Session 7 - April 28

[clay dube]

Sean's point about looking for topics that allow you to bring the stories of several cultures together is an important one. He highlights the silk road and also Mongol expansionism. Trade drove the silk road exchanges and, after conquest, the Mongols also facilitated widespread trade. We touch upon that in the Song-Yuan lecture for the 5/12 session. During most of this period the nation-state idea is not the driving force in East Asia. Instead of political boundaries, there are cultural heartlands and frontiers where norms vary. The possible links between Siberian and Korean beliefs gets at this. These were fluid areas, borrowing, converting, inventing and transmitting a wide variety of cultural and economic practices.

[clay dube]

Miguel - Generations of students have enjoyed learning about and experimenting with haiku. I think you're right that students may be similarly interested in sijo. As Jennifer noted, there are entire workshops and competitions devoted to this. Our NCTA partners at Indiana University have done much on this. Here's an article in the Korea Times by Mark Peterson who used to teach at BYU: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2021/03/739_277030.html?WA . Last year the LA Korean Cultural Center sponsored a contest: https://www.kccla.org/events/view/?eid=5742&cm=7&cy=2020

[Martha Pao]

I really liked learning about Sijo poetry.  The poem is long enough to give space for expression, but constrained enough to be able to finish it in a limited amount of time. I suspect the students will like the plot twist and the wide selection of topics. It definitely is something that sounds easy to do and can be added to be a filler if there is time.   I would add that students can present it as a song or as rap.

 

[Martha Pao]

The Mongol Empire lasted about two centuries and stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of central Europe.  During these times, there must have been much cultural exchange, assimilation and intermarriage.  I wonder how much of the Mongol culture remains as part of the Chinese and Korean cultures?  What traditions are alive today that were imported originally from the Mongols?  I imagine that somewhere in Mongolia in a classroom the teacher is going over just these questions and teaching a much different story: their story.

[Anastasia Brown]

I never knew about the mythical origins of Korea and that they is an actual record of this not only in Korea but acknowledged in China. As well as the female rulers of Korea, the importance and that they were able to rule in their own stead, especially with Queen Seondeok. That is something that I have never heard of or learned about before in my taking of classes on Korea. This was the first time I have ever heard it mentioned. Just like the structure of the Hallowed Bones and True Bones structure and how the rulers come from each

[Todd Rutley]

The idea for this note came from Jennifer Jung-Kim Video #2: Korea from 1392-1800, where she discusses hereditary social classes. This caught my attention because the lowest class in both Korea & Japan is relegated to the same dirty jobs that the other classes do not want. Furthermore, this discrimination is semi-permanent because the class status is hereditary. 

This note explores the concept of the “untouchable classes” in Korea (the Baekjeong) and Japan (the Burakumin).

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[Taylor Bub]

I love your idea of having students learn about Sijo poetry and utilizing rap or songs to help them connect to it.  I think many students struggle in making connections to poetry and by connecting these ancient forms of poetry to something so modern can be so enlightening for them. I think that Sijo is also a great comparison to haiku, and if time allowed, it would be interesting to provide students with a particular song or rap and have them rewrite it into the form of a Sijo or Haiku poem, or even to have them write a Sijo and Haiku poem about the same topic to compare the two styles with one another.

[Tara Corral]

I actually took some time to look up some artists who are Korean and though their is a lot of male artists dominating, i did find one artist now whose work is very interesting, Jew Young Lee. 

I think it would be great to see how Korean Women are creating art now and whether they are influenced by the past traditions of men or are they finding their own unique voice that stands apart from Minwha and traditional painting styles. I would be also curious to see what styles are used more by Female Korean Artists. 

[Melina Melgoza]

I learned so much from the article, “Creative Women of Korea." As an Ethnic Studies teacher, I am constantly trying to center the experiences of those who are generally marginalized in historical text. I’m inspired to use content, especially the content learned here, to raise awareness about systems of oppression, such as patriarchy, sexism, heterosexism, and more to find as many opportunities to bridge ethnic, cultural, or racial divides.  This upcoming year, we will be starting up our first Korean History class, and I am excited to create opportunities for my students to learn more about Korean history because unfortunately it is rarely at the center of a lot of the work that we do.

[Melina Melgoza]

That sounds like such a phenomenal exercise! I like short poetry (like Sijo poetry) that can be embedded in a short amount of time! Especially if it's short, but still complex and allows for dialogue! I also find that poetry really allows for creativity and for students to understand that there are other forms of expression, they don't always have to be the conventional texts. 

[Melina Melgoza]

Jennifer, 

All great points! I wonder if having the conversation of that social structure in class, where "entertainers were just above slaves," can allow for a deeper dialogue about why the arts aren't as well-funded and why the arts are so underfunded in so many spaces, especially in our communities of color. These programs are always the first to go, so, I definitely wonder how cool it'd be to have the conversation about social structure and then connect it to today and the manner in which arts programs just aren't given as much attention to as "math and english." This could be a really great dialogue.

[Miguel Diaz]

Thanks for information Professor Dube. I enjoyed reading the article titled, “Teaching Sijo in America” by Mark Peterson. I’m looking forward to learning more about the work of the The Sejong Cultural Society. I might take one of their sijo poetry writing classes for teachers as soon as possible.

I also really enjoyed the impressive poetry which was written by students. I’d like to one day have the opportunity to have my own students submit their work.

While reading the peace by Mark Peterson, it’s suddenly dawned on me that it would be great to create a series of lessons on a trinity of poetry to include jueju, haiku, and sijo. 

[Deirdre Harris]

I very much enjoyed listening to Professor Kim's presentation of Korea up to the 1800's.  From learning that they created a language culture and a Print culture "Proper Sounds to Inform the People", to a movable printing press two hundred years before the European Gutenberg Bible, it sounds as if they were a very creatiave, and prolific group of people, capable of so much that we see in her video.  She mentions that the Choson people saw themselves as the last bastion of civilization, and talks about the Heredity Social Status in Choson.  Having the Scholar-officials higher than the civil-officials probably caused some tensions.  I would imagine that any out of wedlock children would try to hide their lineage to retain their social standing in Korean society at any cost.   Then the Secondary Status groups, then peasants/comoners consisting of farmers, artisans and merchants.  I heard her mention that Confusionism looked down on merchants because they really didn't create anything.  They were just selling what others had created at a profit.  Then the Lowborn came next, and they are described as "Despised occupations"  such as a butcher, because they worked with dead animals, grave-diggers, shamans and enetertainers. (I find it very surprising that Shamans and Entertainers were considered "Despised Occupations."  Boy, our culture sure values these types of professions here in America today .)  Then the slaves were even lower then the Lowborn.  It seems like a caste system that you would never get out of.  You were born into your place in life.  I wonder if anyone did manage to fight their way to a higher place in Korean life successfully?  There must have been someone.  

I like how Professor Kim speaks of many women in her account of Korean history of prolific writers.  She emphasises that women are often neglected in many histories, and she didn't want to perpetuate this.  She speaks of Ho Nansorhon and Heo Nanseoheon, and their contributions to Korean writings, often being taught by the males in the family.  Often a brother, or father would assist the women in the family to learn due to the rules they lived with.  

She finally speaks of Sijo Poetry and gives several examples.  We can all as teachers, get excited, and see the connection to Haiku poetry that is more well-known to our students.  How fun it would be like someone mentioned above to have an Asian Poetry Wall in your classroom filled with Chinese, Japanese and Korean examples of poetry.  That would be impressive.  Thank you to Professor Kim for all of your wonderful insights to help inspire us to create new ideas for us and our students.

 

 

[Deirdre Harris]

Hi Jennifer, I also found it interesting that entertainers and shaman were listed just above slaves in Korean social order.  This is so unusual as you make a good point that poets are similar to singers if they produce original songs.  Here in the US, we give our entertainers such high status, it's quite the surprise to hear this.  I can understand the difference between a court jester or comedian being not such a high level position in life, but depending on the talent, it is interesting what was valued then versus now.  This could be researched by students to see what other countries around the world valued with regard to positions in life, and what was valued by each culture.

[Cynthia Jackson]

As the longest lasting kingdom from 57 B.C.E.-936 C.E. and one that managed to form an alliance with China and then dispel them from their territory, the kingdom of Silla makes a great case study for ancient Korea. Particularly, I was interested in ancient Korea’s gender roles and the positions that aristocratic women filled. In the Hwarang (“flower youths”) aristocratic young men and women trained side by side- something that is not typical in Christian based, western cultures many of my students are familiar with. Learning about the training of the Hwarang can lead to the analysis and discussion of the name of this group, their daily life, and the purpose of their training, as they were all considered future leaders. Then learning about the accomplishments of Queen Seondeok such as the unification of the kingdom, the establishing of a culture distinct from China and Japan, and technological advancements will reinforce that classic gender roles in Korea were fairly equitable and community involvement from everyone was valued. I like this topic as it also complicates and will widen the narrow view of feminism my young students have learned thus far in their lives.

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