Stereotype Representation of Mental Disorders in the Korean drama Daily Dose of Sunshine (Roland Barthes Semiotic Analysis)

Abstract

The topic of mental disorders is not only an essential discussion in the health world, but also an interesting subject to be expressed through various forms of art such as painting, music, movies, and drama series. Movies and drama series have become very popular media amongst society, with today's growing globalization developments, the era of globalisation has had a significant impact on the socio-cultural system in society, especially as the rapid development of mass media is followed by drastic changes in communication technology. The most popular drama in society today is the Korean drama series, many of which raise the issue of mental disorders, one of which is Korean theatre titled Daily Dose of Sunshine. In this study, the author uses qualitative descriptive research. The data analysis technique used in this study is the Roland Barthes semiotic method, which collects data using observation and documentation. The results show that stereotypical representations of mental disorders presented in these plays often appear through dialogue and facial expressions in some scenes, which also display visual representations of mental disturbances. The stereotype of people with mental disorders shown in the drama Daily Dose of Sunshine is that they are considered too difficult to communicate with the people around them and are only obsessed with their own minds or worlds. This stereotyp shows that people with a mental disorder are often placed in difficult positions in society, because they are seen as a burden and are considered incapable of functioning normally in everyday life.