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markhan
Joined: 02 Aug 2006
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 Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 6:18 pm Post subject: Discrepancy between the "perception"and "real |
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By Cognorati, posted in "Real Issues: Women's Rights" of Dave's
"The treatment of women in Korea has got to be one of the best kept "secrets" of the ROK.
If you are considering coming here, you should know about rape stats, sexual abuse, harassement, and molestation, and the MANY forms of gender discrimination that those of us working in Korea experience on a daily basis. "
From NY Times, titled, Where Boys Were Kings, a Shift Toward Baby Girls
Quote from the article,
Ms. Park, a 61-year-old newspaper executive, gets a different reaction today. �When I tell people I have three sons and no daughter, they say they are sorry for my misfortune,� she said. �Within a generation, I have turned from the luckiest woman possible to a pitiful mother.�
I come to Korea and have lunch with two intelligent Korean women and trying to impress them, I become an "ultra modern man with sensitive toward women' issues" and blabber endlessly about Korea's need to remodernize and cater to women's concerns. In a subtle fashion, one woman asked me, "How long did you stay in Korea?" When I answered two years, she just looked at me and slightly shake her head and said, " Let's just eat."
That was more than five years ago and looking back, I am embarassed how I might have been viewed as pompous a$$.
Ability to speak Korean goes a long way for you get chances to talk freely with ordinary Koreans everyday. And you realize there is big discrepancy between the "perception" you held and the "reality" of Korea.
In last five years, talking with ordinary Koreans, I came to realize how much time have changed. You no longer hear about the preferences of boy over girl. My brother in law was, in fact, disapponted that their firstborn was a son. And when you visit orphanage, you are surprised how there are so many boys. Above NYT article also states that most prefer to adopt a girl rather than a boy.
Posts like Cognorati really annoys me for I really wonder whether Cognorati knows anything about Korea and whether he/she actually talked with ordinary Koreans. To validate his/her belief, he/she goes to one of those far-left online site where its purpose is "Created by two lesbian activists in 2000 to encourage activism and redefine and expand gay issues" Amazing indeed. |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 6:23 pm Post subject: |
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| This is from the New York Times? Why do they care about what some dude on a message board thinks? Also, did all their proofreaders get food poisoning? |
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Newbie
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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| I think you need to re-organize your post. Hard to tell who said what and what you're saying... (ok, not really "hard". but, it could have been a lot easier) |
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Cognorati
Joined: 09 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Posts like Cognorati really annoys me for I really wonder whether Cognorati knows anything about Korea and whether he/she actually talked with ordinary Koreans. To validate his/her belief, he/she goes to one of those far-left online site where its purpose is "Created by two lesbian activists in 2000 to encourage activism and redefine and expand gay issues" Amazing indeed. |
So, you believe that people are not to frequent or quote sites created by lesbians and gays, because they are "far left"? To whose left? From what you're saying, Fox News sounds as though it is to the left of you...
I support gay activism and also believe that gay issues need to be expanded and redefined: I have this INSANE idea that it's a matter of civil rights -- and I'm heterosexual. Of course, Koreans tend not to protect or respect strange, western concepts, like civil rights and equal treatment for tax-paying, law abiding citizens, which the gay couples and activists I know are.
Are you expressing the typical perspective of "ordinary Koreans" on gay rights? If so, I've got Korea perfectly pegged and know all I need to.
| Quote: |
| You no longer hear about the preferences of boy over girl. |
ROTFL!!!!!!!!!!!! Uh, maybe we don't HEAR about it because Koreans refuse to discuss issues they find shameful. Have you checked any statistics on the gender gap. LMAO!! |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:49 pm Post subject: Re: Discrepancy between the "perception"and " |
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| markhan wrote: |
Ability to speak Korean goes a long way for you get chances to talk freely with ordinary Koreans everyday. And you realize there is big discrepancy between the "perception" you held and the "reality" of Korea.
In last five years, talking with ordinary Koreans, I came to realize how much time have changed. You no longer hear about the preferences of boy over girl. My brother in law was, in fact, disapponted that their firstborn was a son. And when you visit orphanage, you are surprised how there are so many boys. Above NYT article also states that most prefer to adopt a girl rather than a boy.
Posts like Cognorati really annoys me for I really wonder whether Cognorati knows anything about Korea and whether he/she actually talked with ordinary Koreans. To validate his/her belief, he/she goes to one of those far-left online site where its purpose is "Created by two lesbian activists in 2000 to encourage activism and redefine and expand gay issues" Amazing indeed. |
I think you're bang on the money. The problem, I think, comes largely from western feminists and politically correct crusaders who have no appreciation for the fact that people in other cultures just think differently about some things, and that things that are important to them may not be important to others (while failing to notice that what's not iimportant to them may be extremely important to others), and that this itself is not necessarily a bad thing.
It also takes a long time to get to know Koreans well enough that they'll open up to you and tell you their true feelings. When they do, you find out that they're just as critical of their own society as people in other countries, but what bothers them may be a bit different for different reasons. And, not all Koreans think alike.
Conversely, I think it would help Koreans to realise that just because a westerner makes fun of something doesn't mean he hates it.
Interesting point about orphanages - the one I volunteer at has about as many boys as girls. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Cognorati wrote: |
| Quote: |
| You no longer hear about the preferences of boy over girl. |
ROTFL!!!!!!!!!!!! Uh, maybe we don't HEAR about it because Koreans refuse to discuss issues they find shameful. Have you checked any statistics on the gender gap. LMAO!! |
Here's some breaking news for you: Some Koreans would rather have a boy, some would rather have a girl, some would be equally happy to have either, and some would like to have both a boy and a girl. Kind of like Americans, Canadians, Brits, Brazilians, Japanese, Russians, and Italians. |
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fusionbarnone
Joined: 31 May 2004
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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The one-day-per-week elem. school I worked for had three/four boys to one girl. K-teachers told me that Korean parents prefer boys.
Perhaps judging by the low numbers of females in this city school, maybe they've(K-parents) found a way to realize their gender bias.
Really sad. |
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Draz
Joined: 27 Jun 2007
Location: Land of Morning Clam
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:16 pm Post subject: |
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| fusionbarnone wrote: |
The one-day-per-week elem. school I worked for had three/four boys to one girl. K-teachers told me that Korean parents prefer boys.
Perhaps judging by the low numbers of females in this city school, maybe they've(K-parents) found a way to realize their gender bias.
Really sad. |
Girls get sent to the sewing hogwan instead.  |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:17 pm Post subject: |
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| fusionbarnone wrote: |
The one-day-per-week elem. school I worked for had three/four boys to one girl. K-teachers told me that Korean parents prefer boys.
Perhaps judging by the low numbers of females in this city school, maybe they've(K-parents) found a way to realize their gender bias.
Really sad. |
The cold, hard, statistical evidence shows that the gap between births of boys to girls has almost returned to normal proportions. And the anectdotal evidence you could get if you actually talked to a lot of Koreans is that they younger they are, the less likely they are to want to have sons and not daughters.
The real problem is not in birth rates but with boys still being more likely to get preferential treatment over girls growing up. |
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cunning_stunt
Joined: 16 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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| I support gay activism and also believe that gay issues need to be expanded and redefined: I have this INSANE idea that it's a matter of civil rights -- |
What rights don't gay people have that heterosexuals have in the Western world ?
I think most of the problems Gay and Lesbian people suffer from stem from exhibitionism of their sexuality . Heterosexuals are expected to tone down their public displays of sxuality and expression of their desires . If there was a "straight parade" full of the same behaviour you'd see at a gay parade it would have most people prudish backs up .
So my suggestion to the gay community is that if you want to be truly accepted by society , then stop acting out and trying to demonstrate how different you are .
disclaimer : I'm highly apathetic towards what it is other people do in privacy regardless of gender . More power to you . Anyone who does take issues with gay people beyind this is homophobic which 100% means you yourself have strong homosexual urges . You just need to learn to firgive yourself and then the hate will stop...it's no big deal . |
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