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Maria BlakeGreetings everyone--
This is Maria G. Blake and I teach World Literature English to Sophomores in an IB High school in Tucson, AZ. My students love good food since sometimes they complain about the quality of the cafeteria food. They know mostly about their traditional food and the customary food chains in the U.S. from fast food to the best Mexican restaurant and candy. The other day I saw two students with two sweets from Mexico that were different from any sold in the U.S. and found it really interesting. All these different colors and flavors that can distinguish one food/cuisine from the other and, in some sense, reveal something about the culture and history of that food/cuisine and the people who prepare and eat it. There are some foods, for example, that are shared by two cultures, such as "baklavas", which both the Greek and the Middle East people claim it as their own but history can reveal how the two sides of civilization interacted through the ages and food was a way to show such cultural transactions and exchanges. Greece was under the Ottoman Empire and that could explain how "baklavas" could have mostly originated in the middle east before it became a traditional Greek pastry, unless the dish already existed in Greece. It is worthwhile to study history through food and find how and why it is either way.
I, also, love good and healthy food but my knowledge in Asian food is limited. My interest, therefore, in the course comes from my interest in learning more about the different names of favorite foods and, then, inspire my students to explore another culture through food. Food is one way to engage students with another culture, in particular, the Chinese, Korean, or Japanese. What literature, generally, strives to achieve by opening a window to the world, literature on food can further support with its global connection. It is, therefore, my hope to learn ways to incorporate food activities in the classroom both to broaden my students' vision about the world and to bring more fun, hands-on assignments in the classroom. Looking forward to this food journey learning with and from all!
Maria BlakeThe videos I watched were two for this first discussion forum. The first one was what all of us had to watch with Dr. Jung-Kim, and the second one was because I missed attending the live forum, which was about the predictable unpredictability of North Korea, specifically, in the context of the new political dynamics that developed with the new leadership in North Korea and the U.S. There are some interesting takeaways from the two presentations, particularly, as they relate to North Korea, which is a country that has alienated itself from the world due to its communistic monarchy. The unknowability about North Korea sparked this interest in learning more about it through the video presentations.
In the first presentation with Dr. Jung-Kim, one of the takeaways was that North Korea has been divided from South Korea ever since the end of the WWII, and particularly the Korean War. That the two countries are not united speaks to the fact that the war has not ended between the two countries, which I did not know. Both countries have mandatory the service by able-bodied men, which suggests the high priority placed on safety and security in case there is a threat of an attack, or a need for defense.
Furthermore, one of the highlights from the presentation with Dr. Jacques Fuqua corroborates what Dr. Jung-Kim said before, that is, that Koreans put a high premium on their military for either aggressive, or defensive reasons. The assumption that predominates, though, is that the threat for a nuclear war exists mostly with North Korea, a country that seeks to achieve its stature in the world as a nuclear powerhouse so as to maintain its independence from China, Japan, or western countries, and also to achieve its “autonomous self-identity,” the “Juche,” pronounced /tsuse/. There is obviously a pressure from China and Japan for North Korea to conform to agendas, but North Korea has managed to gain some independence with the adoption of the title as one of the major nuclear powerhouses in the world that produces nuclear weapons for itself and for other countries. North Korea has other weapons of mass destructions, as do other major economic powers such as China and the U.S.
It is unsettling to think that North Korea would think nuclear weapons is the solution to independence. Dr. Fuqua claims that it would be really hard to dissuade North Korea from continuing with the production of nuclear weapons, since the only two solutions that could exist, economic sanctions, or accepting North Korea as a nuclear power, do not eliminate the potential threat of a nuclear weapon use in a potential future conflict. If used in South Korea the destruction would be devastating, Dr. Fuqua supports, because of the high density of cities and the potential use of other weapons such as chemical and biological weapons.
Finally, there is hope that peace will always preside over any political dialogue, because North Korea wants to have relations with its allies of Russia and China. The fear of nuclear weapon use, though, exists as a threat and it was interesting to see that being suggested in the two presentations, but mostly in the second presentation.
Resources Consulted:
5 Things to Know about Korea.
Presenter: Dr. Jennifer Jung-Kim
North Korea: A Predictable Unpredictability (9/19/2017)
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/3151256785799706625
Presenter: Jacques Fuqua, author
Maria BlakeBillie--
This was a shocking article that shook me from the innocuous belief that stars have it easy and are lucky to reach fame and popularity. Such articles are sad but they bring a sombering truth to the youth, who tend to think without consequences, or be overconfident disregarding human limitations and needs. Reading such articles can bring new critical insights and make youth wiser. It was suprising to learn though that such deaths were the result of bullying on female pop stars mostly, rather than male. In some cases, they were caused by pressures from a patriarchal system. Such ideas remind me of the articles we read in the module on South Korea.
Finally, the theme of suicide reminds me of the Japanese obsession with such ideas, particularly, during and after the WWII in literature written, and wonder whether there has been any influence from Japan on the subconscious of the South Korean people, when Korea was a colony of Japan before WWII, which explains perhaps such incidents. Samurai used to treat such acts as acts of honor. Japanese soldiers during WWII did similar acts to honor their Emperor instead of surrendering, an act of dishonor. Thank you for the insightful link.
Maria BlakeAngelique--
The link on the adopted children from South Korea was really interesting and reminded me of "Ode to My Father" and the sense of loss the brother experienced from having lost his father and baby sister during the Korean War. In both contexts we see how the issue of family and belongingness is foregrounded as a cultural value that was jeopardised because of the Korean conflict in the case of the movie, but I wonder what the reason was for the adoption of children in large numbers from south Korea in later years. I knew about Chinese adoptions, mostly of girls, but not of the same practice in South Korea. Is it possible to conjecture that, since the Korean War that has officially not ended because of the division between the two countries that keeps the two countries still apart economically and politically, such a reality has given rise to this sense of loss to a deeper extent than it would otherwise would have been. Is the sense of loss the mature individuals speak and communicate through the tone of their talk, as they recollect their experiences of adoption and loss of a sense of belongingness, then, a byproduct of a collective sense of loss from being raised away from "the mother country," instead of just a consequence of an individual sense of loss as a result of having grown up feeling "given away" by their natural families? Thankful for the insightful link.
Maria BlakeLen--
This short video clip illustrated several new ideas about the culture of North Korea: the major role that agriculture plays in the country's economy that justifies the use of cows as labor force and, also, why cows are kept from being eaten because of what they represent in the economy. it was suprising to hear that, as you oberved, killing a cow for food is considered a misdemeanor that is punishable. This is another evidence of the propaganda in effect. It was shocking to hear, too, that dogs that are pets in South Korea are seen differently in North Korea.
Overall, this short video clip was an interesting reality show snapshot on not just barbeque promotion but the symbolism of barbeque used to represent two things: first, an economy that is more advanced than in places such as North Korea, and second, how barbeque can be a symbol for the ideal of unity between North and South Korea; in fact, one of the last participants in this kind of barbeque competition reveals how this barbeque experience could be the way to bridge the chasm between the two countries that exists because of political differences. Food can unite versus divide people. Thank you for this interesting resource.
Maria BlakeDuane—
This short film did not make sense to me at first, but after seeing it twice it made more sense; it was possible for me to connect, that is, the missing dots between what the young girl does habitually with her art in the beginning, and when we see the girl as a high school student expressing a desire for an ideal of beauty that reflects what her parents had adopted by their example and embraced by a life lived according to it, even going to such extreme lengths of wearing this crafted ideal of beauty onto their faces. The young character has little hesitation in going about changing her face to be like her parents. What is scary about this short movie is that the beauty promoted in this dystopian society is artificial and robotic in its features and appearance, making the face look more unreal and lacking any human features and qualities that would endear the face and person in that face because of its sense of humanity. My natural reaction from watching the transformation of the human faces into artificial masks was horror and repulsion; it is ironic though how the screenwriter gives the impression that in the depicted society such facial features are considered expensive and ideal. The ultimate goal seems to be that the ideals of beauty engendered in modern society of South Korea are unnatural and should be interpreted with caution and a measure of critical insight because they can alienate the individual from the truth and an authentic existence and wellbeing.
Finally, this movie will work well in association with the readings included in this module. The resistance to the corset movement and the information about the cosmetic surgeries in South Korea highlight the real experiences of what the movie represents to the extreme. Students will get the point about standards of beauty that are extreme, and thus inhumane, and those that are standard and acceptable. Thank you for this unique and thought-provoking resource.
Maria BlakeGenny—
I would like to agree with you about the readings on modern South Korea and your insights about the popularity of K-Pop culture among the younger generation. With my Sophomore students, though they do not show to me what songs they listen to, some of them show their familiarity with the culture of Pop stars in South Korea, when particularly they buy lanyards with the symbols of K-Pop celebrities pictured on them. Last year, one Sophomore student of mine was unique in dressing just like a K-pop star. This became clearer to me now, after having read your post and learning more about the South Korean musical culture through this seminar. The readings, moreover, assigned during the week on South Korean history and culture bring another element about the culture of South Korea today that help students and us as educators see how critical social issues exist in any modern society, regardless of whether it is South Korea, China, Japan, or the U.S., which music usually brings to life with lyrics and musical rhythms that make the culture of each country unique and reflective of traditional values and aspirations. Thankful for your insights, which in fact made me look up this new model of music called K-pop I had little idea about, although the gangnam style song was something familiar to me before the workshop on the Two Koreas.
Maria BlakeBillie--
Thank you for sharing such an interesting documentary about the North Korean experience from a first account experience. It made me think of the following things in relation to teaching, literature, and students:
This video clip provided a glimpse into a system of government that uses propaganda to carry out its aims, which are to oppress and manipulate the people’s opinions and galvanize society’s commitment to obeying the government and preserve, thus, its influence for years to come. There were some things that shocked me, and the information and experience of Hyeonseo Lee can be useful not only as an eyewitness account of a personal story about the human need for freedom and self-expression, but also an illustration about what propaganda does when it is applied at a large social scale with long-term and blinding effects on the consciousness of the people. Terror shuts down all resistance and exacts a compliance from people that is robotic and unnatural.
Moreover, the shocking stories the video described made me think of how propaganda can be used to such an extreme effect. It is unthinkable that a government, for instance, would allow school classes to be disrupted so that students would attend an execution of an individual who disobeyed the government for probably trivial matters, such as watching western movies. As educators, we are worried every time we show movies that present some kind of violence, whereas such an inhibition is nonexistent in the way the government in North Korea sees the role of violence as a way to discipline and instill fear into its peoples. It was shocking, also, how the presenter in this video described the public execution and imprisonment of people not conforming to the strictures of the government as the number one cause of deaths in North Korea, the second being that of starvation.
Finally, students will benefit from knowing how such realities exist and render the fictional narratives they read more meaningful and appealing. Studying the story of Hyeonseo in conjunction to the story of Animal Farm, an allegory George Orwell developed to highlight the negative dimensions of oppressive governments disguising themselves as governments that serve the needs of people, but actually seeking control and submission of the people’s will, will serve to bring home the ideas Orwell foregrounds. Literature gains more appeal in this light. Yes, it is fiction, but fiction reflects kernels of truth when representing visions and ideologies that help concretize the abstractions of political systems of thought and applications. Students tend to connect better to stories that connect to real events, particularly, when such events constitute risky attempts at freedom, the cornerstone of American cultural experience and constitutional ideology.
Maria Blake
Maria BlakeIn our discussion, we discussed some new ideas that were interesting and would help teach about the real implications of a country divided into half because of different political ideologies that have grown deep and have created a sense of alienation between the Koreans of the two countries. This difference has caused the world to become involved, which adds to the general idea that no country is an island and can be isolated from the world. Students take interest in conflicts and how they get resolved, or continue to exist, and influence individual and social lives.
Our ideas engaged, in short, the past, the present, and the future, and the general impression that came out from the discussion is that North Korea and South Korea are going to continue to be on different political paths, since the monarchical leadership has established the norms for government and citizenship in North Korea that has been an inheritance for years, and thus hard to dissolve. The existence of other countries that are closer to North Korea, also, in terms of political ideologies make any aspiration to unification hard to conceive. Russia and China, for instance, would not want to see North Korea become democratic. South Korea has been democratic because of its influence from Western countries, such as the U.S. The concern with the political realities in South and North Korea rests, then, in my view, in how such realities influence national and global peace. Familiarizing students with such issues help make them more responsible to global issues and proactive in their own lives, since the comparison and contrast of the two Koreas invites discussions on the terror of dictatorships and the merits of democracy, and such awareness inspires a will in students of protecting and nurturing democracy in the U.S. so that the blessings of democracy reach out the present and future generations. The death of young children due to sanctions in North Korea would make students, also, think about what is ethical, or not, in government choices and actions.
Moreover, references to past visions in our discussion, helped clarify for me how interlinked are the histories among countries in Asia, how war can change people into criminals, and how the errors of the past are hard to erase, particularly, if there were survivors and no apologies were made for mistakes of a human nature, such as the conflict with the comfort women during WWII by the Japanese military. It was shocking to hear that there were not only Chinese and Phillipinese, but also Dutch women. Survivors in South Korea seeking public statement of forgiveness from Japan is a testament to how war causes crimes that are hard to erase from the memory of the collective consciousness of a people. The power of the government to exert influence on its people and other countries is also evidence of such power, as the example of Japan and the role its government played during the WWII suggests.
Finally, what the future holds for the two Koreas is unclear but one thing is certain that dialogue will play a big role, as we also discussed. A reunification is hard for South Korea due to the economic disadvantages of North Korea, which will make it harder for North Koreans to adjust and pick up the more rapid pace of a more modern nation as is South Korea. Two video links below foreground that change will have to start from the bottom up, if change is ever to happen. The balloons are raised by common people in South Korea, who care for the common people in North Korea and their wellbeing.
The Giant Balloons Smuggling Tech into North Korea
Launching Baloons in North Korea
Maria BlakeIn relation to the PowerPoint presentation on the political realities of North and South Korea from 2011 until the present, there were some interesting ideas to take away that would be useful in classroom discussions about the role a government plays in society and the individual. The period the presentation covered is marked by the ruling of Kim Jong-Un, who took his father’s place after the latter passed away in 2011. Students would be interested in learning more about how governments can hold so much power over the destiny of a people, and how such an understanding necessitates a series of steps, mostly done at the diplomatic level, to ensure things do not escalate to where there is a point of no return. Students increase in their global awareness, when they engage with issues, such as the above, which can affect not only local countries but the whole world, since history has shown that failure in negotiation leads to conflicts, and in this case, what is concerning is the world, students are cognizant of, has more weapons to cause large-scale destruction.
In my view, Kim Jong-Un, the current president of North Korea, has been fortunate enough to have been the third in line to have inherited the power from his father and grandfather, who established the early foundations and sustained the later growth of the regime that he is now its leader. People, that is, have already been used to the political ideologies, learned to accept them as ideals for their life, and thus, Kim Jong-Un seems to have it easier. This kind of privilege is what seems to have given him this whimsical nature of political leadership. On the one hand, that is, Kim Jong-Un appears to conform to the international strictures about global peace and dialogue, and on the other hand, he is acting unpredictably and changing his attitude to international policies and approaches to its definition of sovereignty that has alerted the U.S. and other governments over time at what potential moves North Korea leadership is likely to take next.
This unpredictability of Kim Jong-Un’s mood and actions is evident, in fact, in the description of the events related to the history of diplomacy between North Korea and the U.S., or South Korea and other countries in the world. The reference to the quakes that alerted Japan and other neighboring countries, to begin with, is one indication of how North Korea is not easily giving up on its agenda to become a nuclear power that the world would be afraid of, since those quakes were the result of “intercontinental ballistic missiles,” launched by North Korean in its pursuit of building a strong nuclear arsenal using its local grounds for testing. The lack of firmness on the part of North Korea is further indicated, when there was a resolution to suspend nuclear tests in April of 2017, but then, just before the Singapore meeting in June of 2017, tensions and turbulence rose, which led to the U.S. calling off the meeting, before rescheduling it again. During the Singapore meeting, an agreement was made on matters related to building “a lasting peace and a stable regime on the Korean peninsula,” allowing for the procedure of “denuclearization of the Korean peninsula” to be set in motion, the unification of families to take place, and “the repatriation of those already identified [….] POW remains.” But, later in June, contrary to the earlier agreements, North Korea starts to increase “the production of fuel for nuclear weapons,” and in August of 2018, there are reports from international committee on nuclear weapons that North Korea is “expanding its nuclear capabilities,” once again. The same approach continues on with more examples of North Korea’s unpredictability, which caused concerns in the world, and particularly, China, which begins to lose patience with North Korea’s actions.
Finally, one thing becomes clear from the above: North Korea wants to stand out as an independent country that has its own history and traditions but, even though such traditions and history revitalize its connection to South Korea, the path to unification seems to be strewn with obstacles, due mostly to the differing political ideologies that prevail in each country, particularly, after the end of WWII. Students can study the context of the division between the two countries in the Korean peninsula as an example of two countries being divided on the basis of different political systems. Such a backdrop can encourage discussions on types of political governments and their role in the lifestyle of the people, which information can be studied later through the recourse to other articles, or documentaries, which elaborate on the differences between the system of communism, or dictatorship, and democracy.
Maria Blake“South Koreans Learn to Love the Other” article provided an interesting perspective on the topics of immigration and multiculturalism that are popular among scholarly circles and courses in the U.S. This subject would be interesting for my students because it refers to the ideal of diversity and how a different country, other than their own, is dealing with the same reality. There are some ideas discussed about government policies and role in support of diversity, which might elude the students’ interest, but that information among other facts is presented in terms of a problem-and-solution connection, so students can read the article in terms of identifying the relation of ideas to each other in this light.
The article, moreover, was interesting to me because it illumined a social reality in South Korea, which was unknown to me. Knowing more about this reality would help me teach literature and political realities in Korea more effectively. The problems of an “aging population and the hostility to world immigrants” are not problems in just South Korea, but also around the world, particularly, the problem with refugees due to the Syrian crisis that led many people to flee their homes in recent years and seek asylum mostly in Europe, the U.S. ,and other parts of the western world. Students can study the way South Korea deals with immigrants in comparison and contrast to that in the U.S. The article states that the government and South Korean people gradually changed their attitude towards foreigners, mostly because of the problem with the aging population, which pressured the people to conform to a new paradigm. The acts the government took to help the situation were several such as supporting media on multiculturalism, which led to the rise of the publication of articles on multiculturalism by three times more than the normal rate. Also, the support came in the manner of “tax breaks for parents,” “posters of multicultural families” in governmental places, the change of language officially in 2009 by the Ministry of Justice from the negative mixed-blood people, to multicultural people. Furthermore, it was the institution of the “Together-Day Festival” for celebrating multicultural people. Two other interesting changes were, first, how the president of South Korea, Mr. Lee, a foreign-born Korean, began addressing foreign brides as “daughters-in-law,” a more endearing term than just the term “foreign,” and second how teachers started getting training on how to deal with bullying in relation to mixed-race students that was assumingly non-existent before.
Finally, the author of the article suggests that the problems have been mostly eliminated despite the presence of criticism among academics and activists who are somehow skeptical about the influx of foreigners in South Korea, more than it used to be; from 536,000 in 2006, for example, to “2 million foreigners in 2016.” The fear is associated with assumptions that foreign people bring with them potential instances of “crime, job losses, and tax burden.” Nevertheless, the general understanding is that 60% of Koreans support multicultural society, and the president of Korea, Mr. Lee, corroborates the above by holding up to “the belief in [the possibility of ] transformation in a multicultural society.” South Koreans embrace progress through multiculturalism.
Maria BlakeThis article shed light on an important issue in South Korean society that I was unfamiliar with and so would my students be. The issue is that of bullying that happens as a result of sexual harassment in school by male teachers and students, or at work and the public arena among politicians, directors, and journalists.
It is pretty shocking to hear that the #MeToo movement had to take shape as a result of secrets coming to the forefront about verbal, or physical, abuses perpetrated for years by public figures and even students. It was sad to read that the harassment at schools was used as a tool from teachers to gain control over their students’ actions since they could use their power to help a student gain access to college, or make it especially difficult for students to get access to in this “cut-throat environment of the South Korean education.” There was one specific case of “300 students and graduates who accused 18 teachers of inappropriate behavior.” I wonder what happened to them. How was the court system supporting the outcome of such cases?
Finally, my students would be interested to learn more about such issues of bullying, because it concerns their personal safety and those around them. As citizens they would have to demonstrate morals for the choices they make and the ways they influence others and help transform their own life and that of others through responsible and proactive citizenship. The #MeToo movement is a movement for respect and equality, rights and responsibilities, which are part and parcel of the role of a citizen in most countries, particularly, that of the U.S., where students would be participating as active members of society. Students are familiar with bullying, so such stories would help them empathize with others and be proactive.
Maria BlakeJeon Bora is a photographer artist who embarked on a campaign called “escape the corset movement,” which allowed women in South Korea to gain a voice of their own so as to reclaim their life and happiness. Bora started this movement as a result of the detrimental effects that she realized were seeping through the fabric of the Korean culture and destroying the self-image and self-confidence of women pressured to conform to an ideal that is perfect leaving little room for constructive agency. The event had its revealing moments and anticipated outcome.
In particular, the photo exhibition plan involved women who were willing to change and transform their lives by committing themselves to become the example of a woman who refuses to conform to “the country’s standards of beauty and the social pressure to conform” and who is looking forward, thus, to discovering a new self, a new sense of identity that would help them feel happy with who “they really are, not how South Korean society wants them to look.” The women were asked to complete a questionnaire where they had to explain their mission statement, the reason they were embarking on this journey, that is. The artist was, then, willing to display their photos in a gallery for the public to visit and get informed. The hope was to transform not only the women’s lives by giving them agency through such an act, but also to give agency to the public and create a change with widespread effects. The portraits of those women were unconventional because they had their hair cut short and no makeup put on their faces for one portrait that would be paired up with a portrait of themselves before this change. These women experienced suffering in their transition from dependence on the norm to independence, but the ultimate benefits were worthwhile. The portraits displaying their pictures before and after with their mission statement were a declaration of their humanity and a call for other women to begin loving themselves for who they really were.
Finally, it is interesting how the artist who started this campaign said how being a judo athlete in the beginning, she escaped societal criticism due to her sport, which allowed her to have her hair short and no make up on her face. Nonetheless, when the author left the sport and entered college, she realized how intrusive such a societal ideology would be to the degree that it affected relations with her female friends, who criticized her looks and encouraged her to change her appearance so as to look more like the rest that fit into the general norm of beauty accepted in society. Bora says that she did not allow that to influence her, and as a result she was able to feel equal among boys, who liked to associate with her, unlike the other girls, who did not have the same kind of rapport with the boys in college. The article, additionally, provides examples of women who paid a price for escaping the corset by being assaulted, or losing their jobs. The general tone of the article is though positive.
Maria BlakeThe article on “Gender, Globalization and Aesthetic Surgery in South Korea” brought up the critical issue of gender stereotypes that exist in South Korea due to the entrenched effects of patriarchal systems of beauty and women’s role in society. The article combined western ideologies with those of eastern origin in order to make an argument about the conditions of women currently in South Korea and the call for women to take up agency through their voice and movements. The latter subject is more elaborated in a different article, though, since this article focuses more on the reality of the cosmetic surgery in South Korea and the reasons for its existence and popularity among both women and men.
The western ideology that is interpreting the current practice of cosmetic surgery among people in South Korea consists in that of the Foucauldian perspective, which assumes that people are “subjects not of [themselves] but of discourses,” which in our case it will be that of the discourse of beauty, what the culture considers to be the acceptable and desirable norm of beauty, to which some people are pressured to conform to. The eastern ideology used to interpret the conformism in society is that of Neo-Confucian ethics, which does not leave space for individual difference, since according to this ideology, “unity of the whole is more important than the individuality of the one, producing beauty as a new requirement of decorum for women.” This kind of culture and discourse the author calls it “a misogynistic beauty culture.” The writer, also, speaks of this culture of beauty as one that depicts the norms for beauty that make a face “lucky,” “best,”, or “right.” Interestingly, the author spoke about the “right” face in terms of marriage and employment, including men in the practice, since although 30% of women were recorded as having done invasive cosmetic treatment between the ages of 20-50 years old, there were also 44% rise in male college students performing the same procedures.
Finally, although the emphasis in the article is on the practices of cosmetic surgery in South Korea, the author leaves the reader with a vision of transformative change that will happen when women begin to gain agency through their voice.
