• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.75
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• pp.43-79
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• 2016

An increase in the number of immigrants to Korea since the late 1980s' has signified the proliferation of globalization and global capitalism. In Korea, most married immigrants are women, as the culture emphasizes patrilineage and the stability of the institution of marriage, particularly in rural areas. Immigrant women have experienced dual ordeals. The Aogra Internet community in Korea has been one of the most representative sites that has shown the power of communities in cyberspace since 2002, leading the discussion of social issues and deliberative democracy both online and offline. This paper analyzed Koreans' writings (such as long comments) on immigrant women in the Agora community. The analysis revealed the following results: first, immigrant women were referred to using terms related to prostitution, with excessive expression of disgust, which is called a "narrative of identity." Second, anti-multiculturalists called Korean men victims of married immigrant women and expressed hatred toward immigrant women, which is called a "narrative of sacrifice." Third, anti-multiculturalists justified their emotions as just resentment based on ideas of justice, equality, and patriotism, concealing the emotion of disgust, which is called the "narrative of justice, equality." Fourth, antimulticulturalists played roles to spread the emotion of disgust, by repeatedly referring to international marriage fraud and immigrant workers' crimes, which is called "narrative of crime." Fifth, some positive writings on immigrant women were based on empathy(a concept defined in this context by Martha Nussbaum), but they can be analyzed as narratives encouraging cultural integration through the perspective of orientalism. Therefore, comments on immigrant women in the Agora represent a "catch-22" dilemma. To deal with conflicts arising from disgust and violations of human rights, civic education focusing on humanism is needed in this multicultural era.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.45
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• pp.69-102
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• 2023

There has been a growing demand for spiritual education in public education in recent years. In fact, the concept of spirituality was included in the national religious curriculum in 2022. However, compulsory spiritual education based on the national curriculum is different from individual or private organization-based spiritual education which can be characterized as voluntary. This article aims to discuss the potential problems that may arise when making spiritual education compulsory in public education. This discussion includes the expansion of spiritual discourse and the scope of spirituality, the contents and examples of spiritual education, and the implications of compulsory spiritual education. My perspective on this topic is that the religious curriculum, being a national curriculum, should be applicable to all schools and learners. The channels for expanding spiritual discourse include studies for measuring each individual's spirituality or religiosity and spiritual tourism. Both exclusive and inclusive spirituality coexist within spiritual discourse. Furthermore, spiritual educators criticize knowledge-based education for its tendency towards romanticization, while overlooking reflective education in national religious curriculum. Additionally, the normative nature inherent in the concept of spirituality is often overlooked, despite the potential recurrence of problems seen in faith-based education. This article suggested that the minimum principle for the nation's religious curriculum should be that "religious or normative knowledge is not to be injected or delivered but rather reflected upon." This principle aims to provide an opportunity for learners to reflect on their religious experiences or lives subjectively. When this principle is applied, spirituality becomes the object of reflection and selection for learners. Above all, learners with reflective thinking skills will be able to live independently, even if their experiences and lives change. We hope that this article will serve as an opportunity to continually reflect on the form of religious education found in public education.