Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Len8]

Good description of weak uncertainty avoidance and strong uncertainty avoidance that could very well apply to Korean culture, the polychronic or time concept as it applies to Koreans, and the terms high context and low context applied to cultures in general


http://www.essaydirect.com/fulltext/bwa/17817.html

[tomato]

Hello, Len8!

Here is my two cents' worth:

low in uncertainty avoidance

It is interesting that the Korean language does not make a clear distinction between "I want to go to Pusan" and "I will go to Pusan." Either thought can be expressed by what literally translates as "I will go to Pusan."

high in power distance

I never could get used to the custom of addressing persons in white-collar occupations as "teacher" and persons in blue-collar occupations as "aunt" or "uncle."

I follow the custom of addressing adults in one verb form (�ͽ��ϴ�)
and addressing children in the other verb form (�;��), but I don't like it.

high in femininity

Yes, I know, Korea is a male chauvinist society, just like any other society. But disagreements are not battled out in the courtroom as often as they are in Anglophonia.

high context

It's hard for me to take hints as I should, because I'm very literal-minded. If a girl told me, "Nobody loves me and my hands are cold," I would say, "God loves you and you can sit on your hands."

polychronic

A Korean was once speaking to me in English. I ignored him, because I despise Koreans who speak to me in English.

He took this as an indication that I couldn't understand his spoken English, so he took a book which I was carrying, opened it to the inside back cover, and wrote to me in English.

I still ignored him.

low in uncertainty avoidance--reprise

But why do I avoid English-speaking Koreans, and prefer to speak to Koreans in Korean? The man who unwittingly vandalized my book might see that as odd, because obviously, I know English better than Korean. Wouldn't it be more comfortable, then, for me to speak English?

More comfortable, yes, but not as instrumental in fighting the uncertainties of the future. In order to fight the future, I have to practice Korean as much as possible. Korean conversation and English conversation are on a seesaw, so that means less English conversation. This is one of those "detailed rules and laws" which are unknown in Korea but well-known in Anglophonia.

On the flip side, we have the dangdest time stopping students from speaking Korean in English class--to say nothing of getting Korean co-teachers to stop. For them, speaking Korean is more comfortable, and what matters is the here and now. Like I say, this is one of those "detailed rules and laws" which are unknown in Korea but well-known in Anglophonia.

[Medic]

1. Key differences between weak and strong uncertainty avoidance societies15


Weak uncertainty avoidance Strong uncertainty avoidance

Uncertainty is a normal feature of life and each day is accepted as it comes

The uncertainty inherent in life is felt as a continuous threat which must be fought


Low stress, subjective feeling of well-being

High stress, subjective feeling of anxiety


Aggression and emotions should not be shown

Aggression and emotions may at proper times and places be ventilated


Comfortable in ambiguous situations and with unfamiliar risks

Acceptance of familiar risks; fear of ambiguous situations and of unfamiliar risks


Lenient rules for children on what is dirty and taboo

Tight rules for children on what is dirty and taboo


What is different, is curious

What is different, is dangerous


Students comfortable with open-ended learning situations and concerned with good discussions

Students comfortable with structures learning situations and concerned with the right answers


Teachers may say `I don��t know��

Teachers supposed to have all the answers


There should not be more rules than is strictly necessary

Emotional need for rules, even if these will never work


Time is a framework for orientation

Time is money


Comfortable feeling when lazy; hard working only when needed

Emotional need to be busy; inner urge to work hard
Found the following points interesting

Precision and punctuality have to be learnt

Precision and punctuality come naturally


Tolerance of deviant and innovative ideas and behavior

Suppression of deviant ideas and behavior; resistance to innovation


Motivation by achievement and esteem or belongingness

Motivation by security and esteem or belongingness



2. Characteristics of Hall��s High- and Low-context cultures16


High-context culture Low-context culture

Much convert and implicit message

Much overt and explicit message


Internalized messages

Plainly coded messages


Much nonverbal coding

Verbalized details


Reserved reactions

Reactions on the surface


Distinct ingroups and outgroups

Flexible ingroups and outgroups


Strong people bonds

Fragile people bonds


High commitment

Low commitment


Open and flexible time

High organized time




3. Characteristics of Hall��s monochronic and polychronic cultures17


Monochronic culture Polychronic culture

Do one thing at a time

Do many things at once


Concentrate on job

Are highly distractible and subject to interruptions


Take time commitments seriously

Consider time commitments an objective to be achieved, if possible


Are low-context and need information

Are high-context and already have information


Are committed to the job

Are committed to people and human relationships


Adhere religiously to plans

Change plans often and easily


Are concerned about not disturbing others; follow rules of privacy and consideration

Are more conderned with those who are closely related (family, friends, close business associates) than with privacy)


Show great respect for private property; seldom borrow or lend

Borrow and lend things often and easily


Are accustomed to short-term relationships

Have strong tendency to build lifetime relationships


Interesting. According to the criteria Koreans have an emotiomal need to be busy. They are into the suppression of deviant ideas and behavior, and are resistant to innovation

[tomato]

Here are my two cents about Medic's list:

Aggression and emotions should not be shown

Any disagreements have to go through the Complaint Department. Consequently, when a director tells you all the horrible things that the parents and students are saying about you, you don't know how much to believe.

The last time the director presented me with my rap list, I said, "Maybe all their complaints are about me and none of them are about you, but that doesn't mean they're all perfectly satisfied with you. If they're not satisfied with you, they just take their business to the school across the street."

She didn't have anything to say to that.

fear of ambiguous situations and of unfamiliar risks

Poor Mrs. Kim, she was in a real pickle. She went on a rampage because I insisted on using my own wild and crazy ideas when everything was planned so beautifully for me in the teacher's manual. So I had one month to pack up and move out.

But then she started thinking about hiring a new teacher. And heaven knows what the new teacher would be like--or if she could even find one. So she decided that keeping me would be the lesser of two evils.

Students comfortable with structured learning situations and concerned with the right answers

The flip side to this one was "Students comfortable with open-ended learning situations and concerned with good discussions." Ha! On my first job, there was a page in the workbook which supplied an empty space for a student composition. The students couldn't think of anything to write. I said, "Okay, write it in Korean and we'll worry about translating it later." They still couldn't think of anything to write. So we spent the rest of the hour staring at the four walls.

What is different, is dangerous

Mrs. Kim's last word on any disagreement is "I know what works best for Korean students." Of course, what she really means is "I know what is customary in Korea."

Teachers supposed to have all the answers

Not sure which way to go on this one. It seems to me that omniscient god is not the teacher, but the author of the textbook.

The flip side on this one was "Teachers may say 'I don��t know.'" That question isn't relevant, because if we adhere to the textbook, the students won't even ask any questions which the teacher can't answer.

Emotional need for rules, even if these will never work

A page a day, no matter what. It doesn't matter whether the page has one full-page illustration or five verb tense charts.

Emotional need to be busy; inner urge to work hard

I saw a message on this board which had to do with Korean workers who recently cut down from six days a week to five days a week. They didn't know what to do with all that leisure time. And here I am, complaining because I can't get a sabbatical!

Suppression of deviant ideas and behavior; resistance to innovation

At first I was tempted to vote against this one because Korea modernized and industrialized and Westernized so fast. Whatever is on the store shelves in North America on Monday will be on the store shelves in Korea on Tuesday.

But it is only persons in lofty positions who are allowed "deviant ideas" and "innovation." A teacher is not allowed to think, but only to follow the author of the textbook.

For proof of this, think of any conversation you have heard between any teachers or administrators from two different schools. The first question is never "How do you teach?" but "What textbook do you use?"

Motivation by security and esteem or belongingness

I don't know how it is in other English-speaking countries, but in the United States, a personnel search is a danger zone for lawsuits. Some employers never advertise in the want ad section except when they absolutely have to.

Distinct ingroups and outgroups

I read somewhere that different business firms in Korea are loyal to different universities. To get anywhere in a business firm, you have to be a graduate of the right university.

[tomato]

Ever notice how often the Korean language uses past tense when we would use the present tense?

The most common expression for "is wearing" is �Ծ���, which literally means "put on." It is assumed that the subject of the sentence has not taken off the garment.

The most common expression for "sick" is ���� ����, which literally means "became sick." It is assumed that the subject of the sentence is still sick.

The most common expression for "is angry" is ȭ�� ����, which literally means "became angry." It is assumed that the subject of the sentence is still angry.

But what do you do if the subject changed clothes, recovered, or became reconciled in his feelings? If I understand correctly, one adds an extra past tense suffix. ���� means "went and can be assumed to be still gone." ������ means "went and returned." �Դ� means "came and can be assumed to be still here." �Ծ��� means "came and left."

From the foregoing, it seems to me that Koreans tend to focus on past causes of the present condition whereas we focus on the present condition. On the contrary, they are less interested in past events which have no direct effect on the present. Who cares if someone wore an outfit last year, became sick last year, or became angry last year?

Obviously, my interpretation cannot be absolutely true. Otherwise, television drama would not abound with depictions of bearded men wearing broad black hats. Can anyone add anything?

[Barking Mad Lord Snapcase]

[Qinella]

[bosintang]

I wondered before if because of the fact that Japan and Korea are low-context cultures, that could explain why there is a general preference for comic books to novels.

Would that make sense?

[Hater Depot]

[billybrobby]

[buddy bradley]

[Canucksaram]

Korean culture?!

Best definition I ever heard was "it's an oxymoron."

[peony]

[peony]

[tomato]

Hello, Qinella!

I'm glad that somebody on this thread is interested in discussing Korean culture instead of attacking individuals. Under ���� in the dictionary, I see two ways of saying that a person has a cold. One is ���⿡ 걹�ȴ�, the other is ������ �ִ�.

The first example can be added to my list of statements which Koreans make in the past tense and Anglophones make in the present tense.

Hello, Buddy Bradley!

All right, then, maybe I should have qualified that.
It's the Koreans who speak to me in English outside the classroom whom I despise. It is my job to speak English in the English classroom. It is not my job to speak English anywhere else.

If I add in the words "outside the classroom," will you agree not to deport me?

Anyway, the kids in my classroom show more respect for my language-learning efforts than the Good Samaritans who come up to me and say "ĵ ���� ���� ��." When I arrive early for class, I take my guitar out and sing Korean songs and the kids sing along with me. Between classes, they tease me by calling me �丶��, so I chase and tickle them.

Apparently, my students have not lived in this world long enough to know that all English-speaking foreigners are exactly alike.

Many professional musicians are averse to being asked to play solos on social occasions. I am reminded of a concert violinist who was invited to a dinner party. The host greeted him at the door and asked, "Where is your violin?"

Hello, Billy Brobby!

What would you say about a white person back home in Anglophonia who snaps his fingers and says, "Hey, dude, what's happening!" every time he sees a black person? Isn't that a lot like a Korean saying "���" every time he sees a foreigner?

The violinist took a deep bow and said, "My violin sends its regrets. It does not dine."

Hello, Peony!

Isn't allowing foreigners to speak to me in their second language in Migook more than many Koreans are allowing us to do in Korea?

I shall take every effort to erase from my mind every emotion which BB, BB, and Peony find unacceptable. I shall stare at a light bulb and chant, "I love Koreans who say ĵ ���� ���� ��. I love Koreans who say ĵ ���� ���� ��."

If that doesn't work, I'll beat myself on the head with a hammer until I lose every vestige of resentment against the ĵ-����-����-�� intruders.

Of course, by that time, I won't be good for anything else, but winning friends on this message board is more important. Otherwise, when I arrive at the Pearly Gates, I will be in dire straits. Saint Peter take a look at the book and say, "I'm sorry, but according to our records, you failed to please every single participant on the ESL Cafe message board."

Whereupon I will be cast into the everlasting flames of Gehenna.