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Meghann SerilI teach 3rd grade in a Mandarin dual language program. Although the specific topic of the two Koreas does not come up in our social studies curriculum, there are some topics we discussed that I can connect to my social studies instruction.
One big shift I am trying to make in my instruction is to consider what narratives are left out of the traditional curriculum and to ask myself if my students see themselves reflected in the material I am presenting. At my school we have several Korean and Korean American families. I would like to discuss with students and compare the role of women in both older and modern Korea with that of women of the Tongva Indian tribe who are native to the Los Angeles area. I think many of my students might also relate on a personal level to the idea of moms running the household and being in charge of their education. When we talk about immigration and the push and pull forces that cause immigration I have lightly touched on the ideas of poverty, war, and lack of opportunity as push forces. With what we’ve learned about North Korean refugees and defectors, I think I can include some examples to highlight that struggle and explain that the process of immigration is not always easy.
Art and storytelling are other ways in which I can make connections to my curriculum. One of our art standards, as part of art appreciation, is to consider the point of view of the artist and values represented in the art. In the past I have chosen art examples from European and American artists. I would like to include artwork from both North and South Korean artists. I would be particularly interested I how my students react to some of the depictions of Kim Il Sung. I would also like for students to compare and contrasts short stories from Korea with common fairytales and fables. This is a major unit from the third-grade standards. I would wonder what lessons students take from the stories and how they can analyze the author’s craft in delivering that message to the reader.
Most importantly, I appreciated Dr. Jung-Kim’s reminder that we need to separate the individuals from the leadership. At my students’ developmental age, it is common for them to assign traits from one individual to a whole group, to generalize those features. Although I can’t think of a specific Korea connection to my curriculum, it’s just something I want to be mindful of throughout my instruction. I want to reinforce the idea of looking at the individual when it comes to our stories in language arts, or events and people we discuss in social studies.
Meghann SerilHi Heather! You bring up a good point about North Korea being the "happiest place on earth." It makes me wonder about the demographics about those people who try to escape from North Korea. Is it more men or women? What levels of education or types of jobs have they had? At what ages do they attempt to leave? It must weigh so heavily to make the decision and then to act on it. It was sad to think that the alternative is death.
Meghann SerilHi Juana! I also thought it was interesting for the there to be many different words for jail in North Korea. I guess it does show you the values or priorities of the culture. It also makes me wonder how normalized this pattern has become. Do people who are sent to jail expect to return home? What happens after that homecoming? Or do people expect it to be a death sentence with no resolution for some families? Such a sad fate either way.
Meghann SerilHi Tom! This reminds me of a Ted Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in which she talks about the danger of a single story. If we only see one representation it is understable that we would generalize that representation to the whole group. I agree that in our role as teachers we have a powerful and important opportunity to expose our students to several points of view. Although I teach 3rd grade and most of what we discussed doesn't necessarily fit with my standards, I think that one take away I have is that I can be more intentional in the representations that I do share in the classroom. I need to look beyond the prescribed curriculum to ensure my students are reflected in their instruction.
Meghann SerilHi Tom! I love the way you capture the relationship between the two Koreas as two brothers, each wanting to save the other from going down the wrong path. In this way, I can imagine that the two Koreas might maintain the status quo for a long time, maybe forever? It seems that the leaders of both Koreas are not inclined to budge from their ideological stances and I can't imagine other world powers, even China or Russia, being able to break that bond that keeps the two countries tethered.
Meghann SerilHi Maria! You bring up a good point about the discrimination that women face in the workforce and the fact that although it is illegal, unfair practices still occur. It makes me think about experiences I've heard even here in the US. I believe our profession has in some ways been held down because the majority of our workforce is women. Although politicians say they appreciate and acknowledge teachers, that hasn't really been backed up with legislation that supports our work in the classroom or provides a social safety net for our students and families. Just thinking about the lawmakers who are expecting teachers to return to the classroom full time in the fall without proper protection is disheartening.
Meghann SerilHi Jasmine. I believe these beauty ideals are common in several Asian countries. In my own experience as a Filipina I remember my aunties telling me not to sit in the sun so I wouldn't get dark. In fact, every time we have gone to the Philippines to visit they will ask if we want to make any beauty appointments while we are there. This reminds me of the cosmetic tourism Dr. Jung-Kim mentioned in her lecture. Hopefully the movements like Escape the Corset will take hold and help to redefine beauty standards.
Meghann SerilThis week's readings remind me of a thread back from session one in which I believe Tom shared that the depictions he grew up with taught him to see the North Koreans as a group and an idea rather than as individual people. Through the different movie and documentary clips I found it difficult at times to distinguish sentiments sincerely held by the North Korean people and those that have been forced by the government. Or maybe this is a "seeing the forest for the trees" situation and they are inseparable from each other. I also watched Hyeonseo Lee's Ted Talk and could sense the conflicting feelings about her upbringing and experience. As Laura shared in another thread, there are so many contradictions in these presentations of North Korea, as there are of South Korea. There are the sequined and flashy musical productions of the Moranbong Band and the stories of ten men sharing one blanket. There is a softness and sweetness of the pink and fuschia colored uniforms for North Korean orchestra and the bright crispness of the red scarves worn by students. I guess in all of these presentations I find hope in the Cranes story by Hwang Sunwon and in JSA that small moments of seeing the humanity in others can overcome deeply entrenched ideologies.
Meghann SerilHi Jasmine. I can understand that there is an imbalance in the number of men and and women in China because of the one child policy. I would be interested to know if there were any policies previously in place that have led to the imbalance in Korea. I am also wondering if there has been a flight of women from more rural areas to urban areas causing the imbalance and if they are more successful when leaving rural areas.
Meghann SerilHi Alyssa! Something your response made me think of was the way in which gender roles are portrayed in anime. I am not as familiar with Korean cartoons but from my limited experience with Japanese anime I find that women are portrayed in one way only, hypersexualized. In contrast, there are a variety of portrayals of men including the "flower boy" image or the more buff, weightlifter type, and there is more variety among the different age groups in the men. I'm thinking that this is another medium through which the more traditional ideals of beauty are reinforced.
Meghann SerilHi Jane! Yes, this article was a difficult read as the numbers were pretty shocking. I am wondering if the intense work schedules and the pressures around school prevent working age adults from taking care of their parents in addition to supporting themselves and possibly taking care of children. It would be interesting to know how many households are multi-generational. I know in the Philippines and in Taiwan it is also common for people to spend the whole day at the mall or library to take advantage of the air-conditioning as brown outs are common when the electrical grids are stressed.
Meghann SerilThere was so much information to digest in the lecture and readings for this week. Something that stuck out for me, perhaps because it hits close to home, was the discussion of foreigners in South Korea. Several of my extended family members from the Philippines are OFW or Overseas Filipino Workers in several locations including England, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. I've heard a lot of stories about the mistreatment of these workers and the lack of legal recourse in the countries in which they are employed. Something new to me was the importing of foreign brides. I'm curious why there is a greater need in rural areas and if this is related to the life expectancy of women in Korean or just a huge difference in demographics in rural vs. urban areas? I'm also curious if there is or could be a push for legislation to provide protections or legal recourse for women who experiences violence or discrimination in their marriages?
I was also interested in the phenomenon of medical tourism and if data is kept on the countries from which most of these participants come and the surgeries they choose? Knowing about "Asian" beauty standards in the Philippines, I know that lighter skin is preferred, as well as the double eyelid surgeries. Although Korea seems to have more a mix in their demographics, I wonder, if like the United States there is housing segregation that contributes to the racism and colorism that continues to happen.
The lectures and readings certainly raised a lot of questions for me. I look forward to our discussions this week.
Meghann SerilHi Jasmine. You bring up such an interesting point about how dictators, including Kim Jong Un, have been educated at universities in "democratic" countries. I am not so familiar with the schooling of other dictators but I would be interested to know what courses are taken and how the principles learned in those courses are applied to their ideas of ruling and guiding their citizens, government institutions, and military organizations.
Meghann SerilHi Deborah. I wasn't even thinking about the "outlasted" perspective in my first read through. Thank you for pointing that out. I can see how that viewpoint legitimizes Kim Jong Un's rule to the North Korean people. And yes, the "off-script" moments are so revealing. I haven't watched Madame Secretary yet, but I'll add it to my list! 🙂
Meghann SerilLike his father before him, it seems that Kim Jong Un has taken drastic measures to establish himself and his regime. By having those who could be seen as a threat assassinated, he has demonstrated that there will be no softening of power under his rule. He has also worked to establish his presence on the international stage and it seems his interactions with Trump have helped to affirm his power, at least to the North Koreans. This makes me wonder how his strategies might change when we have different leadership in the White House? Will he ramp up missile testing and nuclear power pursuits as a show of power or would he back down if ties between the United States and South Korea are strengthened? It demonstrates to me that although there are entire teams of experts, strategists, and diplomats who maintain international relations, the attitudes and postures of just two people can make or break these foreign engagements. I do think there should be worry about North Korea in the future because we have seen a swing in many parts of the world toward authoritarian leadership and this could further embolden Kim Jong Un. One remaining question I would like to discuss further is to learn more about how the family reunification process works and what happens after these photo ops?
