustakaan.upi.edu stereotype are still prevalent in our observable behavior, or in this the lyrics everyday life, this study attempts to give a of songs in the corpus. new perspective about how gender The data source of this study are stereotype is brought through the songs. songs from ITZY “Dalla Dalla” and “Icy,” Moreover, this study aims to make people CLC “No” and “Me,” and Mamamoo aware that even in a song that we often “Yes I Am” and “HIP.” The data then listen to in our everyday life, there are were analyzed using two frameworks.