Critical Korean Studies on Clubhouse

Description

Borne out of a desire to treat Korean Studies subjects with the critical tools offered by Cultural Studies, Ethnic Studies, Women's Studies, and brought in from the remote reaches of Critical Theory, the operational logic of this endeavor is that South Korean culture on the Periphery, much to the surprise and even chagrin of many, has aroused the interest of the Center. It would stand to reason that since so much of the academic interest in Korean culture revolves around contemporary cultural texts and rapid social change that is ideologically argued on the level of mediated representation, the field should concentrate of maximally utilizing tools to tackle such subjects, since the days in which the main interests in things Korean were primarily locate in the orthodox epistemologies of History, Economics, Literature and Anthropology have certainly passed. CKS does draw heavily from the heady theory of Cultural Studies, while remembering to keep itself squarely grounded in real and worldly concerns. As we build a new approach in the field and a new kind of virtual institution in Korean Studies, we aim to create content that theoretically parses Korean society and culture in the sense of a "Korean Studies", with a special emphasis to a concrete academic/epistemilogical/pedagogical approach that works to blend theory, method, and practice in the presentation of social data across different media. Towards this end, we see pure, heady theory as something that should be applicable in the field, with thought given to how work can be carried out in terms of actual research methodology. We think of this as one might three legs of a tripod, with each component no less or more important than any other. This will be of great importance for our project, based as it is in Korea, as this adds credence to the idea that Korean Studies in an age when Korean culture has become truly global (as have its cultural texts, which now receive global attention) is best conducted in Korea, at least to some extent.
Refrain from kneejerk nationalism. : This is not the place. This is an Academic space. Leave your National pride at the door.
Be respectful. : Behave as if this is a cocktail party full of accomplished intellectuals, with “Eine Kleine Nachmusik” playing in the background. You have a right to your spirited opinion, but not to be rude.
Respect expertise when you see it. : Fighting with an Astrophysicist about string theory cuz you read a Stephen Hawking book once in college is just stupid. And if you’ve never really thought much about something before, open your ears.