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TAMU GEOG 201 - act3example

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XXXXX, a native of Inchon, the third largest city in South Korea, came to Texas A & M University in December of 1998 after several professional engineers in Korea recommended him to study here. When asked why he chose A & M, XXXXX said, “A &M is financially cheaper than other schools in the U.S. and a degree from U.S. is more competitive than a degree from Korea.” It has been almost 3 years since XXXXX has been back to his home, but he had plenty to share with me about the place he loves so much.South Korea became a democratic nation around 1950 when it separated from Korea. Since the 1970’s the nation has become very industrialized in an attempt by the government to recover from the post war recession. South Korea is a semi peripheral country. It was once peripheral, but after developing a successful manufacturing sector, they moved into semi peripheral status. Also as a result of industrialization, the people have moved into metropolitan areas. The majority of the population lives in 5 major cities in South Korea. Seoul, the capital, has 15 million people. South Korea has a serious pollution problem that has escalated since the 1970’s. This shows the ecological perspective of industrialization. There is little farming today in South Korea. The main crops grown in the countryside are rice in flat areas, and tomatoes in the more mountainous areas, but there is considerably less farming, due to urbanization. Because so many people have migrated into the cities, multi-story concrete apartment buildings are abundant, and stand-alone houses are scarce. Transportation in the cities is comparable to the United States. Personal vehicles are the main mode oftravel. The road structure is very similar to that of the United States, and XXXXX says traffic signs are “a copy of the U.S.” South Korea also has a well-developed subway system, and a bus system. The majority of South Koreans have a favorable view of the United States. The older South Koreans experienced the Korean War first hand and remember America’s help in that conflict. A small minority of young South Koreans disapprove, and feel like they are losing the traditional Korean culture. NOTE:THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT GLOBALIZATION, CONVERGING CULTURES, AND POPULAR VS ETHNIC CULTURE CHANGE PROCESSES.The people in South Korea have a strong interest in politics. The country was ruled by a dynasty before converting to a democratic form of government. However, there was a one party government for a very long time. Only recently have South Koreans seen the rise in power of a second party. The people, divided into 8 counties, elect representatives through a similar election process, but they do not have a cabinet like our house or senate. The appearance of a second party has not come without conflict. The older South Koreans support the old party, but the younger generation wants change and supports the new party. POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY AND DIVISION OF SPACE.When I asked XXXXX about medical care in Korea, he said he felt things were less advanced here in Texas. Medical facilities in South Korea have the most recent technology. XXXXX also pointed out that there are two types of medical care practiced in the country: oriental medicine such as acupuncture, naturalistic, herbs; and Westernmedicine, much like medical facilities in America. I think this is an example of acculturation. South Korea has adopted Western medicine externally, yet still practices the traditional oriental forms of medicine at the same time.The official language of South Korea is Korean; however English is taught in the elementary schools. Young Koreans learn how to read and write English, but verbal English is not emphasized. Korean is the only spoken language, and so therefore I think South Korea is a monolingual country. NOTE: THIS IDEA COULD HAVE BEEN EXTENDED TO POLITICAL RAMIFICATIONS OF A HOMOGENOUS POPULATION AND CENTRIPETAL FORCES.South Koreans have always had a very strong tie to family. 20 years ago it was commonplace to have grandparents, and extended family living together in a house. Today, this is very rare. Also, marriages were pre-arranged in the past, but this tradition is all but non-existent. Men were traditionally considered superior to women, but this too, is changing. However, when a male marries, the wife (or daughter-in-law) belongs to the male’s family. Male children are still emphasized, and that is to take care of parents. NOTE: THIS IS A DESCRIPTION OF A COLLECTIVE CULTURE BUT THETERM WAS NOT USED—SHOULD HAVE BEEN.There are 3 major religions practiced in South Korea, although there is no spatial distinction between the areas in which they are present. One-quarter of the population is Roman Catholic, one-quarter is Buddhist, and one-quarter is Christian. Conflict between these religions is rare; however conflict within Buddhist sects is frequent, according to XXXXX. Cathedrals and churches are found in major cities, and churches are commonlylocated in the top floors of the apartment buildings. Another religious symbol easily noticeable in South Korea are red neon crosses on the tops of buildings. Buddhist temples are found in mountainous areas. South Koreans use the lunar calendar in scheduling many of their holidays. They celebrate New Year’s twice: once on January 1, and again on the first moon. The South Koreans also celebrate Chuseuk, similar to the American holiday, Thanksgiving, and in May, in accordance with the lunar calendar, they celebrate Buddha’s birth by marching around the area with candles and lotuses and taking them to Buddha’s statue. Everyday dress in South Korea is much like that in America, but there is a traditional garment, the han bok, that is worn on special occasions. South Koreans eat a few foods that are unique to South Korea, such as Kimchee, but their diet consists of many “American” foods such as pizza, hamburgers, and of course, McDonald’s. Both of the above mentioned items, and many mentioned previously in this paper, illustrate globalization in South Korea. NOTE: COMMENT ON GLOBALIZATION, DIFFUSIONOF “MODERN” CUSTOMS ETC WOULD HAVE ENRICHED THIS.South Korea is rapidly changing in virtually every area. They are quickly interconnecting to different parts of the world through economics, politics, and even many cultural areas in mentifacts, sociofacts, and artifacts. This was evident to me in practically everything


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