[Shane Markowitz]

Hello Tom, that's an interesting take on the Soft Power index - in addition to being an indicator of non-coercive influence of different countries, the ebb and flow also seems to represent and indicate changing levels of engagement by governments. Certainly one of the reasons that South Korea has not climbed higher is related to the country's insular history and exclusion of immigrants as discussed in this New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/magazine/south-koreas-most-dangerous-enemy-demographics.html

If the country had welcomed more international immigrants in the past, it isn't difficult to envision a process in which Korean ideas, goods, and products would have become more widely disseminated around the world back into the home countries of foreign residents. Now with the Korean Wave and increasing engagement between Korean youth and other societies, perhaps the country will will become more inclusive though? This could certainly augment the diffusion effect - not to mention address related to demography.

[Shane Markowitz]

The Korean Wave, coming into play over the past few decades, appears to highlight the combination of resources and a little bit of luck that go into pop culture trends. This case also reinforces the notion that "everything is political" with Nye and Kim's article insightfully laying out what's at stake at the political level. While part of the story of Hallyu has been organic, the South Korean government, with its arsenal of resources not available to many poorer countries, indeed has also played a crucial role in promoting content through numerous channels like television networks in the Middle East. This is presumably done to help win the "hearts and minds" of populations that the government is engaging with, not to mention the economic profits (e.g. tourists, business growth) that accrue from fomenting a globally recognized South Korean brand. Choi further sheds light on the processes of ever deeper immersion in which fans of K-Pop or Korean drama come to gradually become consumers of various South Korean products and goods and even the language itself.

There is, nonetheless, a slippery slope that needs to be carefully navigated to avoid aggravating neighbors (e.g. Japanese and Chinese governments) with an overly political and competitive approach. A question this all entails is: what happens to culture when it becomes merely an instrument of states to pursue absolute or relative gains over peers? Can it still function as a vehicle for bridging societies and opening dialogues? There is, regardless, certainly an entire infrastructure emerging outside the sphere and control of the state in the digital age and notwithstanding bans (e.g. Tik Tok in India) it is increasingly difficult to prevent this diffusion.

Students could think through some of these processes in a comparative manner - what are their own experiences with K-Pop or similar global phenomena? Have they ever dug deeper and grown an interest in a particular place or society based on their fandom of a specific product/piece of work? If K-Pop and dramas are a crucial part of soft power for South Korea, what are US parallels? Should governments be actively involved in promoting a country's pop culture (what are pros and con?) and what, if any, should the limits to this?
 

[Shane Markowitz]

Engaging students with boundaries and boundary-crossing in history and contemporary affairs enables students to gain an appreciation for the many contributions that have gotten us where we are today. This recognition, in turn, can turn us away from inward-looking nationalist attitudes and foster mindsets of inclusion that can drive further cooperation and progress. This point is made really well in a few resources that I employ with my students:

1. The danger of a single story: https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en

Adichie highlights how understanding the many stories of different societies, rather than a single story, can defeat stereotypes and prejudice that are at the root of much harm. I think to the introduction reading from Carr: if late 19th century/early 20th century Americans had been taught and been made aware of the fantastic contributions that East Asians made to interior design in early US history, would they have held the same prejudiced views that led to the Chinese Exclusion Act?

2. How ideas trump crises: https://www.ted.com/talks/alex_tabarrok_how_ideas_trump_crises?language=en

Tabarrok, an economist, talks about an assortment of walls coming now in recent decades and argues why we should all be happy that people in numerous countries are benefitting. When millions of people in India and China, for example, emerge out of poverty, it means more contributions to life-saving medicine, new innovations, etc... for all.

3. How megacities are changing the map of the world: https://www.ted.com/talks/parag_khanna_how_megacities_are_changing_the_map_of_the_world?language=en

Khanna argues that a more connected world, emerging through megacities and infrastructure links, means less confrontation and peace as stakeholders don't want this order to fall apart. That said, it would be interesting for students to engage with the cons of this - when do we speak up against atrocities like what's happening in Xingiang and Hong Kong?

4. A really great website for history teaching: http://www.liberatingnarratives.com/ 
So many great resources on boundary crossing here: I use some of the resources to engage with students on "Global Lisbon", Eastern contributions to the Renaissance/Age of Encounter, etc...

[Shane Markowitz]

Dennis Carr's introduction was a fascinating read that underscores the fact that complex webs of globalization is not a novel development. Particularly interesting was that it was not simply an exchange of goods taking place in the Americas in 16th-18th century but also the integration of ideas and processes of manufacturing. What emerged was a hybrid between European, Asian, New World, and indigenous artistry and craftmanship that reflected not only cultural patterns but also geographical realities (e.g. the (non)-availability of clay and textile materials).

The Our Lady of Guadalupe altar could provide a beneficial case study for student exploration. In my classes, we already examine how certain artwork and religious practices in the region blended indigenous and European cultural patterns (E.g. Catholicism and indigenous beliefs/stories). See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOclF9eP5uM&list=PLTVH-FssvrMmYYlnwloCwoJ3enMAqCRdp&index=9&t=0s

https://play.acast.com/s/dansnowshistoryhit/thefalloftheaztecs-500yearsonwithcarolinedoddspennock

The inclusion of this Asian element would further enhance and complicate student thinking about the emergence of societies in the Americas. An effective way to do this could be to read excerpts from the text and work through some of the different images of art and crafts provided.

Students could also identify different forms of globalization that are witnessed in the region (e.g. exchange of goods, immersion of ideas, Mexico City and Kyoto portrayal as world class cities....)

[Shane Markowitz]

Hello everyone! I'm Shane Markowitz - originally from Central Florida, I'm currently teaching World & Human Geography, World History, and International Relations electives at a bilingual high school in Bratislava, Slovakia. I taught for a semester in the past at Mandalay University in Myanmar. Looking forward to discussing how to enhance the teaching of East Asia with you all during this workshop.

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