How/What is Possible in History Studies of Animation Industry: Interdisciplinary Research About Method and Significance

Abstract

Although there is a significant body of literature analyzing the contemporary animation business, few studies have researched the history of the animation industry. The reason for this is a lack of explanation about the discipline and agenda in academia, which is a problem that this article attempts to address. Traditionally, the description of popular culture is often taken as the starting point of social critique in history studies, followed by an analysis of media politics through the lens of social history; such research tends to reconfirm the arguments of social critique and social history studies. Regarding the methodologies used in humanities and social sciences in general, more focus has been placed on the work of users than on the roles of industries and companies. However, these approaches often take no interest in the capital logic involved in the cultural industry. To address this, the historical study of the animation industry can encourage further discussion on the relationship between popular culture and capital logic. Additionally, case studies can be used to examine how this has changed. Therefore, there is an opportunity to update the theories and insights of humanities and social sciences by examining the history of the animation industry.