CONSTRUCTING SOCIAL IDENTITY UNDER DICTATORSHIP — DEPICTION OF YOUTH AND MESSAGES TO THEM IN NORTH KOREAN CINEMA BETWEEN 1971—2016
1.65 MB
avoin
Julkaisu on tekijänoikeussäännösten alainen. Teosta voi lukea ja tulostaa henkilökohtaista käyttöä varten. Käyttö kaupallisiin tarkoituksiin on kielletty.
Lataukset837
Pysyvä osoite
Verkkojulkaisu
DOI
Tiivistelmä
This thesis examines the ways in which the social identity of the youth is constructed,
and what that social identity is like, in seven films produced in The Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea between the years 1971 and 2016. In the thesis, the North Korean
regime is labeled as a repressive authority which is why the construction of social
identity is given focus in the context of totalitarianism, but also through post totalitarianism and authoritarianism. Based on the secondary sources, the importance of
cinema mainly as an educational tool for the North Korean regime, is emphasized.
Understanding this relevance, North Korean films can be examined to find out what
issues are relevant for the regime, especially considering the youth, always representing
the future.
The thesis approaches the issue of social identity through the ideas presented by
Alexa Ispas in her book Psychology and Politics: A Social Identity Perspective (2013)
which emphasizes the habit of authoritarian powers to promote prototypical behaviour
which they seem suitable, when influencing the formation of social identity. The
totalitarian aspect is examined mainly through Hannah Arendt’s The Origins of
Totalitarianism (1951) where issues such as the notion of future and the importance of
tying the masses with the totalitarian leader, proved to be relevant for the thesis.
The films were then analyzed by utilizing the theoretical background as well as
relevant secondary sources on North Korean cinema, culture and society.
The results of the analysis reveal that the films utilize model characters, who
emphasize the regime’s supported values often connected with Juche, the country’s
official ideology, in promoting the prototypical behaviour for the youth. In addition,
flawed characters are used to condemn behaviour which the regime does not support.
The films also utilize music and lyrics, and other characters beside the youth, to
emphasize the regime’s messages. The social identity which the regime constructs in the
films emphasizes unconditional loyalty to the leader of the country with heavy emphasis
on sacrifice. The analysis reveals that the major messages have remained the same in
the films while there are also contextual differences. The study could be continued in
the future by focusing on different eras, such as the Kim Jong un -era, or different
themes, such as the theme of sacrifice. Other art forms, such as television, could also be
researched.