Product Description
Representing an unprecedented collaboration among international scholars from Asia, Europe, and the United States, this volume rewrites the history of East Asia by rethinking the contentious relationship between Confucianism and women. The authors discuss the absence of women in the Confucian canonical tradition and examine the presence of women in politics, family, education, and art in premodern China, Korea, and Japan.

What emerges is a concept of Confucianism that is dynamic instead of monolithic in shaping the cultures of East Asian societies. As teachers, mothers, writers, and rulers, women were active agents in this process. Neither rebels nor victims, these women embraced aspects of official norms while resisting others. The essays present a powerful image of what it meant to be female and to live a woman's life in a variety of social settings and historical circumstances. Challenging the conventional notion of Confucianism as an oppressive tradition that victimized women, this provocative book reveals it as a modern construct that does not reflect the social and cultural histories of East Asia before the nineteenth century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Revisionist theory.
It is generally thought that Confucianism tends to subjugate women by promoting a patriarchal system and erasing them from official discourses and records. Revisionist Ko and collaborators attempt to show that women were "neither victims nor rebels within these Confucian societies (China, Japan, Korea) for they embraced aspects of official norms while resisting others." In other words, women were willing participants in the Confucian orthodoxy.

While agreeing with some of these thoughts, it comes to my mind that there is no mention in their book about Vietnam, which was a full-fledged Confucian society as of the first century B.C. Whether this omission is related to a lack of or difficulty in locating experts in the field of Vietnamese Confucian society is not known.

A cursory look at premodern Vietnam reveals that this brand of Confucianism had not only deprived women of their basic rights, but also promoted a strict Confucian patriarchal system that was not conducive to the recognition of their talents or dignity. The two best Vietnamese literary works "Luc Van Tien and Kim Van Kieu" were written by men who extolled the virtues of women faithful to Confucian norms. The patriarchal atmosphere was so overbearing that women had to embrace the norms in order to survive. Anyone who refused to comply with the rules could be dismissed as heretic or unfaithful and cast out of the society. Confucian Vietnamese women, therefore, cannot be described as willful participants of the Confucian system.

Ko and al. throughout their book have not convincingly dispelled the notion that Confucian women, except for Japanese women, were not victims in their societies. On the contrary, their discourses have only showed that women were relegated and confined to an "inner-domestic sphere" in all these Confucian societies. The fact that women accepted their assigned roles does not mean they liked it. Being subdued by males, they did the best they could: they collaborated with men so that they could survive within the male dominated society.

While disagreeing with the authors' conclusions, I believe their work is an important contribution to the study of Confucian women. ... Read more

Product Description
Korean Culture Series #3 In "Palaces of Korea", Kim Dong-uk, a renowned historian of Korean architecture, guides readers on a journey through the history of palaces in Korea, daily life and ceremonial events, and palace architecture. However, the author also writes extensively about the similarities and differences between palaces across East Asia, namely Japan and China. The book includes a glossary of all terms transliterated into English with their Chinese counterparts. ... Read more

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Catholicism in Korea has a history of two hundred years. The role it has played in Korea is unique in that many of its initiatives have come from the laity, rather than the clergy or the church administration. After a prolonged period of cultural conflict, the number of Catholics has grown substantially over the years and numbers around eight percent of the total population. It is a bit odd then, to find such a paucity of English language materials dealing with the faith within the Korean context. This volume tries to fill the gap. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Unpolished and disappointing
This book is the red-headed stepchild of prominent texts on Catholicism in Korea. First and foremost, little is published about this book so I was both a bit curious and skeptical at first. I have been pleasantly surprised before by hidden gems but this book was merely a reprint of six essays from the late 1980s sandwiched in between a preface and epilogue by the editor. Yawn.

Each of the essays have a different author save for one repeat author who thankfully happens to be the best of the bunch. Unfortunately for an English speaking audience all content seems to have been originally written in Korean and translated later or written by those whose first language is not English. I'm not criticizing the book solely on this point but there are times when there's a grammatical or spelling error on every single page of the book. It becomes not only distracting but it hurts the overall argument of the book. It's sloppy mistake to an already dry book.

I can't criticize for not trying as there are some interesting pieces to be found but that doesn't excuse the confounded first chapter and that all-too-common uniquely Korean propaganda voice appearing in the last two chapters. A lack of any sort of art or photos makes this already questionable title a less polished presentation. Furthermore, I can't seem to find a definite answer as to when this book was actually originally organized. 1990? 2002? 2004?

Ultimately, I finished the book in a bad mood because it left more questions than it answered. I purchased it because I was curious about Korea's history of Catholicism and while I was able to pick up some very interesting bits from the late 1800s I was shocked to find very little post-Korean war material despite an entire chapter devoted to this very period. The saving graces is the editor's mildly interesting epilogue on indigenization and the third chapter titled "The Chosun Government's Measures Against Catholicism". Other than that, look somewhere else because this isn't what you're looking for. ... Read more

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North & South Korean culture has had a big impact on he rest of the world. This title allows readers the opportunity to travel to this unique region of the world and find out about the customs, religions, music, and fashion, among other things, that makes

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Customer Reviews (1)

Interesting, but problematic
This book was just added to the collection of our public library.As I reviewed the reading level and content to make sure we gave it the appropriate classification, I noticed couple problems. Wish we knew about this before we made this purchase.

First, there was a section which described the Korean Jindo dog "as a wild dog from Jindo Island". The last paragraph describes the animal as a "smart, loyal dog" who "loves its owner".Okay, is the dog wild or a pet?The article makes no mention of the domestication of this dog.

Second, author states that the North Korean "government does not allow religion", but allows "some religious groups to make it look like there is religious freedom".What evidence does the author base this statement on?Or is this just her opinion?We should know one way or the other.Later, in a section about schooling there is mention of religious school.Is that just for show as well?

Third, there is also a statement that "few North Koreans have computers".The author explains that this is because government doen't want the "people to get information about the outside world through the internet".Is this really why they don't have computers, or is that perhaps why they don't have internet access?Perhaps they don't have computers because most people don't have any money to spare. Or perhaps the shortage of electricity means that people don't see much point to getting computer.

As with any book, whether intended for research or just informational purposes, the author and publisher have an obligation to be clear as to what is fact and what is not.If it is fact make that clear by siting a source. ... Read more

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Discusses the history, geography, daily life, and culture of the Asian nation on the peninsula between China and Japan. ... Read more

Product Description
Practical guide to understanding South Korean business culture. Offers a smooth and problem-free transition between the American and South Korean business cultures. Paper. DLC: Business etiquette - Korea, South. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

DO NOT PAY MORE THAN $5 FOR THIS PAMPLET
Extremely thin PAMPLET, NOT the detailed book you would expect.Interesting reading, but you can find everything it has to say on the net with a simple search.Don't waste your money.

Good Reference
This is a good reference book if you go to South Korea for business or do business with Koreans in your own country.If you would like a book with more information and references, than I would recommend the book Korean Etiquette & Ethics in Business by Boye Lafayette De Mente. This book goes indepth with the Korean national character, its tradition and the personal coonnections that are essential to Koreans. ... Read more

Product Description
The book consists of facsimile copies of papers presented at AKSE's twentieth conference in London (4-8 April, 2001). The texts presented here are in English, Korean and French and include papers in pre-Modern and Modern History, Religion and Thought, Literature and Language, Anthropology and Modern Korea, where these have been supplied in their final fo; The book consists of facsimile copies of papers presented at ... Read more

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A look at the private institutions that were dedicated to higher learning, the same ones that eventually became the crowning glory of Neo-Confucianism, Seowon examines the role these schools had on society during the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910) while also taking a closer look at their architecture. Korean Culture Series #2 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Ground breaking work on traditional Korean Architecture.
What's really fantastic about this book is that, even
though the subject matter of the book lies in the foreign past, the
tone of the book is extremely local and contemporary.
That was only possible because Prof. Lee cut the history in half
and kindly guided us to the founders of Seowon (medieval academic
institution in Korea) with a clear reasoning and scholarly fervor.

The founders of Seowon lived during an era when a new thought,
Neo Confucianism, was rising to take over the old order of Buddhism. In
the heart of that turmoil, the new elite class sought
architectural expressions that best reified the new world-view.

Readers will walk to the doorsteps of many schools of thought
in that period of time. Reading the book Chosun scholarship
and political-lineage will be understandable.
Readers will see the arc (both in time and quality)of the
new metaphysics and its physical applications.
Flipping thru pages, reader will gradually comprehend some
of the common elements of Korean architecture through examples
and see how these differ from Chinese & Japanese style.
(raw and buff carpentry for example..)

The ideal of Seowon was poverty (in a scholastic sense); yet, the
humility of expression brought the richness of nature.
Personally what I enjoyed most was imagining being
at the center of the courtyards of each Seowon.
Prof. Lee's explanation and illustrations show the breath-taking beauty
of landscape flowing into the built complex, as if the purpose of the
houses were to contain landscape.

... Read more

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Valuable reference on Korea's history, politics, economics and cultural affairs. highlighting the changes that have buffeted the nation since "The Hnadbook" was last issued in 1993 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

If you're interested in Korea, buy this edition.
This edition is far better than the one put out by the Library of Congress. ... Read more

Product Description
This pioneering book offers a dynamic and global account of Korea's place in the current third wave of democratization. Drawing on a unique sample of six national surveys conducted in Korea since 1988, and richly comparative, the book carefully examines the evolution, contours and consequences of Korean democratization from the perspective of Korean people themselves and their experiences throughout the entire course of democratic change. Notably, the book characterizes and distinguishes Korea as a non-Western and Confucian model of democratization. ... Read more

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The year 2003 marks the hundredth anniversary of Korean immigration to the U.S. Century of the Tiger gathers work by some of the best and most eloquent Korean authors in Korea and America, past and present, in order to tell the dramatic story of Korean culture in America over the last century and the diverse experiences of Korean Americans today, particularly in Hawai'i. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Essential reading
This is essential reading for any scholar or someone with interests in the Minjung movement. A thorough collection of articles from political scientists, historians, and anthropologists, and reknowned Korean scholars from other fields. ... Read more

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Korean Culture Series #9. The easiest way to learn about Korea s Buddhist culture is to visit the temples where the traditional practice of asceticism is still carried on today. People no longer live in other examples of traditional architecture, such as palaces and Confucian schools and academies; but in temples the monks and nuns eat, sleep and live in the traditional way, wearing traditional robes. Of all the countries in East Asia that share Buddhist culture, only in Korea is the traditional practice of asceticism strongly maintained. This book aims to discuss the part architecture plays in this traditional temple culture. While temple life and the practice of asceticism are integral to each other, this books attempts to isolate the architecture as a physical entity. Though several books taking a similar approach have been published in Korea, this one has been written with foreign readers in mind. ... Read more

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This dissertation investigates some of the possible causes for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) dramatic economic setbacks that began in the early 1990s. Since the DPRK has been at the brink of famine since 1997, the focus of this study has been devoted to the DPRK's agricultural development. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is intended to meet the needs of the general reader. Major aspects of traditional, as well as modern Korean culture are discussed reputable scholars specializing in particular fields, and each chapter is prepared specifically to introduce a particular aspect of culture. A brief survey of Korean history and other cultural information are provided to enable the reader to fully appreciate the roots of Korean culture and the ways in which it has grown and transformed throughout the ages. For those who wish to continue their quest for greater knowledge, a selected bibliography is provided at the end of each chapter. Illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An Introduction to Korean Culture
An Introduction to Korean Culture by John H. Koo is one of the best overall books on Korean Culture.It is a easy read and it covers many areas of the asian culture and how the Korean people have evolved.It is a good read for anyone working or living in Korea.Excellent writing...

Excellent introduction to Korean social and artistic culture
The best book on Korean culture I have read.It is interesting and balanced in presentation with neither a foreigner's condensation nor anative's hyper national pride. The book reads well and draws the readerinto the culture, history, values, customs, arts and people of Korea. ... Read more