The Institute of Comparative Culture at Sophia University invites you to a special talk

by Dr. Joon K. Kim (Professor of Social Studies Education at Seoul National University)

Nov. 29, 2024 / 17:30-19:00

Room 301, Building 10, Sophia University

In person only / No registration requiredhttps://www.icc-sophia.com/_files/ugd/2edff9_6851c5184ebd47738119bd283939d49e.pdf

This study addresses the challenges of multicultural education in South Korea (hereafter "Korea") in light of the recent trends in formations of migrant populations and ethnic enclaves. The limited types of migrants allowed to work and settle in Korea contributed to occupational segregation and hyper ethnic concentrations in certain neighborhoods, thus adding to the challenges of developing and implementing multicultural education. The combined forces of occupational stratification, the lack of adequate political rights and limited economic viability, and the ethnic concentration of neighborhoods are contributing to an increasing social stigmatization of migrant-background populations and posing unique challenges for multicultural educators. Using ethnographic fieldwork and narratives of multicultural Janhaksas (provincial-level education administrators) in cities with significant concentration of foreign, ethnic populations, this study assesses the limitations of multicultural education in accomplishing its stated objectives and addresses diverse concerns about the future prospect of social cohesion and integration in Korean society. Joon K. Kim is a professor of Social Studies Education at Seoul National University. Born in Seoul, raised in New York, and having completed his graduate studies in California, Dr. Kim has cultivated a strong interest in diversity and multicultural education, focusing on issues arising from the movement of people across national and cultural borders.  As a Fulbright and Korea Foundation Field Research Fellow, he examined Korea's shifting demographics through government policies. His work has appeared in journals such as the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Asian Survey, Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, and Multicultural Education Review. Dr. Kim currently serves as Associate Editor of the Multicultural Education Review, the flagship journal of the Korea Association of Multicultural Education.