Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tomato]

When is a negative comment about Korea respectable and when it contemptible?

Here are some guidelines which I suggest:

�� Is it something that is not set by the laws of Nature?

So Korean kindergarten kids cling to their mommies. So do most other kindergarten kids. If you're a Creationist, you might say that God planned it that way. If you're an Evolutionist, you might say that it is in the evolutionary interests.

When it comes to child development, love it or leave it.

�� Does it affect someone besides yourself?

There are many foreign teachers who complain about salary, benefits, and living conditions, but never raise a peep about how the students are being taught. I hope you are not one of such teachers.

�� Is it objective?

So Western songs are better than Korean songs, Western movies are better than Korean movies, and Western women are more attractive than Korean women? That's interesting. What is your measuring tool?

�� Are you doing what you can about it?

Granted, the Korean educational system is less than ideal. I hope that you are setting a good example for your students. If you are, some of your students might become teachers and follow your example.

�� Are you making a genuine effort to learn about Korea?

The biggest whiner I ever knew spent his evenings watching CNN, spent his weekends at the local Western bar, and never learned to tell one Korean letter from another.

�� Do you look for underlying causes?

Why do Koreans tend to make plans on such short notice? Probably because they believe in unforseeable variables intervening.

Here's a reductio ad absurdum: When I was working as a reservationist for Days Inn, I got a phone call from a guy who was trying to plan a honeymoon a year ahead of time. I was unable to make the requested reservation because the computer was not set that far ahead of time.

And in his case, there was good reason. Any number of factors could break an engagement in a year's time.

Why do Koreans tend to stereotype foreigners? Probably because East Asians tend to see fields whereas we tend to see figures. Because of this difference, Easterners have been able to outperform us in several carefully controlled experiments.

Here's another reductio ad absurdum: If you're like me, your mailbox gets jammed with foreign executives who are aching to entrust you with millions of dollars. It e is not perfectly fair to erase all of those messages just because they are so much alike. There is a remote possibility that one of those messengers could be honest. But will you try each messages, just to give each messenger a fair chance? I hope not.

�� Do you see the good points in Korean culture also?

This has been the topic of some very good threads on this board.
And now for a corollary:

�� Do you see the bad points in our own culture, also?

Do you suggest any more guidelines?
Do you disagree with any of these guidelines?
Do you have any comments on how you fit or don't fit these guidelines?
Or how someone you know fits or doesn't fit these guidelines?

[Imbroglio]

All i see is that half crazed ajoshii with the big knife coming for the dog.

I try to stop him, we struggle...then somehow, the knife became lodged in his abdomen. He died slowly...now I have to get rid of the body.

[Hater Depot]

Koreans stereotype foreigners because everybody stereotypes foreigners. That is just human nature.

[nautilus]

[cruisemonkey]

[leebumlik69]