November 2024 Dilemmas of raising a global child in rapidly transforming South Korea Ahn, Junehui. 2024. Between Self and Community: Children’s Personhood in a Globalized South Korea. Rutgers NJ: Rutgers University Press. The Rainbow Room in Somang Preschool (Seoul) looked like the classroom I previously studied at a midwestern U.S. preschool. Walls were decorated with children’s artwork and posters. The artworks included words such as I, myself, feelings, expression, self-confidence, creativity, diversity, etc. Children were encouraged to express and verbalize their own thoughts, ideas, and feelings and were eager to do so. Based on these observations, I tentatively concluded that contemporary Korean socialization practices and ideology are geared toward cultivating children’s self-expression, creativity, and individuality—the values believed by many contemporary Koreans to be prerequisite for success in emerging, globalized South Korea. However, my conclusion changed when classroom teacher Ms. Choo approached me to share her frustrations: “Kids are just copying each other’s work and are only interested in what others are doing. No diversity and no creativity.” She specifically mentioned a girl named Nuri: “She’s too cocky. Kids think her drawings are the best … and envy her. But she doesn’t care for others’ feelings. She’s problematic.” I was surprised. Somang children’s expressions seemed diverse and creative, even compared to those I observed in the U.S. preschool. Moreover, Nuri seemed an exemplary student who was good at articulating unique ideas, thoughts, and preferences. If the teacher’s goal was to cultivate creativity and diversity, why was Nuri’s behavior and attitude problematic? Why shouldn’t kids be interested … Continue reading Spotlight on Scholarship