Caroline Wakaba Futamura (Georgetown University)
A(n) (re)examination of the origins and impact of popular culture will therefore unveil the unprecedented implications of soft (cultural) power. What forms of cross-cultural exoticism or familiarity have been attracting new viewership? How might these findings pertaining to media globalization push us to reassess the notion of cultural imperialism? And how could this new knowledge encourage (de)constructive dialogue and a self-(re)examination that calls for an inclusive de-centralized outlook on the implicated societies? This panel seeks to explore these significant yet minimally addressed questions in order to better understand the impetus behind and influence of the changing tides of cultural flows that are pervading the Franco-Asian world.