Zhibek Azamat 27′ is Business Analytics and Marketing major currently studying at Seoul National University for Fall 2024!
Hello everyone! With 13 weeks and 2 more, I am almost wrapping up my semester abroad in Seoul. It is crazy to think about those past three months full of sleepless nights, new sites, and daily kimchi intake. In this post, I would like to talk about one of my classes that deepened my knowledge of Korean culture and introduced me to new ways of thinking critically.
The class I am taking is Critical Communication Studies taught by Professor Chamee Yang. It is a 3-hour class scheduled once a week that focuses on Critical Communication in the Age of Big Data and AI. When registering for this class, I was a little skeptical about it being 3 hours yet super excited about how specific the topic is. My main reason was the mini ethnography project that required us to explore a certain area in Seoul and investigate smart city concepts discussed during lectures.
After seeing how particular the syllabus was written, I already knew that the professor would be demanding. In our first lecture, the professor shared some information about her background which was impressive to listen to. She completed her graduate degree and PhD in Illinois, which is why her teaching techniques and approach to structuring the course were relatively similar to the US education curriculum.
Being a business student myself, I knew how crucial communication is within any field and I was glad to see how the course gave the foundation of what communication is and how it is applied to different spheres in our life. Especially when it covers cultural trends and the role of AI in the current social issues.
My final project focuses on how the commodification of beauty standards affects the rise of plastic surgeries in South Korea. It covers one of my favorite topics covered in the class such as globalization and the modern approach to services in Seoul with its futuristic improvements. One of the main similarities with the curriculum at Drexel is how the class is mainly based on discussions and workshops. In my other classes, the teaching is heavy on the professor presenting the information as Korean students tend to be shy and not very willing to speak.
Communication class at SNU was approved as Introduction to Digital Media at Drexel (DIGM 105) because of the main focus being on the digitalization of popular culture. The main outcome of the course is the ability to critically assess the information and identify its ties to the idea of the smart city. The assignments included three reflection notes about discussed topics, which allowed me to go back to the course materials and share my thoughts and questions I might have had during the class but did not have a chance to ask. It is similar to the EAM115 course I took my freshman year when Professor Jeanne Waite would assign similar reflection papers about guest speaker presentations. The final project was divided into three parts as well: project proposal, annotated bibliography, and a draft of the project using the portal called ArcGis. While the first two were straightforward, the latter was new to me with its unique interface and settings.
As a social science class, I was able to critically evaluate Seoul’s infrastructure, futuristic neighborhoods, and communities living there from the standpoint of communication principles. I was surprised to see the class having a Teaching Assistant and the majority of the assignments being graded by her and quite fascinated by the concept of relative grading. Even though there is a common standard set by SNU, the final grade range is based on the class’s overall performance. Here, it differs from the education system at Drexel, instead of being evaluated individually based on solo performance, students are assessed as a whole which ties into Koreans valuing community as a part of their culture. I would assume it probably has some connections from Confucianism beliefs. I believe that it is beneficial as the grading is based on how well the whole class is doing and it directly represents the level of comprehension of the material taught by the instructor.
The final projects are focused on Seoul as a Smart City which requires looking deeper into the bottom of the Korean iceberg by reading their literature, researching social movements, and learning new vocabulary. My project explores the rise of the plastic surgery industry in South Korea and its correlation with the commodification of beauty standards on social media. Thanks to the project, I was able to explore Seoul’s popular neighborhood – Gangnam district which is now turned into a hub for everything high-end and luxurious. Learning about the history of Gangnam, and feminist social movements caused by unattainable beauty standards shed light to complete another perspective of Korea. It includes deepening the knowledge of language as well. The term chemyeon (체면) was a new word I discovered while completing my secondary research on the topic which translated into “saving face” or “mask” that people usually wear in public to conform to social standards.
For a person who has been self-conscious about her physical appearance since childhood, the topic is vulnerable yet interesting to me. Especially with the Korean Wave sweeping the whole world and Korean Idols being praised for their flawless skins and looks, this topic led me to new perspectives and opportunities to learn about Korean Culture on a deeper level.
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