<font face="Default Sans Serif,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif" size="2">Dear colleagues,<br>First of all, I'd like to expression my appreciation to Henry Em for his hard work to create a Korean forum in MLA.<br>I believe this is an important step for not only Korean studies, but Asian studies in general.<br>This is the first time for me to join MLA and thus I was not aware that the Asian Studies in MLA is so underrepresented.<br>I've been a regular member of two similar American academic organizations in my own fields, that is, American Academy of Religion (AAR) and American Philosophical Association (APA). Over the past 10 some years, both organizations went through a similar procedure with regard to its representation of Asian religions or philosophies. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the number of panels on Asian religions or philosophies in these organizations were very minimal, but through the efforts by scholars of Asian religions and philosophies, now both organizations have sizable number of panels on Asia. This change makes a good difference in terms of scholarly exchange, activities, and recognition of Asian studies.<br>The increase of numbers on Asian panels at the AAR or APA does not diminish the role and importance of AAS. As Henry Um mentioned, in AAR, APA, or in MLA, we meet scholarly environments which are different from that in the AAS.<br>I'd like to express my strongly support for the creation and maintenance of the Korean forum at the MLA. <br><span><br>___________________________<br>Jin Y. Park, Ph. D.<br>Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy and Religion<br>Director, Asian Studies Program<br>American University<br>4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW<br>Washington D.C. 20016-8056<br>https://american.academia.edu/JinPark<br>http://www.american.edu/cas/faculty/jypark.cfm</span><br><br><font color="#990099">-----"Koreanstudies" <koreanstudies-bounces@koreanstudies.com> wrote: -----</font><div style="padding-left:5px;"><div style="padding-right:0px;padding-left:5px;border-left:solid black 2px;">To: koreanstudies@koreanstudies.com<br>From: koreanstudies-request@koreanstudies.com<br>Sent by: "Koreanstudies" <koreanstudies-bounces@koreanstudies.com><br>Date: 06/07/2014 06:00PM<br>Subject: Koreanstudies Digest, Vol 132, Issue 5<br><br><div><font face="Courier New,Courier,monospace" size="2">Send Koreanstudies mailing list submissions to<br> koreanstudies@koreanstudies.com<br><br>To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit<br> <a href="http://koreanstudies.com/mailman/listinfo/koreanstudies_koreanstudies.com">http://koreanstudies.com/mailman/listinfo/koreanstudies_koreanstudies.com</a><br><br>or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to<br> koreanstudies-request@koreanstudies.com<br><br>You can reach the person managing the list at<br> koreanstudies-owner@koreanstudies.com<br><br>!!!!!!!!! When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more<br>specific than "Re: Contents of Koreanstudies digest..." !!!!!!!!!<br></font></div><div><font face="Courier New,Courier,monospace" size="2"><<------------ KoreanStudies mailing list DIGEST ------------>><br> </font></div><div><font face="Courier New,Courier,monospace" size="2">Today's Topics:<br><br> 1. Korean forum / MLA (another update) (Henry Em)<br> 2. Teaching Associate in Korean Language (James Grayson)<br></font></div><br><font color="#800080" face="sans-serif" size="2">----- Message from Henry Em <henryem@gmail.com> on Sat, 7 Jun 2014 00:50:14 +0900 -----<br></font><br><table><tbody><tr><th align="right"><b>To:</b></th><td>koreanstudies@koreanstudies.com</td></tr><tr><th align="right"><b>Subject:</b></th><td>[KS] Korean forum / MLA (another update)</td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="ltr"><div>Dear colleagues,<br></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">It seems almost certain that starting in 2016 a Korean (Language, Literature, and Culture) forum will be established in the MLA. A sufficient number of MLA members have signed the petition.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">These tasks remain: several members of the Korean forum will have to volunteer to serve on the founding executive committee, and they have to submit a letter of application (2 to 5 pages) over the summer.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">In my first email to this list I characterized the MLA as Euro-centric, but becoming less so. That was a simplistic characterization.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">
The question of what’s marginal and not so marginal (in the MLA, in the broader academe) is actually not so straightforward. Moreover, it’s not just a matter of assessing which fields are becoming less popular, and which fields are becoming more vibrant. It’s also a matter of the privileging theory over, say, the category of national literature, or even literature itself. (The creation of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean forums repeats an older pattern.) </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">But to simplify, again, I've copied below some numbers that offer a broader snapshot of the MLA – with the assumption that these numbers tell us something about how languages and literatures are taught and studied (primarily in the US, even though the MLA has members in over 100 countries).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">If I’m not mistaken, the MLA currently has 4,162 members. It has 88 divisions, and as of June 6, 2014, a not-so-random sample of EXISTING DIVISIONS shows: </p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/twentieth-century-american-literature/">Twentieth-Century American Literature</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">1,222 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/womens-studies-in-language-and-literature/">Women’s Studies in Language and Literature</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">1,182 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/postcolonial-studies-in-literature-and-culture/">Postcolonial Studies in Literature and Culture</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1,053 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/ethnic-studies-in-language-and-literature/">Ethnic Studies in Language and Literature</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">
603 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/black-american-literature-and-culture/">Black American Literature and Culture</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">526 members </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/twentieth-century-latin-american-literature/">Twentieth-Century Latin American Literature</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">489 members</p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/late-nineteenth-and-early-twentieth-century-english-literature/">Late-Nineteenth- and Early-Twentieth-Century English Literature</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">
479 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/gay-studies-in-language-and-literature/">Gay Studies in Language and Literature</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">439 members</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/shakespeare/">Shakespeare</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">420 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/twentieth-century-spanish-literature/">Twentieth-Century Spanish Literature</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">297 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/mexican-cultural-and-literary-studies/">Mexican Cultural and Literary Studies</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">
273 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/twentieth-century-french-literature/">Twentieth-Century French Literature</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">247 members</p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/chicana-and-chicano-literature/">Chicana and Chicano Literature</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">233 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/twentieth-century-german-literature/">Twentieth-Century German Literature</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">213 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/american-indian-literatures/">American Indian Literatures</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">190 members</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/asian-american-literature/">Asian American Literature</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">184 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/arabic-literature-and-culture/">Arabic Literature and Culture</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">142 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/east-asian-languages-and-literatures-after-1900/">East Asian Languages and Literatures after 1900</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">131 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/east-asian-languages-and-literatures-to-1900/">East Asian Languages and Literatures to 1900</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">71 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/german-literature-to-1700/">German Literature to 1700</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">(division with fewest members -- 52 members)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">-----PROSPECTIVE FORUMS-----</p><p class="MsoNormal">From among <u>35 prospective forums</u>, membership as of June 6, 2014: </p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/prospective-forum-tm-literary-and-cultural-theory/">Prospective Forum: TM Literary and Cultural Theory</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">(most signatures) 89 members</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/prospective-forum-llc-korean/">Prospective Forum: LLC Korean</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">40 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/prospective-forum-llc-japanese-since-1900/">Prospective Forum: LLC Japanese since 1900</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">23 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/prospective-forum-llc-japanese-to-1900/">Prospective Forum: LLC Japanese to 1900</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">19 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/prospective-forum-llc-modern-and-contemporary-chinese/">Prospective Forum: LLC Modern and Contemporary Chinese</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">13 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/prospective-forum-llc-ming-and-qing-chinese/">Prospective Forum: LLC Ming and Qing Chinese</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">
10 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/prospective-forum-llc-pre-14th-century-chinese/">Prospective Forum: LLC Pre-14th-Century Chinese</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">
7 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://commons.mla.org/groups/prospective-forum-lsl-heritage-language-teaching-and-learning/">Prospective Forum: LSL Heritage Language Teaching and Learning</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(fewest signatures) 5 members</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><p class="MsoNormal">Note: In the MLA Commons, members can join many forums (groups), but can sign just five new forum petitions. All existing Divisions and Discussion Groups are being “updated” to forums. </p>
</blockquote><div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">So, what is the significance of a Korean forum being established in the MLA? Who can say at this point. </p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">The Korean forum will (probably) have two guaranteed panels at the MLA convention (starting in 2016). Before and after participating in the Korea panels, you would be able to go to panels organized by over 100 different forums, from Asian American Literature to Women’s and Gender Studies. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Perhaps this also can be said: in comparison to the AAS, the MLA would provide a different kind of intellectual space, a different kind of experience, a different kind of engagement. That is to say, I think scholars of Korean Literature would find it advantageous to have both the AAS and the MLA as venues.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Shifting back to larger questions, teaching in Korea I feel the "crisis of the Humanities" so much more keenly, because there is such a clear (commonly accepted) hierarchy of student (and parents') preferences: e.g. the business major over the study of history or literature.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">As we are all well aware, there are many worrisome trends: increasing student debt, declining number of tenure-track positions, majority of courses being taught by non-tenure track faculty, dismal employment prospects for college graduates, etc. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">So in the larger scheme of things the establishment of a Korean forum in the MLA is probably not so significant. Well, I guess that might depend… Can a panel (several panels), a paper (several papers), make an impact? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Henry </p></div><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr"><div>Henry Em<br></div>Associate Professor, Korean History<br>Yonsei University Underwood International College<br>Veritas Hall B, Room 425<br>
<div>Gwahakno 85, Songdo-Dong, Yeonsu-Gu</div><div>Incheon 406-840, Korea<br></div><div><br></div><div><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt">Mobile: 82(country code)-<b>(0)10-7232-2626</b> <br></p><div><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt">
Office: 82(country code)-(0)32-363-4153</p></div></div></div>
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<br><font color="#800080" face="sans-serif" size="2">----- Message from James Grayson <j.h.grayson@sheffield.ac.uk> on Sat, 7 Jun 2014 10:57:44 +0100 -----<br></font><br><table><tbody><tr><th align="right"><b>To:</b></th><td>Korean Studies Discussion List <Koreanstudies@koreanstudies.com></td></tr><tr><th align="right"><b>Subject:</b></th><td>[KS] Teaching Associate in Korean Language</td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">7 June, 2014<div><br></div><div>SCHOOL OF EAST ASIAN STUDIES</div><div>The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.</div><div><br style="font-family:arial;font-size:small" clear="all">
<div style="font-family:arial;font-size:small"><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">The School of East Asian Studies invites applications for the post of Teaching Associate in Korean Language at the University of Sheffield. </div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">The job announcement is attached to this email.</div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">The closing date for the application is 2nd July. </div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
Application site is: </div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><a href="https://jobs.shef.ac.uk/sap/bc/webdynpro/sap/hrrcf_a_applwizard?PARAM=cG9zdF9pbnN0X2d1aWQ9NTM4NzI1NTA0RjAzM0IwRkUxMDAwMDAwOEZBN0ZEMTg%3d&sap-wd-configid=ZSHRRCF_A_APPLWIZARD&sap-client=400&sap-language=EN&sap-accessibility=X&sap-ep-themeroot=%2fSAP%2fPUBLIC%2fBC%2fUR%2fuos#" target="_blank">https://jobs.shef.ac.uk/sap/bc/webdynpro/sap/hrrcf_a_applwizard?PARAM=cG9zdF9pbnN0X2d1aWQ9NTM4NzI1NTA0RjAzM0IwRkUxMDAwMDAwOEZBN0ZEMTg%3d&sap-wd-configid=ZSHRRCF_A_APPLWIZARD&sap-client=400&sap-language=EN&sap-accessibility=X&sap-ep-themeroot=%2fSAP%2fPUBLIC%2fBC%2fUR%2fuos#</a><br>
</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>-- <br></div></div></div></div>Emeritus Professor James H. Grayson<br>School of East Asian Studies<br>The University of Sheffield<br>6/8 Shearwood Road<br>Sheffield S10 2TD<br><br>
(tel) +44 114 222-8418<br>(fax) +44 114 222-8432<br>(email) <a href="mailto:j.h.grayson@sheffield.ac.uk" target="_blank">j.h.grayson@sheffield.ac.uk</a><br>
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</koreanstudies-bounces@koreanstudies.com></div></div></font>