• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.35
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• pp.237-268
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• 2014

Examining swear words found in Korean and English, we aim to answer the following two questions: (i) 'What words develop into swear words?' and (ii) 'Why they do?' The utility of a swear word is frequently recognized as intimidation directed towards an opponent, emotional catharsis, and solidarity building among in-group members (Jay 1992, 2000, Kim 1997). We seek to go beyond this simple enumeration of possible functions of swearing and suggest an underlying mechanism at work to explain how these functions are achieved and why only certain types of words are employed in this pursuit. A close examination reveals that a swear word must contain either taboo or sadism as an essential component. Sexual pleasure adds another dimension to the basic components. Thus, if an expression contains a subset of the component set {taboo, sadism, sex} in its semantics, it becomes available for swearing (one of the underlined components must be included in the set). For example, many religiously sacred expressions and words for excretion are common swear words as they violate social and religious taboo. On the other hand, words referring to social minorities are a convenient target for sadism. Furthermore, words describing sexual activity contain all three components, violating social taboo, evoking sadism, and giving the initiator guilty sexual pleasure. A combination of the components can produce an emotional effect called catharsis for the initiator. When directed towards others, these components, especially taboo and sadism, can be exploited as a verbal attack, an intimidation, preceding or replacing a physical attack. However, solidarity building is analyzed as a secondary function of swearing, achieved by sharing a sense of accomplice when in-group members behave badly together, such as violating social taboo and committing sadism.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.230-244
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• 2014

This study is to analyze the effects of geography class using taboo games on developing student's ability to think. After playing taboo games in which students explain keyword without using presented taboo words, worksheets of participants were analyzed with interviews to demonstrate what kind of thinking skills are working. The results of the analyses are as follows. First, while divergent thinking is applied to students who explain keyword in taboo games, convergent thinking is applied to students who listen to and guess them. Second, as groups play a role as explainer or answerer in turn, they can learn divergent and convergent thinking together. Third, students seem to improve high-order thinking ability like decision-making, critical thinking, metacogniton through taboo games. Fourth, students have a tendency to use a variety of direct and/or indirect experiences (especially, from media) as well as cross curricular knowledge in order to explain keyword without using taboo words.

• The Journal of Korean Medical History
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 2009

The objective of this article is to analysis of Acupuncture & Moxibustion Fix-a-day Method (AMFDM;鍼灸擇日) shown in the Seunjeongwon-Ilgi(承政院日記). Through such inquisition, The practical application of AMFDM could be found. The authors used web database of Seunjeongwon-Ilgi(承政院日記) serviced by National Institution of Korea History. We searched the database twice. First, We check up the database using key words - '忌日', '吉日', '拘忌', '鍼', '針' and '灸'. Search words is "(忌日|吉 日|拘忌)&(鍼|針|灸)". Second, We check up the database using other key words - '瘟㾮', '爲吉', '爲受鍼吉'. 1. AMFDM was used whenever Royal Family was cared. Futhermore, Its application method was as same as medical documents said. 2. AMFDM in the Seunjeongwon-Ilgi consists of Taboo-day(忌日) and Favor-day(吉日). Taboo-day is classified into following 5 type. Weather, Moon phases, The 24 solar terms(節氣), Spirit-location(人神), KunJie-12-deity(建除十二神) and OnHuang-day(瘟㾮日). 3. Sometime contradiction was occurred when AMFDM was used. So AMFDM had the priority order. According to these's order, doctor picked up a date. 4. Doctor used AMFDM to control Interval of treatment. They thought that acupuncture treatment exhaust one's Qi(氣). Using AMFDM, they could give recovery period to patient.