HARDWORKING KOREANS: educational & sociocultural factors

HARDWORKING KOREANS:educational & sociocultural factors 알렉산드라Alexandra 엘리사Elisabeth 유카Jyka

CONTENT • Introduction • Education & Training • Sociocultural Characteristics

INTRODUCTION TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITY PRIOR KNOWLEDGE BASE INTENSITY OF EFFORT

INTRODUCTION TWO MAIN QUESTIONS: • How have Koreans acquired knowledge so quickly? • Why have Koreans worked so hard?

EDUCATION & TRAINING: key points • General Education • Vocational Training • Tertiary Education • U.S. Influence and Study Abroad

GENERAL EDUCATION 1. GROWTH OF GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT 1951 - 2,5% 1966 – 17%

GENERAL EDUCATION 2. ENROLLMENT SYSTEM HAS INCREASED RAPIDLY 1953 - 21% 1994 – 99%

GENERAL EDUCATION 3. UNIQUE FEATURE: expansion in all levels of education economic development =

GENERAL EDUCATION NUMBER OF HIGH STUDENTS 1953 – 160,000 1994 – 2 million

VOCATIONAL TRAINING • Establishment of vocational secondary school by large private firms

VOCATIONAL TRAINING 2. Vocational Training Laws (1966, 1974)

TERTIARY EDUCATION: achievements UNIVERSITY ENROLLMENT 1953 - 38,400 1994 – 1,15 million

TERTIARY EDUCATION: achievements ENROLLMENT AT JUNIOR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES 1953 – 3,1% 1994 – 48,8%

TERTIARY EDUCATION: achievements THE NUMBER OF R&D SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS 1980 - 18,434 1993 – 98,764

TERTIARY EDUCATION: drawbacks • A short-term unemployment • Low quality of education • Underinvestment at all educational levels since 1970

U.S. INFLUENCE AND STUDY ABROAD Key points: • Military service • Overseas training

U.S. INFLUENCE AND STUDY ABROAD The main drawback of overseas training: • The refusal of overseas graduates to return home

U.S. INFLUENCE AND STUDY ABROAD Measures taken: • Establishment of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology • Challenging jobs and attractive compensation packages • The “Brain Pool”

SOCIOCULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS: KEY POINTS • Neo-Confucianism • Situational Factors • Labor Unrest

NEO-CONFUCIANISM Five traditional values of Confucianism: • absolute loyalty to the ruler • the submission of wife to husband • strict seniority in social order • mutual trust in human relations • filial piety and respect

NEO-CONFUCIANISM THE NEW CONFUCIAN ETHNICS

NEO-CONFUCIANISM • Education is of vital importance • Clan • Harmonious interpersonal relations • The pursuit of the highest good • Discipline

SITUATIONAL FACTORS Hardworking Koreans at the individual level: • Tenacity to endure hardship • “Han” • “Examination hell” • Korea’s physical environment • A sense of “beat Japan” • Memories of Japanese occupation

SITUATIONAL FACTORS • Hardworking Koreans at the individual level • Entrepreneurship • Discipline at the organizational level • Mobility & networking at the societal level • Nationalism at the country level

LABOR UNREST • 1970 - 1987 • 1987-1989 • 1989 - nowadays

Thank you for attention.

HARDWORKING KOREANS: educational & sociocultural factors