Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sadguy]

southeast asian.... can you predict the results?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ave6yOWKlj4

[TellyRules986]

Well, *I* for one am shocked!!

[tigershark]

Poor southeast Asian, the sad music really did it for me and you whites thought YOU had it bad

[BigBuds]

After ten years of living here, that result is no surprise at all.

[weso1]

lol at some of the comments on youtube.

"That's not fair because the white guy is totally hot...."

Him? Hot? I mean, I don't know. I guess he can be kind of cute in that Doogie Howser sort of way. I wouldn't really know though. I'm more into tuna and not sausage.

[DIsbell]

Appears to be a little crosstalk potentially hurting the SEA guy, but it's obvious that race is the dominant factor in this situation. Really a shame.

To elaborate on the crosstalk: the method the SEA guy is using to get to his goal might be clashing with what passerbys might expect from the interaction. The SEA guy is using more formal and polite language ("Excuse me sir, could you please help me find some information?") compared to the white guy ("Uh hi, can you tell me where Coex is?"). This may be because he felt he should be really humble and courteous to strangers that he's asking for help. But he was also less direct, which may have been a small factor in getting blown off by everyone. There's little perceived commitment to the interaction if all you have to do is give a quick set of directions, but "information" is quite vague.

PSA: Yes, stuff like this happens in America too. We know. You don't need to tell us.

[sadguy]

i'm an asian and when i was in korea, i had mixed results when asking for directions. but, some people were really friendly. had a girl walk me to the right place even though she didn't speak much english, and a couple asked if i needed help when i was looking at a map.

although, some people did just straight up ignore me. but i also had that in nyc. so...

but the white guy sure did have it easy. maybe if the SEA guy was taller and better dressed he would've gotten more help.

[The Floating World]

The adjoishi riding his moped on the pavement at 3.30 = ha ha.

Man, that was rough watching the SE Asian guy. I totally have the same reaction as the first guy and always have. Maybe white foriegners are more assertive and on a subconscious level that makes the Koreans more likely to respond. It's almost as if the westerner was grabbing their attention and time from them, engaging them, which is what I do as I see passers by are busy, so I make a big push for it, whereas the 2nd guy was asking for it first thus giving them the option to engage or not. On an animalistic level these two factors are huge and shouldn't be under estimated.


I wish they had have done it so both foriegners approached in the exact same way with the exact same wording, only then will it be a conclusive study.

I wonder if it were 2 white western foriegners, with one acting the way foriegner 1 did and the other acting the way foriegner 2 did - if the results would be the same?

Essentially I have to conclude that the test's control parameters were too loose here - and their lack of making sure the same style of human interaction was used in the apporach - to point to any conclusive result.

EBS - you failed freshman sociology / psychology 101 with this video.

You get a grade d.

[kimchikowboy]

On a related note, from what at the time was my favorite show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZoOfQGKjZU

[No_hite_pls]

Koreans are smart. They know that a Southeast Asian on street that stops you is usually trying forcefully sell you something. I have experienced this my own travels many many times. I feel sorry for the guy but until many cultures in Southeast Asian stop harassing people on the street this perception is not going to change. Sorry to say but I would have ignored him too.

[fermentation]

Lol what. How many southeast Asians in Korea stop you in the street to sell you something. I have encountered zero. But I've had lots of Koreans (sometimes even whites) from cults and churches trying to convert me on the street. Maybe I should ignore every Korean and white person trying to get directions in case they may be trying to convert me.

[kabrams]

[No_hite_pls]

[TellyRules986]

[DIsbell]

I said that race seemed to be the overwhelmingly dominant factor in what happened, but added that there was some other little thing I noticed that might've played a small role.

No room for nuance around these parts.