The Asian Center for Women’s Studies (ACWS), Ewha Womans University, is pleased to invite you to the second lecture of the 2026 Emerging Scholars’ Talk Series, “Critical Feminist Interventions in Asia.”

For our November lecture, Monika Sri Yuliarti will present her research on Indonesian female K-pop fans and the ways in which they engage with and reinterpret changing representations of masculinity in K-pop.

November Lecture

Speaker: Monika Sri Yuliarti
Assistant Professor, Universitas Sebelas Maret

Discussant: Ji-Hyun Ahn
Associate Professor of Media Cultural Studies, Graduate School of Communication & Arts, Yonsei University

Date: Friday, 6 November 2026
Time: 17:00 KST

Title:
Reconfiguring Masculinity: Indonesian Female K-Pop Fans and the Making of Soft Affective Masculinity

About the Talk:
K-pop male idols often challenge conventional ideas of masculinity through their aesthetics, emotional openness, care, and vulnerability. Drawing on the experiences of Indonesian female fans, this talk explores how women actively and selectively reinterpret these qualities rather than simply accepting established notions of “soft masculinity.” It introduces the concept of soft affective masculinity to capture how strength and aesthetic softness are reconfigured alongside emotional openness, relational care, self-discipline, and ethical conduct, highlighting women’s active role in reimagining what masculinity can mean.

All sessions will be conducted online via Zoom (https://ewha.zoom.us/j/7344040131) and in English. Please note that interpretation will not be provided. The Zoom session will be recorded.

For the full lecture schedule and information on the remaining speakers and discussants, please see the attached poster.

We warmly welcome researchers, students, and anyone interested in feminist scholarship, gender and masculinity, popular culture, fandom, and critical approaches to Asia to join us for this conversation.

Please feel free to share this invitation with anyone who may be interested. We look forward to seeing you online!