South Korea still needs more humanities education: For a more empathetic society
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This article suggests that South Korean society could be more empathetic toward people with disabilities, women, LGBTQIA+ people, and children. In certain South Korean landscapes, hostility against those marginalized groups is often framed as a normal response. Justification of such normalization comes from the idea that it is natural for marginalized groups to experience disadvantages, since people and society are too busy to take care of them. After describing this phenomenon, I suggest potential solutions to exacerbated hatred toward these vulnerable groups, focusing on humanities education. Humanities education could alleviate the situation because it can engender increased sensitivity and empathy toward others, including marginalized people. Unfortunately, South Korea currently faces a grim situation: job markets are becoming harsher than before to humanities major college graduates, and the value of the humanities majors is often looked down upon. Nonetheless, this might be the right time for society to appreciate more of the value of humanities education.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Journal of TCI is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) licence, unless otherwise stated. Please read our Policies page for more information.
References
A. Scott, R. (2014). The meaning of liberal education. On the Horizon, 22(1), 23–34. https://doi.org/10.1108/OTH-09-2013-0036
Anonymous. (2021, June 17). P’e-mi-tŭl a-tak si-k’i-nŭn p’aek-t’ŭ.jpg 페미들 아닥 시키는 팩트.jpg [The fact that makes feminists shut up.jpg]. FMKorea 에펨코리아. https://www.fmkorea.com/3683997000
Anonymous. (2022, March 10). Ta-si-po-nŭn sŏng-chae-ki nam-nyŏ-im-kŭm-kyŏk-ch’a t’o-lon mp4 다시보는 성재기 남녀임금격차 토론mp4 [Let’s rewatch the debate about the gender pay gap again by Seong Jae-gi.mp4]. 에펨코리아 FMKorea. https://www.fmkorea.com/best/4419398315
Bon-Maury, G., Dherbécourt, C., Flamand, J., Gilles, C., Bruneau, C., Diallo, A., & Trannoy, A. (2016, September 20). Le coût économique des discriminations [The Economic Cost of Discrimination]. France Stratégie. https://www.strategie.gouv.fr/publications/cout-economique-discriminations
Choi, K. (2021). Gender equality and legislative evaluation of gender-based laws in Korea. Theory and Practice of Legislation (Oxford, England), 9(1), 25–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/20508840.2020.1819564
Chul, Y. D. (2005). Changaein koyong ch’abyŏllo inhan sahoejŏk piyong 장애인 고용 차별로 인한 사회적 비용 [Social Cost due to Employment Discrimination against the Disabled]. Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies, 27, 113–132. https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/ci/sereArticleSearch/ciSereArtiView.kci?sereArticleSearchBean.artiId=ART000960088
Cumings, B. (1981). The origins of the Korean War: 1 : Liberation and the emergence of separate regimes, 1945-1947 (Vol. 1). Princeton University Press.
Dernikos, B., Lesko, N., McCall, S., & Niccolini, A. (Eds.). (2020). Mapping the Affective Turn in Education: Theory, Research, and Pedagogy. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003004219
Drakeman, D. (2016). Why We Need the Humanities: Life Science, Law and the Common Good (1st ed. 2016.). Palgrave Macmillan UK : Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan.
Edmondson, J., Formica, P., & Mitra, J. (2020). Special issue: Empathy, sensibility and graduate employment – Can the humanities help? Industry and Higher Education, 34(4), 223–229. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950422220928821
Ferguson, J. (2020). Decomposing Modernity: History and Hierarchy after Development. In Global Shadows (pp. 176–193). Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780822387640-009
finebyme. (2020, June 29). “mun-song-hap-ni-ta” ŭn(nŭn) mu-sŭn ttŭs-in-ka-yo?"문송합니다 "은(는) 무슨 뜻인가요? [What does ‘munsonghamnida’ mean?]. HiNative. https://ko.hinative.com/questions/16693162
Gallup Korea. (2021, May). Korea Gallup Daily Opinion. Gallup Korea. https://www.gallup.co.kr/gallupdb/reportContent.asp?seqNo=1210
Graham, J., Benson, L. M., Swanson, J., Potyk, D., Daratha, K., & Roberts, K. (2016). Medical Humanities Coursework Is Associated with Greater Measured Empathy in Medical Students. The American Journal of Medicine, 129(12), 1334–1337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2016.08.005
Hong, E. (2014). Liberal education reconsidered: Cultivating humanity in the knowledge society. Asia Pacific Education Review, 15(1), 5–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-013-9291-8
Humanitas College. (n.d.). Education Philosophy and Goal. Kyung Hee University Humanitas College. https://hc.khu.ac.kr/hc_kor/user/contents/view.do?menuNo=4300124
Jeong, D.-M. (2022, September 28). changaein chihach’ŏl shiwiga kkŭnnaji annŭn iyu...’pulbŏp’ pip’ane ch’amgajadŭl “mugwanshimboda ohae patketta” 장애인 지하철 시위가 끝나지 않는 이유...’불법’ 비판에 참가자들 “무관심보다 오해 받겠다” [Why does the protest continue? As a response to the criticism that the protest is illegal, participants of the protest say it is better to be misunderstood than to receive indifference. BBC News Korea. https://www.bbc.com/korean/news-63057030
KBS News. (2022, September 11). “mun-song-hap-ni-ta?” t’e-t’ss-ko-kyo-saeng i-kwa sŏn-ho t’r-’ka-sok-hwa-’ “문송합니다?”…고교생 이과 선호 ‘가속화’ ["Munsonghamnida?"...More and more high school students prefer natural science major over humanities]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNZT9hpPo68
Kim. (2021, November 30). The Race for the Perfect Score: The Detrimental Effects of the South Korean Education System. The Cornell Diplomat. https://www.thecornelldiplomat.com/issue6/2021/11/24/the-race-for-the-perfect-score-the-detrimental-effects-of-the-south-korean-education-system
Kim, A. (2022, March 28). Lee Jun-seok wages online war on disability rights protest. The Korea Herald. https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220328000731
Kim, H. J., & Lee, C. (2022). The 2022 South Korean Presidential Election and the Gender Divide among the Youth. Pacific Affairs, 95(2), 285–308. https://doi.org/10.5509/2022952285
Kim, K.-C. (2021, January 18). Munhwayesulgwa saengt’ae kamsusŏng, ch’angŭiwa tolbomŭi kyoyuk 문화예술과 생태 감수성, 창의와 돌봄의 교육 [Education of Culture, Arts, Sensitivity for Ecosystem, Creativity, and Care]. Hankyoreh-On. http://www.hanion.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=21229
Kim, N.-Y., & Kim, H.-J. (2023, January 4). Omitting May 18 uprising from textbook guidelines is to ensure more autonomy for writers. Yonhap News Agency. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230104008851315
Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. (2017). 2017nyŏn changaeinshilt’aejosa [Research about disabled people in 2017]. PRISM Chŏngch’aekyŏn’gugwallishisŭt’em PRISM 정책연구관리시스템 [PRISM System to Organizae Policy Research]. https://www.prism.go.kr/homepage/entire/researchDetail.do?researchId=1351000-201800347
Lee, C.-S. (2012). Park Chung-Hee: From poverty to power: Vol. no. 1. The KHU Press.
Lee, D.-E. (2023, February 2). [R] kyŏng-puk-sŏ “chi-pang-tae chi-wŏn-ch’e-kye” kae-p’yŏn ch’ŏs non-ŭi [R]경북서 “지방대 지원체계” 개편 첫 논의 [[R] In Gyeongbuk Province, the first discussion regarding the reform of the support system for local universities happened]. Andong MBC. http://andongmbc.co.kr/main/news/news_view.php?num=62340&sfl=REPORTER_NAME&stx=%EC%9D%B4%EB%8F%84%EC%9D%80
Lee, D.-H. (2022, August 16). [2022 sŏng-so-su-cha-in-sik-cho-sa] u-li sa-hoe-nŭn sŏng-so-su-cha-lŭl pat-a-tŭl-yŏ-ya hal-kka? [2022 성소수자인식조사] 우리 사회는 성소수자를 받아들여야 할까? [[2022 public opinion about queer people] should our society accept queer people?]. HRC Opinion. https://hrcopinion.co.kr/archives/23960
Lee, H. (2022, March 27). Main opposition party chief’s comments on disability group considered “hate speech.” Koreatimes. https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2023/02/281_326241.html
Lee, H.-N. (2022, April 19). kujojŏk sŏngch’abyŏl ittat’enŭn 20tae yŏsŏng 73.4%... 20tae namsŏngŭn 29.2%ppun “구조적 성차별 있다”는 20대 여성 73.4%… 20대 남성은 29.2%뿐 [73.4% of women in their twenties argue that there is a structural sexual inequality, while only 29.2% of men in twenties agreed with the statement]. Women News. http://www.womennews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=222390
Lee, H.-Y., & Jang, Y.-S. (2022, March 3). “munsong” nŏmŏ “munmang”...inmunhak paksa 37%, yŏnbong 2000to mot pŏnda 문송’ 넘어 “문망’…인문학 박사 37%, 연봉 2000도 못 번다 [’Humanities majors” are collapsing...37% of humanities Ph.D. holders cannot even earn 20 million KRW per year]. JoongAng Ilbo 중앙일보. https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25052841
Lee, J.-B. (2023, January 9). Yŏgabu, t’ryŏsŏngt’ t’rsŏngp’yŏngdŭngt’ chŏngch’aengmokp’yosŏ chiwŏttat’tt’eyun chŏngbuŭi kijot’e 여가부, ‘여성’ ‘성평등’ 정책목표서 지웠다…“윤 정부의 기조” [Ministry of Gender Equality and Family deleted the word “women” and “gender equality” from the policy goals to follow the philosophy of Yoon government. Hankyoreh 한겨레. https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/society_general/1075016.html
Lee, J.-Y. (2022, December 5). South Korean women still earn 30% less than men: OECD. The Korea Herald. https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20221205000710
Lim, J.-H. (2021, June 17). “mun-song-hap-ni-ta”t’ss-chop-a-chi-nŭn mun-kwa-saeng ch’wi-ŏp-mun, 'mun-sa-ch’ŏl’ŭn o-nŭl-to ‘han-sum’ “문송합니다”…좁아지는 문과생 취업문, '문사철’은 오늘도 ‘한숨’ ["Sorry for being a humanities student"...Humanities students are having harder time to get employed, ‘Humanities, History, and Philosophy majored students’ are sighing]. 아시아경제 Asia Business Daily. https://www.asiae.co.kr/article/2021061615070135803
Lim, S.-H. (2021, November 10). Changaeŭi 88%nŭn huch’ŏnjŏkŭro palsaeng t"changae, mŏlli itchi anssŭmnida" 장애의 88%는 후천적으로 발생 … “장애, 멀리 있지 않습니다” [88% of disabilities are postnatal...disability is not something irrelevant to you]. Hankookilbo 한국일보. https://m.hankookilbo.com/News/Read/A2021110913580005715
Lim, U., Choi, Y. S., & Lee, H. (2015). Occupational skills and the gender wage gap in Seoul, Korea: A multilevel approach. The Annals of Regional Science, 55(2), 335–356. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00168-015-0702-0
Lin, J. (2016). What Is Education For? A Discussion of Nussbaum’s Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities. Education and Urban Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013124516630603
Marsh, N., Hong, J., & Lee, H. (2023, January 27). South Korea: “Protesting for 20 years and still no equal rights.” BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64369810
Na, K.-H. (2017, November 26). Chikchangin 32% “wŏk’ingmam ch’abyŏltaeu mokkyŏk” 직장인 32% “워킹맘 차별대우 목격” [32% of the employees said that they observed how the working mothers getting discriminated at work]. Maeil Ilbo. http://www.m-i.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=363255
Nam, J. (2018). Radical Power of Online Radical Feminism of South Korea. Rain and Thunder: A Radical Feminist Journal of Discussion and Activism, 8–13. https://www.academia.edu/67455192/Radical_Power_of_Online_Radical_Feminism_of_South_Korea
Nam, J.-W. (2023, March 20). [Yunsŏkyŏl chŏngbu kyoyuk kaehyŏk 1nyŏn] ’sanŏp yŏn’gye’eman ssollyŏ...kich’ohangmun munŏjilla [윤석열 정부 교육 개혁 1년] ‘산업 연계’에만 쏠려…기초학문 무너질라 [[Post-1-year from the education reform from Yoon’s government] exclusively concentrated on “the relevance to industry”...what if basic arts and science collapse?]. KyungHyang Shinmun 경향신문. https://www.khan.co.kr/article/202303202136005
Nussbaum, M. C. (2010). Not for Profit. Princeton Press. https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691173320/not-for-profit
Oh, Y. (2021). Pop city: Korean popular culture and the selling of place. Cornell University Press.
Ong, E. K. (2022). Insight from a novel humanities-based education intervention to teach empathy to internal medicine residents locally. Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare, 31, 20101058221117896. https://doi.org/10.1177/20101058221117894
Pacheco Pardo, R. (2022). The Park Chung-hee Era 1961–79. In Shrimp to Whale. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197659656.003.0003
Park, S. N. (2021, June 23). Why So Many Young Men in South Korea Hate Feminism: Loss of Privilege has driven a ugly turn to the hard right. Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/06/23/young-south-korean-men-hate-liberals-feminists/
Park, S.-H. (2019, March 20). Taehakŭn ŏttŏk’e inmunhakŭl hyŏmohage toeŏnna? 대학은 어떻게 인문학을 혐오하게 되었나? [How come the university started to hate humanities?]. 허프포스트코리아 Huffpost Korea. https://www.huffingtonpost.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=81222
Rashid, R. (2023, April 29). South Korea may look perfect, but behind the facade lies a devastating suicide crisis. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/apr/29/south-korea-suicide-crisis-k-pop-young-people
Rich, J. (2022). The Problem with Hard Histories. In A. Pellegrino & J. Parker, Teaching and Learning Through the Holocaust: Thinking about the Unthinkable. Springer International Publishing AG.
Sarkar, A. H., & Senapati, J. (2016). Emotional Intelligence in medical practice. Research and Humanities in Medical Education, 3, 31–36.
Seo, Y., Bae, G., & Yeung, J. (2023, February 21). In a first, South Korean court grants gay couple health benefits. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/21/asia/south-korea-same-sex-benefits-ruling-intl-hnk/index.html
Shin, H. (2021, September 16). “inmunhakŭn sosuman hamyŏn toenda”...yunsŏkyŏl parŏn tto nollan “인문학은 소수만 하면 된다”...윤석열 발언 또 논란 ["We only need a few people who study humanities"...Yoon Seok-Yeol again spills controversial comment]. 서울경제 Sedaily. https://www.sedaily.com/NewsView/22RHL89H2W/GE0103
Shin, H.-R. (2023, February 16). [Ach’imgwangjang] chibangdae chiwŏnch’egyeŭi pyŏnhwawa inmunhak chiwŏnŭi panghyangsŏng [아침광장] 지방대 지원체계의 변화와 인문학 지원의 방향성 [[Morning Square] The Change of the support system for local universities and the direction of the support of humanities education]. Kyongbuk Ilbo. http://www.kyongbuk.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=2124327
Song, K. (2022, September 28). Ch’oegŭn 3nyŏn’gan insŏultaehak inmunhak 17kaegwa sarajyŏtta 최근 3년간 인서울대학 인문학 17개과 사라졌다 [For the last three years, 17 humanities departments in universities have disappeared]. 주간현대 Hyundaenews. http://www.hyundaenews.com/99550
Stillman, L. (2022). Mandates on Holocaust and Genocide Education in the United States. In A. Pellegrino & J. Parker, Teaching and Learning Through the Holocaust: Thinking about the Unthinkable. Springer International Publishing AG.
Wang, M., & Kelan, E. (2013). The Gender Quota and Female Leadership: Effects of the Norwegian Gender Quota on Board Chairs and CEOs. Journal of Business Ethics, 117(3), 449–466. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1546-5
What Is Education For? A Discussion of Nussbaum’s Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities. (n.d.). https://doi.org/10.1177/0013124516630603
Widaehan suŏp 위대한 수업 Great Minds. (n.d.). EBS. Retrieved May 19, 2023, from https://home.ebs.co.kr/greatminds/index
Yeo, S.-K. (2021, June 25). “munsonghamnida” churŏdŭnŭn mun’gwa kongch’ae..."chigŭmirado k’odinghalkka" ‘문송합니다’ 줄어드는 문과 공채…“지금이라도 코딩할까” [’Sorry for being a humanities student’ Companies now hiring fewer graduates from humanities major..."Should I learn coding from now?"]. JoongAng Ilbo 중앙일보. https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/24091242#home
Yonhap News, J.-J. (2023, January 10). Seoul Metro files damages suit against disability rights group over subway protests. Yonhap News Agency. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230110003100315
Yoo, K.-J. (2004). Ch’abyŏrŭi sahoejŏk piyong yŏn’gu 차별의 사회적 비용 연구 [A study of social cost occurred by discrimination]. Korea Development Institute. http://scienceon.kisti.re.kr/srch/selectPORSrchReport.do?cn=TRKO201800015977