Contextualizing Social Learning Theory Through Korean Media: A Case Study of Cultural Heterogenization in North East India

Abstract

Culture is the manifestation of varying patterns of human behavior and ways of life shared by the society. Every society is marked by a unique cultural tendency which symbolizes its identity to the whole world. The most primary way of expressing one's culture is through human communication. Cultural elements such as language, values, morals, customs, traditions, art, etc., are exhibited consistently through different mass media forms. The present study highlights the case of Korean cultural diffusion in north east India through Korean popular films, dramas, songs, music, etc. Since the beginning of the 21^st century, the Korean cultural wave has been consistently spreading in many parts of north east India. The study explores the varying patterns of Korean wave in north east India by contextualizing the rich theoretical background of Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory. The theory, which depicts that people learn and come to acquire new forms of behavior and actions by observing other people's action in the society, explains the dynamics of cultural assimilation of Korean popular culture among the north east Indians.