[KeaneJerrica]

Interesting point ! My colleague and I were just discussing the WHY behind how some k-pop/k-dramas break through transnationally in some areas and not in others? 

[KeaneJerrica]

The breakdown of gender norms in article 2 was fascinating. In particular the analysis of K-drama's that feature "Dad's taking care of their children for 48 hours". The existance of such shows, along with their popularity, highlight the fact that Dad's taking an essential role in childbearing is "outland-ish" enough to warrant (not one, but multiple) television programs is startling. I was shocked to read about the declining birth rates coupled with high death-by-suicide rates in Korea and how the author linked these two occurances to the rigid gender norms present in Korean society. There was a lot of discussion of hetero-couples and heteronormativity and it makes me wonder what are the perceptions, prevelance and attitudes towards same-sex partnerships in Korean society? Throughout the article, the author makes a strong point that gender norms and social constructions around child-rearing and sexual relationships need to be reshaped, reimagined and/or overhauled completely, but I wonder how does that change start? I often think of our youth and how powerful their voices are. I truly believe that the younger generations bring about the most expansive change and so I wonder, again, are the youth in Korea more gender & sexually fluid than older generations just as they are in California? 

[KeaneJerrica]

This post is AMAZING ! Thank you for sharing all your recommendations. I teach social justice and one thing that we do to start class each day is play a song related to social justice. Students then do a short lyric analysis and it's a great warm-up activity. N.O. by BTS sounds like it would definitely fit! Do you have any other recommendations? It's important to me to have diverse music included so I love this! 

[KeaneJerrica]

Yes, to all of this! The concept of transnationalism while maintaining identity is fascisnating to me. Like having your feet firmly planted in two very different worlds. How do they do it? It must require a tremendous amount of self-reflection and a strong sense of self, right? We should explore this more within our course! 

[KeaneJerrica]

I found this article tremendously interesting. So interesting in fact, that I had to read about the Japanese occupation of Korea more. I am a bit embarrassed to say that as as history teacher, it is a focus area that I know very little about - I guess that's why I'm here to learn! Anyways... 

This article was full of themes of identity and while the article was balanced, it offered an indepth understanding to the complexities of K-Pop and critiques. The pressues of maining and reclaiming identity during/after Japanese occupation, and the geocultural differences on the transnational stage is heavy. I found myself consistently wondering the following questions - How did people reclaim their identities? What is the story of agency within K-Pop? A few references were made to the fact that the LOCAL element (over the global one) is the true heart of K-Pop. Localities bring the groups to life therefore reinforncing the idea that K-Pop itself is so much more than a brand. However, the balancing act of breaking into a Western market while maintaining national pride is a delicate one. Overall, these artists are brave for facing colourism, and dehumanization while offering globe with unique musical talent. 

[KeaneJerrica]

I immiediately added A Taxi Driver to my list of films to watch because of this thread! I'm super into historical fiction so I'm eager to enjoy the film while learning. Thanks! 

[KeaneJerrica]

Agreed! After our discussion on zoom, I left feeling really excited to watch more Miss Granny ! Your point is an interesting one. Why does hollywood create this barrier in terms of remakes? In my opinion, they actually allow for creativity, and how cool is it to view a beloved film with a new prespective/diverse experience. 

[KeaneJerrica]

While I found many parts of the first article interesting, I found myself relating to comments by Blythe Worthy. In partiular her discussion of learning about different cultures through "a person". As she re-lives her experience with the arrival of Korean exchange student, Jung-Ah, I felt myself wishing everyone had both the experience of hosting an exchange student and being one. She highlights the vital importance of immersing yourself meaningfully into new experiences. I participated in an internship in Dresden, Germany and I recall the intense moments of culture shock, but also the wonder of inter-cultural connections. As described in the article, Jung-Ah's "dedication to exploring cultural difference" really stood out to the writer and lived on in the way Blythe continued to experience new ways of being. Ultimately this feeling of fascination, unknown and wonderment is a goal I hope all of my students experience. While physically immersing yourself in diverse places is ideal, I strongly believe teachers can support exploration and cultivate interest through texts, multi-media and of course, storytelling and oral history. 

[KeaneJerrica]

Hello everyone 🙂 

My name is Jerrica Keane. I am a teacher at Aragon High School in San Mateo, CA. I teach Government/Economics, Ethnic Studies (with Courtney Caldwell who is also participating in this course) and Agency & Social Justice. I am orginally from Edmonton, Canada. I moved to the Bay Area just over 5 years ago. I feel extremely lucky to teach at my current school as I am able to teach courses that I am most passionate about. 

Overall, I'm excited to learn more about Korean pop culture to add depth of personal understanding while also incorporating more diverse topics/text/perspectives into both Ethnic Studies and Agency & Social Justice. 

I'm looking forward to meeting you all!  - - Jerrica

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