[KS] Re: Young turks?

[k u s h i b o]

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[Moderator's note:  I will not normally interrupt messages with
comments, but under the recent circumstances, perhaps I will in this
case.  My comments are in square brackets, as here.  Rob Provine]

goodwins wrote:
> "Richard C. Miller" wrote:
>> Kushibo should not have felt the need to end his ... request for opinions
>> on ... homosexuality in Korea by pleading for mercy from the list
>> moderators.
> 
> Isn't that just a tiny bit exaggerated Richard? I mean, there seems to
> be no evidence that the moderators have censored any postings, or have I
> missed something? (Wouldn't be the first time.)

As an indirect focus of this issue, I feel an obligation to respond to
this.

First, to be frank, I felt apprehensive about posting some things,
including
my post on the homosexuality issue, because of how they might be viewed
in
the wake of the moderation announcement. In fact, I did feel the need to
add
to my post a justification of why it would be of academic interest.

[Moderator:  I'm unaware of having said that anything worth posting on
an academic/scholarly discussion list would be omitted.]

Furthermore, I had to send the message twice, the second time altered
slightly. That may or may not have been because of an Internet glitch
(that
has happened before), but my first thought was that the post might have
been
neglected due to a view that it was unacceptable.

[Moderator:  I never saw the first one.]

Second, I want to reiterate an earlier point that a wide range of
everyday
issues and topics on Korea, even when they themselves are not directly
academic, are very important to people who are forming opinions and
theories, or conducting research, on Korea. Simply put, non-academic but
directly Korea-related information and opinions are highly useful for
academic purposes. 

Someone asking on-list where a great dim sum restaurant is in Seoul, for
example, would be inappropriate. But someone asking why there is such a
dearth of dim sum and other southern-Chinese cuisine in Korea, well,
that
would be appropriate and likely lead to discussions ranging from Chinese
immigration patterns, to Sino-Korean relations, xenophobia, etc. But in
the
wake of the moderation announcement, I dare say some would be too
apprehensive about upsetting the pro-moderation listers to post
something
like that, or the gynecology-related issues, etc. This would be a loss
to
those who are constantly striving to get as comprehensive a picture as
possible of Korea.

[Moderator's note:  my preference is to have postings of
academic/scholarly interest about Korea on this list, rather than
extended arguments about the way the list is run.  But perhaps I should
say that so far the letters to the managers have been running strongly
in favor of the moderation.  It is worth noting that the authors of
these notes have intentionally not sent their notes to the list as a
whole, probably on grounds that they felt such comments were not of an
academic/scholarly nature.]

>> I also find the application of Gresham's law and the classroom metaphor
>> to open discussion completely inappropriate ... this is a discussion list,
>> not a classroom.
> 
> With this I completely agree! I felt a sense of "condescension" from
> that posting about the "young Turks" or whatever. As my teen aged nephew
> might say, "What's the deal with that?" I imagine the comment/analysis
> was well intended but it was also revealing; i.e., of just how "set"
> some perceive the power relations structuring Korean studies practices
> and discourses to really be.

I don't know if I would call it condescending. But in the end, I think
it is
our intentions in joining this list in the first place, not the
moderation
of this list, that will keep people in line.

K U S H I B O