FOUCAULDIAN PERSPECTIVES ON MENTAL HEALTH LITERACY IN THE KOREAN ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

Abstract

Behind the allure of the Korean entertainment industry, lies several skeletons in the closet. Extreme pressure and a regimented process of idol making have caused many Korean celebrities to struggle mentally. In light of this, this research appropriates three Foucauldian theories: Governmentality, Surveillance and the Theory of Discourse to investigate how MHL is perceived among adult Koreans, whether poor MHL in the Korean entertainment industry can be generalized to its wider society, and how MHL will impact the effectiveness of existing mental health policies in Korea. Through 17 in-depth interviews with adult Koreans, it was found that adult Koreans were mostly literate in terms of the ability to recognize mental disorders, understanding the importance of seeking professional help and managing their symptoms as well as the importance of future preventive measures. This study also discovered that poor MHL in the Korean entertainment industry can be extended to the Korean society at large as social issues such as hyper-exploitation, hyper competitiveness and lookism were present in both entities. The research also deduced that there is a direct relationship between the level of MHL and the effectiveness of mental health policies - the higher the level of MHL, the more effective mental health policies are, with the opposite being true. Levels of MHL among individuals are in turn influenced by social and structural factors such as mental health stigmas, flawed advertising strategies and public education. This research also discusses the limitations of the study and methods as well as suggestions for future research at the end.