The Literacy of Globalization:
Cosmopolitan Imagination and Traveling Youth in 1980s’ Korea
Ms. Jiyoon Kim provided her first outline sketch of the PhD dissertation at the Biotope Salon of November 28th, 2013. Thanks a lot and fighting, Jiyoon. (Shin Mizukoshi)
Among many different perspectives and focus on the big globalization theory, this research approaches ‘globalization’ as a process and the ‘global’ as a social imagination. Therefore, it historicizes the theme by looking at Korean situation from 1980s and introduces traveling youth as an important actor/agency or a symptom of ‘globalizing’ Korea.
Cover image of the travel essay written by a college student in 1981
Similarly to Japanese situation in 1960s, Korean society in 1980s can be said as an incubation period of a dream toward the ‘world out there’. For example, several international events were held in sequence, and meanwhile, overseas travel and study was freed, officially. At the same time, the society also went through the fierce pro-democracy movement after its long authoritarian and military political regime.
Based on the idea above, a rough outline of her PhD dissertation in progress was given in the presentation. The dynamics of globalization process as well as contemporary Korean society are expected to discuss more in detail by conducting this research.
(Jiyoon Kim: PhD student of the GSII)