Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Big_Bird]

Hi guys,

some of my students want me to include a lesson on the differences between Korean and Western culture. I must do this soon and don't have much time to think about it.

Of course I can think of some differences but I'm curious as to what other ex-pats might have to say about it.

Also, perhaps someone could direct me to a useful website?

Cheers

[kimcheeking]

Seniority is in general unimportant - the west is, now, based on egalitarian principles consequently words like sonbae ���� do not translate as senior, but rather as friend, colleague, acquaintance, classmate, etc...

I have a ton more but no time right now.

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

I'd say it would be hard to be really honest about the big differences without being contentious ... I completely avoid this area with adults

[Homer]

Kiwi,
It will only be contentious if you present it that way...

Discussing cultural differences is very interesting and can lead to some interesting responses. Its a simple question of presenting the discussion in a suitable format and not starting off with the pre-conceived idea that western culture is inherently better or superior and that Koreans think to a man, woman and child that their culture is better.
Some people do of course. These you can easily spot ina conversation wether they be western or asian.

[ajuma]

The whole idea of "friend" is VERY different. Koreans don't have a word that means "friend" in the same way that Westerners use it.

[peppermint]

Just a tip, why not try to focus on the simmilarities. If you ask Korean people what they think Western culture is like (as though there's one homogeous culture outside Asia), I'm willing to bet you'll get a lot of misconceptions. I've done this once or twice, and when I explained that People, at least where I'm from, don't do whatever, I get told I'm Korean

[pucheon]

[peppermint]

I wasn't bragging. I found it very strange that my students thought because I did x, I must be Korean.

If x was something Kimchi related maybe, but in my case it was because I said I let old ladies sit down on the subway. Isn't that common courtesy everywhere? Despite all the talk about respecting one's elders, I see that kind of thing less often here than at home.

Besides, aren't Canadians always being bashed on this board for being TOO patriotic and proud of being Canadian?

[Squid]

May i respectfully suggest that you narrow your perameters of study to a single field, for example your students may choose food as an area of their interest and you can rattle on about knives and forks vs. chopstick culture, potatoes and bread vs. rice etc.
Otherwise trying to compare will prove an immense task!

Squid

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

[The Marchioness]

Two of the 'big' differences in culture: in traditional Korean culture, a newborn baby is not exposed to the outdoors, strangers, etc until 100 days old. In Western culture, a newborn is exposed to the outdoors and/or other people very soon after birth. When I told my students that Western babies are taken outdoors for fresh air, sunlight (reduces Billy Rubin) within a day or two, they were deeply shocked.

Second difference: even modern Korean parents still sleep all in a huddle with all their family members. This explains the huge sex industry in Korea. If you can't get it at home because of privacy concerns, well, I guess you'll have to get it elsewhere. Again, when the sleeping together issue was discussed, they were shocked to find that sleeping together with one's children in Western society was outlawed towards the end of the middle ages.

I can think of many other differences, many of them based on Western logic and common sense. I'm not saying that Koreans don't exhibit common sense in practical ways, but tradition and confucianism really has them nailed down.

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

I'm not really interested in the practical differences eg we sit on the floor and you sit at the table. That's not even culture to me, it's just peoples habits, usually formed from circumstances. I'm interested in what people believe, what they value, how they feel about various things. that's culture, and there are some major differences going on. The one that I find hard to love is the huge value Korean's place on conformity. It seems being the same, and thinking and doing the same as everyone else is very important to them. I think this surely must stifle the growth of new ideas.

[jajdude]

Perhaps you could just stick to simple facts, simple things that are different and everyone can see it is true, not opinion. An example is that Koreans will hold hands with same-sex friends. Korea's obviously crowded. People bow to elders. People often pour drinks for each other. It's polite to use two hands when giving something to an elder or higher-status person. A lot of things are for sale outdoors; not much of that in Canada. Just a few examples.

[whatthefunk]

[Homer]