2025 Theses Doctoral

I-Positions of Korean American Youth in Figured Worlds: Dialoguing, Shifting, and Surfing in K-Wave

Kim, Eun Bee Ellin

This qualitative study examines the influence of Korean media (K-media) on the ongoing identities construction of Korean American high school students. Drawing on dialogical self theory (Hermans & Hermans-Konopka, 2010) and Holland et al.’s (1998) concept of figured worlds, the research reveals how these students actively construct their identities through dynamic negotiation of multiple cultural influences.

Through my analysis, I identified four distinct visualizations of how Korean American youth navigate bicultural spaces, which I term “Identities-in-Dialogue Realms”: (1) Balanced Integrated Identities, characterized by seamless cultural integration; (2) Cultivating Calibrated Cultural Identities, featuring controlled cultural engagement with permeable boundaries; (3) Constrained Identity, marked by significant barriers to cultural integration; and (4) Dynamic and Expansive Identity, conceptualized as an annular form that enables continuous cultural accumulation while maintaining core stability.

My research reveals how K-media functions as a dialogical bridge that strengthens ethnic cultural connections, facilitates intergenerational bonds, and enables strategic cultural positioning in educational environments. I observed that meta-positional awareness and promoter positions emerged specifically among participants with more integrated bicultural identities, enabling them to reflect on their cultural positioning and advocate for structural change.

The study highlights the fluid nature of identities-in-forming, showing how bicultural youth actively position themselves within cultural borderlands. By examining the intersection of media engagement, educational experiences, and identities development, I offer insights for educators seeking to create culturally responsive learning environments that validate students’ complex multicultural identities.