So, the scenarios like the following are fairly common in Korea:Ī young Korean is dozing off in her seat on the subway. To the young of Korea, the expectations of the elders feel like entitlement. And the younger generation is not shy about speaking up. There is no reason for them to give up their seats to these healthy-looking people, since they got there first. While being over the age of 65 legally classifies you as an elder who should be respected, nowadays, 65-year-olds barely even have wrinkles, and they can certainly make a few stops on the bus while standing. However, the younger generation of Korea feels differently. If you're a Korean, you have likely seen pictures like this in your 도덕책 (ethics textbook). They expect all this, because they had given up their seats when they were young, and now it's their turn to reap the rewards of an ethical society. They expect a certain degree of respect from the young. They expect that they will be given a seat by the younger Koreans whenever they board a public bus or a subway. The elderly, as they were taught, expect a certain level of respect and consideration from the younger generation. However, with the development of the internet, and the ease of cultural exchange that comes with it, the Korean society is facing a fair bit of conflict in its ethical values. When you respect your elders, you will be respected when it is your turn to be the elderly of the society.Īll of these things are, of course, completely reasonable to a Korean, especially considering that Korea is a country built upon Confucian values. For example, it teaches you to be courteous and respectful to the elders in the society, and to listen to what they say, since they have years of wisdom it also teaches you to give up your seats in public transit, if an elderly person gets on board it also tells you never to raise your voices with an elder - even if they make a mistake, you should be considerate, don't make them lose face, and privately point out their errors.Īn ethical question might be: If you were not seated in a priority seating, and an old man with a cane hobbles in do you give up your seat, or not?īe considerate, respectful, and courteous, these ethics classes say. The correct answer is 3 (not obvious at all, unless you're Korean!)īut in general, these classes teach you to be considerate of the others, and to be courageous in standing up for your morals and values. Meet privately, rather than meeting alongside many other friends. Make it a deep relationship just between the two of you.ĥ. ![]() Make sure that the time and place of your dates are public.Ĥ. Ask to touch their body to satisfy their needs.ģ. Here is a test question from a 도덕 class: Which of the following people have the most desirable attitude towards being in a relationship as an adolescent?Ģ. However, looking at it from the perspective of a grown-up in a North American society, some of the values taught in a 도덕 class are pretty strange. While it was an annoying class to be in, I don't remember ever stressing out about the class material. They mostly taught you a slightly idealized version of common sense (at least, they should be common sense, if you grew up with good Korean values). Honestly speaking, the 도덕 classes were giveaways. Look at the textbook covers, which supposedly illustrates the ethical way of living. These classes go by different names "생활의 길잡이 (guide to everyday living) or 바른생활 (righteous living)" for the elementary school students, "도덕 (ethics/morals)" for middle school students, and "윤리 (ethics)" for high school students. And that class was called "도덕 (ethics)." It is a core class starting in around grade 3 in Korea, and you take this class every year, well into your high school years. ![]() ![]() While it did not immediately strike me as odd, I realized over the years that there was one core class that the Canadian education system was missing, that the Koreans thought were important. What kind of classes were you taking when you were a grade 9 student? In Canada, where I spent my grade 9 years, I took the core classes (English, French, math, science, physical education), and some electives (business studies, fine arts, and music).
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