Date of Award
Spring 2020
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Sociology, Anthropology & Criminal Justice; College of Arts & Sciences
First Advisor
Dina Pinsky
Second Advisor
Ana Maria Garcia
Abstract
My thesis is a cross-cultural comparison of the consumption habits of Japanese and American yaoi or boy’s love (BL) fans, with a particular focus on how the motivations for consuming this type of media may differ between each group. Within my literature review, I start with the history of Japanese homoerotica, from Heian era writings and shunga artwork, to how this has evolved into the modern BL industry in Japan. Additionally, I examine where BL media fits into the landscape of both Japanese and global LGBT+ identity politics. Using identity construction and queer feminist theory, I explore how this type of homoerotica is utilized to help marginalized people construct and validate their sexual and gender expressions. This information will be compared to the data I collect within my own empirical research, to demonstrate what cultural values and consumption habits are similar or differ between my American respondents and the Japanese BL community.
Recommended Citation
Joyce, Caitlin, "American Identities and the Consumption of Japanese Homoerotica" (2020). Capstone Showcase. 2.
https://scholarworks.arcadia.edu/showcase/2020/soc_anth_cj/2
American Identities and the Consumption of Japanese Homoerotica
My thesis is a cross-cultural comparison of the consumption habits of Japanese and American yaoi or boy’s love (BL) fans, with a particular focus on how the motivations for consuming this type of media may differ between each group. Within my literature review, I start with the history of Japanese homoerotica, from Heian era writings and shunga artwork, to how this has evolved into the modern BL industry in Japan. Additionally, I examine where BL media fits into the landscape of both Japanese and global LGBT+ identity politics. Using identity construction and queer feminist theory, I explore how this type of homoerotica is utilized to help marginalized people construct and validate their sexual and gender expressions. This information will be compared to the data I collect within my own empirical research, to demonstrate what cultural values and consumption habits are similar or differ between my American respondents and the Japanese BL community.