Author(s): Ahrum Jeon
Year of publication: 2021
Keywords: Webtoon, Cultural exchange, Bullying, Affinity space, Multimodal engagement
Methodology/Sample: Ethnographic content analysis/1,380 reader comments
Reference: Jeon, A. (2021). Care as a Border‐Crossing Language: The Webtoon Reader Discussion Forum as Mediascape. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 64(6), 657-664. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.1147
Abstract
Drawing from Appadurai’s notion of mediascape, in which global cultural flows simultaneously construct local/global perspectives, I explored how youth and young adults across the globe make sense of digitally shared space, with a specific focus on the Webtoon reader discussion forum. Findings illustrated that the participants constructed the notion of care as standing up for others, raised awareness of social justice, and mobilized transcultural values to construct a cross-cultural community with multimodal engagements. By understanding the reader discussion forum as a mutually constitutive negotiated space, the voluntary decision of these young individuals to engage in Korean Webtoon digital space underscores how they construct literacy practices across the globe while transcending demarcated categories of race, gender, language, culture, and other essentialized identity markers.
> Summary
- The paper explores youth engagement in Korean webtoons through a transnational mediascape, highlighting cross-cultural exchanges and emotional expressions .
- It employs ethnographic content analysis to examine reader responses and shared experiences, particularly around themes of bullying and support .
- The study emphasizes the significance of digital spaces in fostering community and cultural connections among diverse youth .
- The findings reveal how young individuals navigate their identities and emotions through multimodal interactions in global digital environments .
> Problem statement
- The paper discusses the impact of bullying and the need for community support among young individuals experiencing marginalization .
- It highlights the importance of emotional exchange in fostering a community of care across borders .
- The study emphasizes the necessity for educators to create safe spaces for discussing emotions related to bullying .
- It addresses how affective contagion can bond individuals into a collective response against bullying .
- The paper explores how online platforms facilitate discussions that challenge processes of othering in bullying contexts .
> Methods used
- The study employed an unobtrusive, inductive qualitative content analytical approach to gather data from reader comments .
- Reader comments were collected from the English version of the Korean webtoon, focusing on episode 8 .
- Pseudonyms were assigned to ensure confidentiality of participants and their comments .
- Ethnographic content analysis was used to identify primary meanings, patterns, and themes from the data .
- Open coding and analytical memos were utilized during the initial data readings .
- NVivo software was employed for manual coding to ensure comprehensive data analysis .
- The research focused on the interactive nature of the discussion thread rather than participants’ offline lives .
- The study emphasized the shared values and emotional expressions within the reader discussion forum .
> Practical implications
- Incorporating diverse learners’ digital literacy practices promotes equity and shared humanity in education .
- Educators should create environments for youth to utilize their multilingual and multicultural resources .
- Emotional exchanges in anonymous forums foster community and mutual respect among participants .
- Discussions about emotions in classrooms can enhance safe learning spaces for students .
- Multimodal engagements in transnational mediascape allow youth to connect across cultural boundaries .
- Understanding the processes of othering can help challenge bullying and marginalization in educational contexts .
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