[KS] Re: Facing/Avoiding One's Own Heritage

[Pak, Jacqueline]

Dear List,

Speaking of myths, I suppose "pure objectivity" is a myth for any academic,
whatever nationality, race, origin or gender.  We just pray to do the best
we can.  I believe a suggestion about Koreans not being able to objectively
"face one's own heritage" or the traumatic past is either naive or
arrogant.

As Gene observed, a new shift of demographic balance in Korean Studies
certainly invites new possibilities of approach and methodology. 

Concerning Frank's supposed response to me, I thought that his deductive
imagination was running wild.  He seems to have made up his mind without
evidence which is always problematic, if not dangerous.  What methodology,
who protagonist, who good and bad guys?  Huh?

About Koen's comments about collaboration and ideologically appropriating
the historical past to commentarize on the political present, those who are
more interested in this topic can pursue it further with an upcoming volume
(I think) on the Leiden Workshop.  


Thanks,
Jacqueline Pak




 


----------
> From: Eugene Y. Park <eypark at fas.harvard.edu>
> To: korean-studies at mailbase.ac.uk
> Subject: Facing/Avoiding One's Own Heritage
> Date: Friday, February 05, 1999 3:55 PM
> 
> Dear List,
> 
> Concerning the suggestion that maybe more time may be required for the
> mostly ethnic-Korean Koreanists to discuss the collaboration issue with
> greater emotioanl detachment, I have to disagree.  Is it that the Koreans
> are somehow less capable of facing their own controversial past than,
say,
> the white Americans with the comparably controversial issues from the
> recent American experience?
> 
> Gene Park
> 
> --------------------------------------------------
> Eugene Y. Park
> Assistant Professor
> Department of East Asian Studies
> McGill University
> 3434 McTavish Street
> Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1X9
> 
> Phone:	(514) 398-6742, ext. 0209; (514) 281-9764
> Fax:	(514) 398-1882
> --------------------------------------------------
> 


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