• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.133-146
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to analyze the fusion phenomenon that appears in contemporary women's denim fashion in order to find a way to come up with a creative denim design. The methodology of this study is to research documents related to fusion phenomena and consider precedent studies to establish a criteria for analyzing fusion phenomena. The results are as follows: First, fusion phenomena in modern women's denim can be categorized into fusion of time, fusion of space, fusion of gender, fusion of culture, and fusion of genre. Fusion of time appears as fusion with the past and fusion with the future. Fusion of space appears as fusion with Asia and fusion with other regions. Fusion of gender appears as unisex, androgynous, and genderless. Fusion of culture appears as fusion with subcultures such as grunge, kidult, lingerie, hippy look, hip hop fashion, etc. Finally, fusion of genre appears as fusion of materials, fusion of style, and fusion of circumstances. Second, when analyzing the frequency of appearance for fusion phenomena, fusion of culture appeared with a frequency of 29.7%, followed by fusion of genre with 19.1%, fusion of time with 10.5%, fusion of gender with 9.9%, and fusion of space with 8.5%. When analyzing the most frequently appearing fusion phenomena by year, fusion of culture appeared the most from the year 2000 to 2004, fusion of space and time in 2005, fusion of genre from 2006 to 2007, fusion of culture again in 2008 and 2009, and once more fusion of genre appeared the most in 2010.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.40
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• pp.151-170
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• 1998

The purpose of this study is to examine the value of grotesque fashion and to predict the future fashion trend. The grotesque originates the formative art. It emerges towards of a century or transitional period in most case. In particular, it was used as the expressive method of an individual's inside and a satire on society through the work of artists in the Middle Age, the renaissance, the sym-bolism, the dadaism, the surrealism, the pop art, the technology art, and the post-modernism, etc. The grotesque in fashion is represented in the work of avant-garde fashion designers who lead the high fashion. The grotesque fashion which was combined with an image of non-formality, non-rationality, an absurdity and reality. It has been begun shape of female dress in the renaissance. Afterwards, it was represented in extremely exaggerated and distorted pop art, hippies' fashion in the 1960's. In the 1970's, it was reflected in genderless rock star and destructive punk fashion. It was also represented in the androgynous fashion which was combined with both sexes, the goth/gothic fashion which was expressed with a realistic and fanciful shape and the tattoo of skin-head in the 1980's. In the 1990's, the grungy look which was dirty and the cyber punk fashion. In general, it was also expressed by the avant-garde fashion designers. To sum up, a grotesque fashion which is expressed by experimental designers is classified into four shapes. 1, Union of some extraneous is expressed as different kinds of fashion theme, such as abnormality of texture, uses of surrealistic elements and chaos of sex. Although it appears that the abnormal union of grotesque has only discord and collision, it also shows a feeling of freedom for the tension. 2. Introduction of real and fanciful image is expressed as a cyborg, realistic description of disgusting animal skin and aggressive shape. Especially, it is worth while to notice Tierre Mugler and Alexander Macqueen's work which expressed the shape of mingling human of Middle Age. 3. distortion or exaggeration is expressed as an unformed shape, the exaggeration of a clothing size, the abnormal exaggeration of human body and the ignorance of clothing form. 4. Introduction of a disgusting image is expressed as an extremity of reality, motifs of death, clothing material of disgusting hair and the ostentation of sex. Motto which leads modern fashion is something new and shocking. The grotesque fashion is an expression of eagerness for something new. It often show something ironic in the form of humor which is embedded in an abnormal and shocking pattern. The grotesque fashion is represented as an extreme beauty. It will stand as an important element of the future fashion and as a particular style with the change and fluidity.

• Journal of Family Relations
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.77-98
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• 2016

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore perceived meanings of dating and marriage among well-educated Korean couples who were in optimal marriageable ages. Particularly, an emphasis was placed on finding out where the traditional gender norms and post-modern contexts intersect on the couples' course of dating and marriage. Method: We undertook a qualitative analysis of 8 couples (age: 26-34) dating. Participants were limited to university graduates of upper-middle rank universities in Seoul, South Korea. The rationale for choosing such sample was based on the idea that characteristics of class is inherent in the act of dating and marriage, and that such characteristics lead to different contextual experiences in dating and marriage. This study was based on interviews conducted over a three-month time span. The interviews were first transcribed into research text and then subjects and key categories were drawn from the transcripts for analysis. Results: Participants sought meanings of joy, learning, and self-improvement in dating, and they were free from traditional gender norms in their romantic relationships. They viewed marriage as having a permanent companionship with their partner, becoming independent from their parents, and/or a social norm to be followed. Participants reported mixed perceptions about marriage in such fashion that they described their parents' relationship in terms of a gendered leader-supporter relationship, while viewing their own relationship as being genderless partners. In transition to parenthood, however, they regressed to traditional gender norms dichotomized as women being a homemaker and men being a breadwinner. In sum, participants displayed expectations that were inconsistent with regard to dating and marriage over the study period. That is, during the course of dating and early marriage, they did not hold separated gender norms; however, when transitioning from being a newly married couple to giving their first childbirth, expectations shifted to traditional gender norms and values. Conclusion: This suggests that it is not marriage, but the experience of childbirth and motherhood, which strengthen traditional gendered norms, engendering regeneration of the gender norms in families. The results indicate that there is a need to promote co-parenting behavior among the newly-married couples and to educate gender equality about parent roles or for parents in South Korea so that they can overcome traditional gendered norms in family.