Korean Job Discussion Forums

leeroy12 · Joined: 01 Jul 2003

Hey there folks,

I'm teaching in London, and will be presenting a lecture to approx. 100 students entitled something along the lines of "Western and Eastern cultures and the concept of individualism", for an hour and a half... Shocked

Hope you don't mind if I ask a few questions, it seems that you guys aren't shy when it comes to discussing Korean culture etc... Wink

* Would you say that in Korea there is a general feeling that Westerners are more individual and independent? In your opinion, is this correct? Why?

* I understand that Korean teenagers are far more controlled by their parents than in the majority of Western families. If so, do they resent this or do they happily comply with it?

* I have heard Eastern students frequently refer to Westerners as "selfish". Is this belief commonplace in Korea, and if so, why?

* How do you think the concepts of status and deference (which I believe are more prominent in Asian cultures) affect the individual psyche of a Korean?

This is all bearing in mind that some of the audience will undoubtedly be Korean, so it can't be phrased too negatively!

Any help would be welcome, pm or otherwise

Cheers Smile

kiwiboy_nz_99 · Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Location: ...Enlightenment...

I would never give that lecture unless I was a professional sociologist with a reputable survey behind me. Otherwise you're just dishing out opinion on a touchy topic. I can't see how it will be helpful or positive.

Lectures need to have an end-goal, what are you trying to achieve?

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

Westerners are selfish:

Yes, I think this is a common observation made by many Koreans. Here are some situations where I have heard that comment.

a) Western parents don't love their children as much as Korean parents. Koreans tend to live with their parents until they get married. My Koreans friends have mentioned that they think family relationships in the West tend to be relatively cold.

b) Every Korean I've ever talked about it with has said he/she wanted to be a doctor or lawyer when he/she was a kid. When asked why, they said their moms encouraged these occupations because they would be rich enough to support the parents. Along the same lines, lots of my Korean friends enter majors they are not particularly interested in because their parents think those majors will lead to more stable, better paid jobs. My American friends chose majors that appealled to their own interests.

c) As another poster mentioned, it is common to be asked if we are lonely here because we are not living with our family. I think when I ask my students what they did over the weekend, about 80% reply they spent the weekend with their family.

d) In one of my jobs there was a guy who was hired to work in the office, but he turned out to be almost totally incompetent. The other people in his department had to do his work for him. He just read newspapers all day. I suggested to a co-worker that the company should fire the guy so he could find a job he could do. I thought that would make him and his co-workers happier. My co-worker disagreed with me. He thought it was OK to keep the guy because 'someone should take care of him'.

These are the examples I can think of right now.

I do think my Korean friends show individuality. It is not as often as my Western friends, and sometimes not when I would expect them to show it. But it is there.