• Title/Summary/Keyword: cross-cultural comparison

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Thick Description as a Methodology of Comparative Literature (비교문학연구방법론에 대한 소고: 길고 약하고 두껍게 비교하기)

  • Park, Seonjoo
    • Cross-Cultural Studies
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    • v.50
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    • pp.347-370
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    • 2018
  • This paper proposes a new direction for Comparative Literature which has been deeply Eurocentric and even colonial ever since its birth. 'Comparison' in Comparative Literature has been in fact the ideological mechanism for containing, classifying, and eventually controlling all differences in the world. Literature has naturally served as a national institution of the West at epistemological and discursive level with hidden adjective "comparative". To re-conceptualize the discipline and practice of "Comparative Literature", we need to revolutionize methodology itself based on Wai Chee Dimock's idea of "Weak Theory", Foucault's "disappearance of author", and Clifford Geertz's "thick description". "Thick description" as a methodology of comparative literature re-establishes the discipline as a field of "weak theory", defusing the centrality of linguistic identity and re-making it as a "long network" of loose and missed connections. "Thick description" poses the publicness of nation-state within "confusion of tongues", problematizes the legitimacy of modern knowledge, and puts (the western) nationalism in question. With this idea as a starting point, we can re-imagine Comparative Literature anew as a field of ceaseless discourse of longer, weaker, and thicker networks of interpretation and re-interpretation of differences.

A Study on Xu Xiao Bin's Sounds of Nature(天籁) - Focusing on Intertextuality of Lee Cheong-jun's Seopyeonje (쉬샤오빈(徐小斌)의 「천상의 소리(天籁)」 읽기 - 이청준의 「서편제」와 상호텍스트성을 중심으로)

  • Choi, Eun-Jeong
    • Cross-Cultural Studies
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    • v.39
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    • pp.309-328
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    • 2015
  • This study is a consideration of Xu Xiao-Bin(徐小斌)'s Sounds of nature(天?) in the mutual text point of view of Lee Cheong-jun's Sopyonje series. Xu Xiao-Bin's Sounds of nature shows similar motive to Lee Cheong-jun's Sopyonje series that is a story of a mother who damages her daughter's eyes and the daughter. however, it is accepted in totally different ways that the action of father/mother who damage their daughter's eyes. the mother in Sounds of nature is a composer as well as singer and the father in Sopyonje is a singer. The mother's behavior is not able to have duty in Sounds of nature due to it is focused in 'mother's action' rather than a singer but the father's behavior is focused in 'singer's action' in Sopyonje. therefore the action of the father, who is a singer, is considered not merely personal desire of father but also desire to preserve 'singing' as a national culture in public status. the length between two novels are clear in the two daughter's point of views. the daughter in "Sounds of nature" refuses her destiny made from her mother. The daughter's behavior of recovering her own volition, becomes frankly showing the falsehood of 'mother's love. In comparison, the daughter's voice is under the shade in Sopyonje. she surrenders herself to the fate made by her father, and she does not show her desire. This is the point that the difference is created by gender of writers.

Image of Eternity in N. Gogol's «Rome» (N. 고골의 단편(단편(斷篇)) 『로마』에 나타난 영원성의 이미지)

  • Kim, Sung IL
    • Cross-Cultural Studies
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    • v.37
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    • pp.51-79
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    • 2014
  • Seriously depressed by the failure in the first performance of his own drama ${\ll}$The Government Inspector${\gg}$, N. Gogol sought out a space, Italy, which is obviously a turning point for the writer. Here in Italy, the writer could be able to explore an essential foundation for the national identity as well as self-identification of Russian traditional culture, all of which have already been epitomized in the Renaissance period in Italy. The city Rome itself provided Gogol with its grandness and harmonious perfectness, influencing something 'spiritual being' upon the writer. The work under discussion, "Rome," is thus created through these literary circumstances. Though it is made under the different title as "Annuntiata" and it delivers a love story between lovers, the story lines gradually turned into a fiction about the city, Rome. In comparison with city Paris, Gogol himself presents a negative view of the French metropolitan, saying that it is nothing but a by-product of the 19th century civilization. Interestingly enough, Rome for Gogol is totally different; it is the place of sublimity, that is a locus of harmonious, holy, and eternal city. Likewise, this pattern can be said of another description on the two contradictory cities: Paris and Rome. Again, Gogol fully pictures the city Paris as centripetal and Rome as centrifugal, in which the main protagonist makes the reader indulge in his own world. Throughout the story the writer tells us a transformation experienced by his character, and the work ends with an open denouement. Like Jerusalem, Rome is the city of resurrection for Gogol. Yet, this kind of possibility of transformation in the story is exposed to the hero, and it arguably depends on the extent to which he explores the readiness for encountering of 'eternity' in this "eternal city."

The Envy and Suffering: Feelings of Characters Appearing in Self-Development Narrative - Focusing on a Soap Opera (시기심과 고통: 자기계발 서사에 나타난 감정 연구 - 막장드라마 <아내의 유혹>을 중심으로 -)

  • Park, Suk-Ja
    • Cross-Cultural Studies
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    • v.46
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    • pp.21-42
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    • 2017
  • This study aims at analyzing the trend of feeling under the neo-liberalism era through the soap operas. In particular, this article focuses on 'envy'. Unlike jealousy, envy is the feeling of comparison appearing in people in similar circumstances that is displayed within the dual relation with its characteristic of having dynamics on the fortune (victory) of the other party for an unpleasant feeling, denial and interference. However, under the neo-liberalistic order with unlimited competition as its characteristic, 'envy' has the tendency to discourse with its passion of subjects participating in the limited share of competition. This begins in 'envy' under a soap opera to lead to competition to reproduce as the drama to dream of success for self-development. Under the circumstances, the feeling or behavior of characters not showing the general pattern but to individualize with the envious behavior of evil characters to turn away from the structural context for characters of issue of suffering originated within. For example, the soap opera imagines with 'envy' for the feeling of characters to reproduce the neo-liberalistic subject in darkness as well as to transfigure the suffering or context encountered by the characteristics to present the issues.

A Certain Socialism of George Sand - Dream of a Community of Love - (조르쥬 상드의 어떤 사회주의 - 사랑의 공동체에 대한 꿈 -)

  • Park, Haesook
    • Cross-Cultural Studies
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    • v.52
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    • pp.31-52
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    • 2018
  • The purpose of this thesis was to re-examine the utopian socialism of George Sand. In brief, her socialism is Christian socialism. She was heavily influenced by Leroux and Ramennais who insisted on Christian socialism at the time. This was socialism that differed from other utopian socialists of the time such as Saint Simon and Fourier. In addition, the socialism of Sand was similar to communism that was popular at the time. We can see in many writings portraying Sand as a Communist. Her novels were also written to spread her communicative ideas. However, the Communism of Sand is different from that of Marx. In this thesis, her novels, her letters, and her political pamphlets will be analyzed in comparison with Marxism in three ways. 1. If Marx's communism justified violence, her ideology is based on nonviolence. 2. Sand's Communism asserts equality for workers and capitalists. She says that if it is not the equality for all, we are not qualified to argue. 3. Finally, her Communism is based entirely on Christian values, love and solidarity.

"I Envy, therefore I Am": Justification of Envy - and ("나는 시기한다 고로 존재한다": 시기심의 정당성 - <위험한 독신녀>와 <여교사> -)

  • Jun, Soyoung
    • Cross-Cultural Studies
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    • v.46
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    • pp.43-61
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    • 2017
  • This essay interprets envy not as a form of conventional conflict between women but as a type of common response of self-preservation focused on envy represented in the American film, Single White Female, and the Korean film, Female Teacher. Although envy is traditionally classified as a feminine emotion, it is an innate human emotion regardless of gender identity. Especially in the competitive era of neo-liberalism, we recognize only its negative side while overlooking its positive side as envy originates from comparison with others. Hedy's mimicking of Allie in Single White Female is not the same as idealized identification because her envy is aggressive and a self-assertive response while transforming Allie's identity. Likewise, envy of a protagonist in Female Teacher triggers an action of self-preservation against irrational social and personal inequality. Accordingly, a type of resistant and critical power resides in envy between women in these films. Therefore, proper recognition of repressed envy is required in order to prevent its transition towards a violent outcome.

Analysis of Comparison between Seo Jungjoo Shiseon and Shillacho (『서정주(徐廷柱) 시선(詩選)』과 『신라초(新羅抄)』의 비교분석 - 무속적 상상력을 중심으로)

  • Lee, Young Kwang
    • Cross-Cultural Studies
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    • v.26
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    • pp.321-351
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    • 2012
  • This paper attempts to clarify the similarity found in Seo Jungjoo's two books of poems, Seo Jungjoo Shiseon and Shillacho, and thereby to establish the continuity between Seo's early poetry and his mid-period poetry. This attempt arises from the realization that unfamiliar poetic material, background, and narration are merely surface features, and that in fact his early concerns nevertheless persist in terms of his poetic imagination and his Weltanschauung. Furthermore, this continuity seems to originate from shamanistic spiritual chaos that is consubstantially interrelated with the spirit of his deceased lover. After chaos and confusion subsided, the poet's endeavor to discover the lineal origin of his personal shamanism shows itself in Seo Jungjoo Shiseon, and we witness the embodiment of such endeavor in Shillacho. His interest in the skies as it is expressed in my poem, and Shilla as it is intimated by Gwanghwamun are sublimated in saso yeonjag and the words of Queen Seondeog into shamanic wisdom that served as the norm for both spiritual life and physical life in ancient times, and the wisdom is carried on further into the present in Seo's own times. Moreover, the star and the bell sound that were presented as signs of desirable Weltanschauung in Sangrigwawon are transformed into the symbols of shamanic wisdom, and into the inner magic formula that contributes to achieving the wisdom. This analysis offers as its result the evidence embedded in his poems that shows, first, that the two books correspond to merely two separate stages of his poetic concern, and second, that his early poetic concern persists, though transformed through a peculiar manner, into his mid-period poems.

A study on the present research situation of Early modern Japanese plays in overseas (지카마쓰 후기 작품군에 대한 고찰)

  • Han, Kyoung Ja
    • Cross-Cultural Studies
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    • v.25
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    • pp.291-312
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    • 2011
  • The academic world in Korea demands internationally competitive researches at the moment. However, there is a lack of understanding on research trends of Western countries. This research aims to understand how discussions on early modern Japanese plays are developed in Western countries such as America. Also, it aims to consider and compare the present situation of researches on early modern Japanese plays in Western countries, Japan and Korea. In Western countries, modern Japanese plays such as Kabuki and Joruri is accepted and enjoyed as universal plays of the world. It is not only because there is a background of enjoying plays such as Shakespeare's but also researches and translations are accumulated continuously from the early 20th century. In the early 20th century, the main theme of researches was about Kabuki actors in Ukiyoe which was collected because of an interest in orientalism. After 1930s, Japanese arts and handcrafts were sent to art museums in America in order to promote Japanese culture. Also, many Japanese books were donated to university libraries in order to form institutes of Japanology. The war was started when the foundation of Japanology was about to be laid. Students who were interested in Japan were mobilized to the war as agents to understand Japan. After the war, those students started to do researches on Japan on a full scale. There were researchers such as Donald Keen who did researches on Kabuki and Joruri. In western countries, there are researches on patterns of behavior and thoughts of Japanese people, comparison with Shakespeare's plays, dramaturgie, theatricalism as well as censorship of Kabuki during the war and mobilization of Kabuki to the war. It is necessary to understand where my researches are positioned in those research trends. It is also necessary to break away from overlapped and repeated researches of the same point of view and find out new research paradigms.

A comparative study on configuration of the nation in epics (서사시에 나타난 '민족' 형상화에 관한 비교 연구 - 고은의 『백두산』과 리욱의 『고향 사람들』, 『풍운기』를 중심으로)

  • Jang, Eun Young
    • Cross-Cultural Studies
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    • v.25
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    • pp.337-362
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    • 2011
  • This study focused on difference of the nation's concept between Ko un's Baekdusan and Lee uk's Gohyangsaramdul, Pungungi. These works are epics restructure nation's history. A epic's story provides framework of recognition to social members. An individual and community accept their story and then stories construct pesonal identity and community's identity. So we can say a epic configurates national identity by story nation history and nation territory. The nation's concept is understood steadfast and very pure as like a blood relationship in Korea. This is aspects of Korean nationalism. But the Nation is modern, social and historical concept. That is different from ethnic identity. This way throws open the door to analyze nation identity. Ko un's Baekdusan narrates permanence and sacralization of the nation for emphasizing the unification of North Korea and South Korea. Baekdusan expresses the social desire of Korea in the 1980s. In comparison, Lee uk's Gohyangsaramdul representate ambivalent attitude. One is a position as a settler and the other is a new master of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture. So Gohyangsaramdul narrates and remembers their motherland Chosun. But Pungungi exclude recognition of Chosun as motherland. This work's narration focuses on association with struggle of classes and anti-Japanese Movement during the Japanese colonial period. Because these events are able to unity Korean and Chines. Three works deal with same history and same background, but those show defferent recognition about the Nation. Because each society has different social desire and expect different future. The present desire and future prospect construct nation identity.

A Study on the Conversation Textbooks with Chinese Culture: an Analysis of the Problems on Talking Culture and Comparison with Textbooks of Korea, Japan (문화 소재 중심의 중국어 회화교재에 대한 일고 - 『설한어(說漢語) 담문화(談文化)』의 문제점 분석과 극복방안으로서의 한·일 교재 검토)

  • Park, Chan-Wook
    • Cross-Cultural Studies
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    • v.40
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    • pp.133-158
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    • 2015
  • This study aims to analyse the conversation structure on Talking Culture("說漢語 淡文化") that is one of the conversation textbooks about Chinese culture and investigate Chinese textbooks published in Korea and Japan from a integration point of view among language, literature and culture for improving upon the problems on Talking Culture. For this purpose, this study, before analysing and investigating, considered the concept of language socialization on learning Chinese as a foreign language, and on the basis of it, analysed the conversation structure of Talking Culture. And then this study examined how we should organize the structures and contents when making conversations in Chinese textbook related with culture in compared with the Chinese textbooks published in Korea and Japan. In conclusion, this study argues that when composing a conversation textbook with culture, we not only need to pay attention not to have an inclination for conversation structure, but need to make use of the contents in Chinese literary and culture works for organizing conversations from the perspective of integration among language, literature and culture.