Is Spreading Environmentalism a Form of Cultural Colonialism?
For those with an appetite for cultural exchange, Seoul offers all the trappings of a cosmopolitan city: Starbucks, the ubiquitous Irish pubs, and, of course, the real gem of international cities–Mexican restaurants.
But hold on. You’re the type who wants to help make the world a better place. Frappuccinos, Guinness, and burritos are not the be all and end all of cultural exchange. Then you’ll be happy to know that environmental values are making their way into Korea as well.
Many Koreans are taking note of the global environmental movement, which is already in full swing in much of the world, with increasing interest.
Children in South Korea are exposed to both their parent’s traditional environmental values and the environmental values of their foreign teachers in their English academies. They’re therefore a good barometer for the evolving environmental consciousness in South Korea. In one informal survey that I conducted with all 44 of my Korean students, I found that 77% of them said they were “very interested in the environment.”
Students who study for the TOEFL (the Test Of English as a Foreign Language) have an additional influence when it comes to matters of the environment: the TOEFL test materials themselves. Today’s TOEFL test prep books concentrate heavily on readings about such environmentally germane topics as species extinction and renewable energy.
Through school and media influences, interest in the environment is strong enough here to sway even the greatest of forces in Korean culture, the Korean mother. A New York Times article about Eco-Moms, which recently circulated around the Korean media, has only added to the interest in parenting with environmental values.
Still, for all of the growing numbers of foreigners and increasingly international dialogue on the environment, in much of South Korea the environmental movement remains distinctly Korean. The chamsari, or well-being, movement is a uniquely Korean green movement. It’s centered on healthy eating, exercising, and avoiding unhealthy activities.
Cultural colonialism or a healthy exchange of ideas?
In some ways, I can’t get over the feeling that I’m a neo-colonialist. My job as an English teacher is to spread the dominant language and culture. In my classroom, I’m a linguistic bouncer, kicking out Korean wherever it crops up and stamping everyone with new English terms. Many of my students have even chosen English names, like the little tyke in the picture above.
Linguists would say that I’m replacing the substrate language and culture with the superstrate language and culture. If these terms sound familiar, you’re either a linguist or you’ve lived in San Francisco, like me. Sure, we have a straight culture… a super straight culture.
But for whatever negatives there are in spreading the most dominant language around the world, being an English teacher also allows for some very positive cultural exchanges. Sometimes, I’m able to help my students take pride in their country’s great strides toward renewable energy, personal health, and recycling. More often than not, I’m the one who’s learning.
When the middle school English books talk about organic foods, I can ask, “Did you know that organics are a rapidly growing industry in North America?” When the TOEFL prep books give a reading on wind energy, I can point to Gangneung’s wind energy farm, which is on the mountains right above the city. And with my small kids, we all enjoy seeing YouTube footage of whales and other amazing animals before class starts.
Outside of the classroom, I’m the one on the receiving end of cultural lessons. Here in rural Korea, westerners make up about 0.02% of the population by my calculations. When you’re one in 5,000, you tend to draw attention. When I go into a restaurant by myself for lunch–already a faux pas in Korea’s group-centered culture–the word wegugin, or foreigner, excites people’s tongues and hangs in the air, strung up by sideways stares like squid drying in the sun. I feel like the squid. The other diners casually throw out guesses amongst themselves as to where I’m probably from, or they swap stories about previous encounters with foreigners. Cultural lesson number one: Confucius says, “value community.”
Photo: Flickr
Hey Gavin
That was great. Truely. What a picture.
I´ve heard about you´re TV interview regarding recycling as well. I think you told me, but somehow it went over my head untill Shirley brought it up. How do I see it? CNN isn´t my most valued or trusted source of news by any means, but i´ll beleive it if you say it, and am grateful that people like you gane offer good, real news to the world, and it´s great that it hit that scale.