Branding Sacrificial Motherhood in Digital Media in 21st century South Korea

FAIN: HB-288880-23

Hojin Song
CSU, Monterey Bay (Seaside, CA 93955-8000)

Research and writing leading to a book about the branding practices of mother-influencers on digital media in South Korea from 2008-2021.

The project examines the branding practices of mom influencers on digital media in South Korea. Analyzing four cases of a cooking celebrity with online business from the 2000s, blog influencers from 2008 to 2012, Instagram influencers and their shaming accounts from 2019 to 2021, the project aims to tease out how digital media influenced the ideal motherhood, which has been based on a neo-Confucian patriarchal tradition of sacrifice. Upon the influences of neoliberalism and postfeminism that encourage individuals to become economically competitive and pursue their choices and desires, I contend that the focus of ideal motherhood changes from a selfless, enduring mother to an economically skilled expert and then to a morally right figure. It reflects the stark pressures on mothers increasingly bearing both an economic burden and childrearing responsibilities and how mothers’ online economy illustrates their precarious status, further marginalizing them with cultural sanctioning.