{"id":6946,"date":"2011-06-01T10:10:23","date_gmt":"2011-06-01T01:10:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/capcold.net\/blog\/?p=6946"},"modified":"2012-02-24T04:28:11","modified_gmt":"2012-02-23T19:28:11","slug":"fostering-understanding-through-comics-sangsaeng-spring11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/capcold.net\/blog\/6946","title":{"rendered":"Fostering Understanding Through Comics [Sangsaeng Spring\/11]"},"content":{"rendered":"

!@#… UNESCO \uc544\ud0dc\uad50\uc721\uc6d0\uc758 \uacc4\uac04\uc9c0 Sangsaeng<\/a>\uc758 \uc774\ubc88 \ud638 \ud2b9\uc9d1 “\ub9cc\ud654\ub85c \ub354 \ub098\uc740 \uc138\uc0c1\uc744 \uadf8\ub824\ub0b4\uae30<\/a>“\uc5d0 \ucc38\uc5ec\ud55c \uaf2d\uc9c0. \ub0b4\uc6a9 \ucd95\uc57d \uc5c6\uc774 \uc798 \ud574\uc8fc\uc2e0\ub9cc\ud07c \ud3b8\uc9d1\ubd80\uac00 \ubb38\uc7a5 \ub2e4\ub4ec\uc5b4\uc8fc\uc2e0 \ubc84\uc804\uc744 \uc62c\ub9b4\uae4c \ud588\uc73c\ub098, \uc804\uc6a9 \ubb38\uc11c \uc5f4\ub78c\uae30\uc5d0\uc11c \uc798 \uae01\uc5b4\uc624\uae30\uac00 \ub09c\ub9dd\ud574\uc11c \uadf8\ub0e5 \uc6d0\ub798 \uae30\uace0\ud55c \uac83\uc73c\ub85c \uc62c\ub9b0\ub2e4. \uadf8\ub7f0\ub370 \uc601\uc5b4\ub77c\uc11c \uc8c4\uc1a1\ud569\ub2c8\ub2e4(…) \uc560\ucd08\uc5d0 \uc601\uc5b4\ub85c \uc368\uc11c, \uc601\uc5b4 \ubc84\uc804\ubc16\uc5d0 \uc5c6\uc5b4\uc694.<\/p>\n

…\uc5ec\ub2f4\uc774\uc9c0\ub9cc, \uc6d0\ub798 \ucc98\uc74c \ud0c8\uace0\ud55c \ubc84\uc804\uc740 \ucd08\ubc18\uc5d0 \ub354 \ub0a0\uc120 \ub0b4\uc6a9\ub4e4(‘\uc704\uc548\ubd80\ub9ac\ud3ec\ud2b8’\ub77c\ub4e0\uc9c0 ‘\uace0\ub9c8\ub2c8\uc998\uc120\uc5b8’\uc774\ub77c\ub4e0\uc9c0…)\uc774 \ub2e4\uc18c \uc788\uc5c8\uc73c\ub098, \uc9c0\uba74\uc131\uaca9\uc744 \uace0\ub824\ud558\uc5ec \ud3b8\uc9d1\uc9c4\uacfc \uc0c1\uc758\ud6c4 \uc880 \ub354 \ud76c\ub9dd\ucc2c \ub0b4\uc6a9\ub9cc \ub0a8\uacbc\uc74c.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Understanding Others Through Comics<\/strong>
\n
\nNeedless to say, there are few things more desirable and harder to achieve than having people understand other cultures and find ways to coexist. Which in turn means that anything and everything available should be utilized if it helps to attain that goal. It would be all the better if those tools are popular and accessible, without having to sacrifice depth. Fortunately, there is one art form which is more than suitable for that task: comics.<\/p>\n

The strength of comics is its ability to translate abstract concepts into exciting episodes by employing a visual narrative. It is also well-known for its frequent use of simplification, which on one hand contributes to easier communication but on the other hand can be blamed for stereotyping. As such, there have been cases when the effectiveness of comics for explaining concepts were misused by those who don’t want coexistence to prevail. Japanese comics that denounce Korean society and culture as being fake, as well as Korean comics depicting the Japanese as evil are far from being rare in both fiction and non-fiction. Using crude caricatures of each other’s cultures is an easy way to devise antagonists, from historical accounts, fictional super villains or as political conspiracies.<\/p>\n

But in the hands of the appropriate people, comics can be a bliss. One of the most prominent efforts to use comics for fostering international understanding of each other was a joint effort by Korean, Chinese and Japanese history scholars, which resulted in a school textbook and the 3-volume comic series A History to Open The Children’s Future<\/em> (\uc5b4\ub9b0\uc774\uc758 \ubbf8\ub798\ub97c \uc5ec\ub294 \uc5ed\uc0ac). It is an international project to overcome the rather nationalistic history education curriculum prevalent in each of those countries, and explore the long history of those Far East Asian countries in terms of their active interactions and exchanges. Instead of parting the line between national borders, this work focuses on how the people of those nations have influenced one another, worked together to overcome oppressive regimes and ultimately drawing from past lessons to suggest ways to build a better common future. The comics version is especially tailored for the younger readers, elegantly mixing cute comic book protagonists and actual historical images.<\/p>\n

Another obvious way to use comics for understanding each other’s cultures is to publish a collaborative anthology with international artists. L’amitie<\/em> (\uc544\ubbf8\ub760\uc5d0. French title: Coree<\/em>) is a collection of short stories by several Korean and French comic artists, and was published simultaneously in the two countries to commemorate 120 years of diplomacy. The stories tell either stories about the crossing between traditional and modern, either of the artist’s own culture or what they have discovered about each other’s. It was the second book in a series by the French publisher Casterman, preceded by a similarly organized French-Japanese anthology Japon<\/em> and followed by French-Chinese effort Chine<\/em>. The themes of reflecting on one’s own and discovering other’s culture is a pleasant departure from the convenient hostility-driven plots.<\/p>\n

Works about the present can also be interesting. The web comic Gumi’s Foreign Student Comic<\/em> (\ub178\ub780\uad6c\ubbf8\uc758 \uc720\ud559\uc0dd\ub9cc\ud654) was done by a Korean-Japanese author, who came to Korea as an exchange college student and keenly observed the subtle differences and similarities of everyday life in both countries. In a sitcom-like style, this work describes how both cultures are similar and different, but ultimately what matters most is to embrace and coexist with each other.<\/p>\n

To carry a real message, it doesn’t necessarily take a non-fictional approach. The long-running hit series Oishinbo<\/em> (\u7f8e\u5473\u3057\u3093\u307c) is a comic about people competing to discover the ultimate gourmet food. In the process of pursuing the most healthy, delicious and culturally meaningful food, the characters have to deal with many social issues present and past. It includes a lot of discoveries on how international influences have affected even the most seemingly traditional cultures. Also the characters are always prone to criticize the widespread ignorance on the past and intolerance toward other cultures. More often than not, the most shining gourmet recipes introduced in this work are when tradition coexists with influence.<\/p>\n

As seen from the works cited above, a general approach of well-made comics about understanding other cultures is to actively redefine boundaries. Instead of clinging to national borders and the nationalistic feelings attached to them, those works try to draw a common ground with lots of interaction. The antagonists are not ‘the other side of the national border’, but those who oppress a more harmonious life of the people from various nations. With this message at heart, comics can take any form ranging from fiction, documentary to semi-biographical essay to convey them. Some are more explanation-heavy, while others include them more subtly in their dramatic story. Some are drawn with cute characters, and some others are more seriously detailed in its graphic depictions. Some are humorous, while others just convey the messages dryly. But all of them are never shy to strongly support understanding and coexistence, while fighting against anything that hinders that effort.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

– Nakho Kim<\/p>\n

PS. \uadf8\ub7f0\ub370 \uac8c\uc7ac\ubcf8\uc744 \ubcf4\ub2c8 Comics researcher\uac00 \uc544\ub2c8\ub77c, \uccad\uac15\uad6d\uc81c\ub9cc\ud654\uad50\ub958\uc5f0\uad6c\uc18c\uc7a5\uc73c\ub85c \uc9c1\ud568\uc774 \uc62c\ub77c\uac14\ub354\ub77c\ub294… \uc774\uac70 \ucc38 \uac00\ud788 \uc624\ub79c\ub9cc\uc5d0 \ub4e4\uc5b4\ubcf4\ub294 \uba85\uce6d\uc774\ub2e4;;;(\uc6d0\ub798 2003\ub144\uacbd \ubc15\uc778\ud558 \uad50\uc218\uac00 \uc18c\uc7a5, c\ubaa8\uac00 \uc218\uc11d\uc5f0\uad6c\uc6d0\uc73c\ub85c \uc790\ucc98\ud558\uc5ec \ub9cc\ub4e0 \uacf3\uc73c\ub85c, \uc2e4\uc0c1\uc740 \uc678\ubd80 \ud380\ub529 \ub04c\uace0\uc628 \uad6d\uc81c\uc138\ubbf8\ub098\ub97c \uae30\ud68d\/\uc9c4\ud589\ud558\uae30 \uc704\ud574\uc11c\ub294 \uae54\uc308\ud55c \uae30\uad00\uba85 \ubc0f c\ubaa8\uc758 \uadf8\ub7f4\ub4ef\ud55c \ud638\uce6d\uc774 \ud544\uc694\ud558\uae30\uc5d0 \ub9cc\ub4e0 2\uc778 \ud0dc\uadf8\ud300)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

!@#… UNESCO \uc544\ud0dc\uad50\uc721\uc6d0\uc758 \uacc4\uac04\uc9c0 Sangsaeng\uc758 \uc774\ubc88 \ud638 \ud2b9\uc9d1 “\ub9cc\ud654\ub85c \ub354 \ub098\uc740 \uc138\uc0c1\uc744 \uadf8\ub824\ub0b4\uae30“\uc5d0 \ucc38\uc5ec\ud55c \uaf2d\uc9c0. \ub0b4\uc6a9 \ucd95\uc57d \uc5c6\uc774 \uc798 \ud574\uc8fc\uc2e0\ub9cc\ud07c \ud3b8\uc9d1\ubd80\uac00 \ubb38\uc7a5 \ub2e4\ub4ec\uc5b4\uc8fc\uc2e0 \ubc84\uc804\uc744 \uc62c\ub9b4\uae4c \ud588\uc73c\ub098, \uc804\uc6a9 \ubb38\uc11c \uc5f4\ub78c\uae30\uc5d0\uc11c \uc798 \uae01\uc5b4\uc624\uae30\uac00 \ub09c\ub9dd\ud574\uc11c \uadf8\ub0e5 \uc6d0\ub798 \uae30\uace0\ud55c \uac83\uc73c\ub85c \uc62c\ub9b0\ub2e4. \uadf8\ub7f0\ub370 \uc601\uc5b4\ub77c\uc11c \uc8c4\uc1a1\ud569\ub2c8\ub2e4(…) … \uae30\uc655 \uc774\ub807\uac8c \ub41c \uae40\uc5d0 \ub05d\uae4c\uc9c0 \uc77d\uae30(\ud074\ub9ad) →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[2304,29],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pw7bc-1O2","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/capcold.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6946"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/capcold.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/capcold.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capcold.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capcold.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6946"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/capcold.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6946\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/capcold.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6946"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capcold.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6946"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capcold.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6946"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}