South Korean "New Wild Geese" Mothers Studying in the U.S.:Balancing between Studenthood and Motherhood

Over the last few years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of female Korean students in U.S. colleges who are married, have children, and whose husbands are in Korea. This unique phenomenon has few parallels represented by Korean men or other ethnic women in the U.S., and little is known about these Korean women's overseas lives as mothers and students. This qualitative study based on participant observation and interviews with four such women explores the causes of the emergence and increase of so-called Korean "new wild geese" mother students, and their achievements, challenges, and coping strategies while studying abroad. The emergence of these women speaks to the issues of gender, family, and education in the neoliberalizing South Korea where middle-class families cannot any longer afford full-time mothers accompanying their children's early study abroad. While enjoying relative independence in the absence of their husbands and free from their obligations as daughters-in-law, these women who make double investments in their own education as well as in their children's scholastics for the sake of their family's upward class mobility, also struggle between motherhood and studenthood

Climax Structure in Late Romantic Opera

When people listen to music, they tend to perceive dynamic rise and fall, often without preliminary knowledge of musical structures and mechanism. This perception of musical dynamism has long been assumed too intuitive and natural to merit serious academic attention. The present dissertation aims to address this neglect by approaching musical dynamism as a logical, systematic process. A formal analytical model, the climax archetype, is proposed for understanding the workings of musical dynamism; to this end, the dissertation focuses on late Romantic operas, especially the works of Wagner and verismo composers, which are characterized by intense musical, dramatic, and emotional dynamism. The first three chapters in this dissertation serve as a springboard for the presentation of the climax archetype in the following two core chapters. Most chapters are divided into two subchapters. Chapter 1 reviews terms and concepts on climax and highpoint. Subchapter 1.1 introduces Ernst Kurth’s climax theory, presented in Bruckner (1925), as a historical precedent for climax study in the modern era; emphasis is put on his concept of dynamic building, and its parameters and operational principles. Subchapter 1.2 surveys studies (mostly those by post-Kurthian scholars) in analysis related to climax building. Chapter 2 scrutinizes the various parameters used in climax building and integrated in the climax archetype. Subchapter 2.1 investigates solo operations of individual parameters such as harmony, pace acceleration, dynamics, melodic contour and pitch, and instrumentation; subchapter 2.2 addresses parametric interaction. Chapter 3 discusses narrative and dynamic arcs in literary theory and music, which provide prototypes for the climax archetype. Subchapter 3.1 examines bipartite, tripartite, and quintipartite narrative forms in literary theory; subchapter 3.2 moves on to dynamic trajectories in music and investigates dynamism in phrase or formal units, demonstrated primarily through analysis of Romantic opera. Chapter 4 articulates the climax archetype—comprised of initiation, intensification, optional delay, highpoint, and abatement—as a model to explain dynamic processes in late Romantic opera; normative examples are drawn from music by Beethoven, Bellini, Wagner, and Giordano. Chapter 5 magnifies the applicability of the climax archetype by embracing modification and variants seen in non-normative climax structures. Subchapter 5.1 delves into internal climax deformations, including the fusion or absence of climax stages, high region, and highpoint frustration; subchapter 5.2 proceeds to compound structures such as the climax succession and climax nesting. The climax archetype and its modifications broaden the analytical scope of musical dynamism in Romantic opera from the well-researched groundswell in the bel canto repertoire to diverse structures beyond the conventional form (la solita forma). Furthermore, the dissertation explains how musical climaxes interact with certain dramatic circumstances or psychological dynamics, emphasizing the prevailing aesthetic of unified musical-dramatic development. Finally, this study suggests compositional principles shared between Wagner and verismo works; out of this examination, a musical-structural principle is proposed for replacing the prevailing but inadequate definition of “verismo” as realism in opera

Travelling Films: Western Criticism, Labelling Practice and Self-Orientalised East Asian Films

This thesis analyses western criticism, labelling practices and the politics of European international film festivals. In particular, this thesis focuses on the impact of western criticism on East Asian films as they attempt to travel to the west and when they travel back to their home countries. This thesis draws on the critical arguments by Edward Said's Orientalism: Western Conceptions of the Orient (1978) and self-Orientalism, as articulated by Rey Chow, which is developed upon Mary Louise Pratt's conceptual tools such as 'contact zone' and 'autoethnography'. This thesis deals with three East Asian directors: Kitano Takeshi (Japanese director), Zhang Yimou (Chinese director) and Im Kwon-Taek (Korean director). Dealing with Japanese, Chinese and Korean cinema is designed to show different historical and cultural configurations in which each cinema draws western attention. This thesis also illuminates different ways each cinema is appropriated and articulated in the west. This thesis scrutinises how three directors from the region have responded to this Orientalist discourse and investigates the unequal power relationship that controls the international circulation of films. Each director's response largely depends on the particular national and historical contexts of each country and each national cinema. The processes that characterise films' travelling are interrelated: the western conception of Japanese, Chinese or Korean cinema draws upon western Orientalism, but is at the same time corroborated by directors' responses. Through self-Orientalism, these directors, as 'Orientals', participate in forming and confirming the premises of western Orientalism. This thesis thus brings out how 'Orientals' participate in the formation and maintenance of Orientalism via selfOrientalism or self-Orientalising strategies. As Edward Said (1978; 1985) remarks, 'Orientals' adopt the terms and premises of Orientalism and use them in exactly the same way, or reverse them. Vis-a-vis this point, this thesis shows that self-Orientalism, as a response to Orientalism, is mediated by its relationship with the national and historical contexts of a particular society. Western Orientalism does not fully determine how 'Orientals' define their own culture and respond to Oriental ism. This thesis shows that a national film industry can more easily break into the international film market if internationally recognised auteur directors from the particular country have been recognised at international film festivals. This thesis elucidates the practice of labelling foreign films categorised as 'national cinema' and 'art cinema'. While Hollywood films are assumed to possess 'universality', the international art-house circuit and film festival circuits label films from other countries by their specific nationality or national culture, which is assumed to be reflected in high/traditional art. In this circuit, the names of 'auteur' directors from each country act as brand names, moulding audiences' expectations of films from a specific country. Film festivals, meanwhile, seek to become sites for 'discovering' supposedly unknown auteur directors and national cmemas

Success Story of Professional Laundry Service in Korea

The purpose of this study is to analyze a professional laundry service company, Cleantopia, comprising a nearly 80% market share in Korea. The key to Cleantopia’s success relates to its management policy of “principle and innovation.” Cleantopia adopted various marketing strategies to realize its management philosophy: cultivating talented personnel, customer satisfaction, and social contribution. Another success factor is its active engagement in technological exchanges with developed countries and industrial-academic cooperation

A study on postpartum symptoms and their related factors in Korea

AbstractObjectiveThis study was aimed to identify the physical and mental state of women after delivery, to investigate the factors that influence those, and to examine the effects of postpartum care performance, which is traditionally believed to be appropriate care in Korea, on women's physical and mental status.Materials and MethodsA total of 148 women who visited our hospital for postpartum check-up on the 2nd week or 6th week after delivery were selected. We researched postpartum care methods using a questionnaire and had the women self-evaluate their postpartum symptoms. Depression was evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory.ResultsThe average points of the 27 postpartum symptoms was 2.70 points (from 1 = very good to 5 = very bad). Seventy-two women had depression. Factors related to postpartum symptoms and depression were smoking before pregnancy, low marital satisfaction, bad mood during and after pregnancy, lack of support from husbands, and bad quality of sleep during puerperium. Treating the joints of hands carefully when milking breasts, and avoiding squatting down, demonstrated a negative correlation with the average points of postpartum symptoms. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that mood during puerperium and Beck Depression Inventory points were significant factors related to the average points of postpartum symptoms and that the degree of support from husbands and mood during pregnancy were statistically related with depression.ConclusionMany women complained of postpartum discomfort. Although, while some postpartum care methods which are traditionally believed to be appropriate care in Korea can be helpful to women's recovery, most of them are not. We confirmed that physical symptoms and depression are closely related to each other

Brand Image and Evaluation Factors of Fashion Product Advertisement

Brand image is a collection of things related with brand that consumers have in the memory (Keller, 1993) and corporations are making much efforts to build a brand image and advertisement has been used as a major method to inform the brand image. Advertisement is communication message performed for the purpose of positively change the consumer’s emotion for corporations, brands and trademarks

Conceptualizing learning issues throughout the creative process of digital storytelling: case studies of three learners' video making

I believe that digital storytelling through narrative video production is a beneficial practice that translates an individual’s synthesis of human experiences, memories, and aspirations into visual metaphors by means of multi-media tools, combining music, video and still images with an individual’s creative voice. I also maintain that narrative video production has tremendous potential to engage the viewing audience, thus helping both the creators and spectators of the videos to discover the power of creative visual communication. This research involved my own journey towards creating narrative video production and provides a unique insider look at the process as well as cross-discussion with the creative processes of two more individual learners. This research provides an introduction to the basic practices of digital video production, with an emphasis on the building of narrative, planning of action, and sequencing of imagery, texts, and sound. I considered these practices in relation to each individual’s learning experiences and processes regarding digital video creation. In the literature review, I provide brief overviews of selected discourse from various disciplines about the nature of narrative, telling a story in a digital age, aspects of digital video production, and notions about postmodern art pedagogy as they might apply to narrative digital video pedagogy. I also review varying definitional claims regarding narrative and digital video production as posited by media scholars, art educators, and film critics. The primary research question of this study focused on identifying the learning issues surrounding the artistic, conceptual, and technical aspects of digital storytelling via the experience of three learners engaged in video making practice. These three case reports shows how the process of making a digital video impacts each of the individuals’ iii notions of digital storytelling, and how the students in my study uniquely perceived their learning experiences in a classroom setting. Each case has its own set of learning experiences, varied constructions of meaning, particular technology adoptions, and artistic expressions, even while situated in the same course setting. I described how individuals’ knowledge and understanding of digital storytelling grew throughout the semester. I used synthesis and reflection to determine how digital storytelling experiences can be embedded in individual digital stories. The cross-case discussion integrates the study findings within the framework of my research questions. Based on the cross-case discussion, I generated five important learning issues regarding digital making process, as described above: a) acknowledgement regarding the purpose and meanings of digital video making, b) technical learning issues regarding technology, c) creative process of video making, d) completion and demonstrating craftsmanship, and e) creative tension between storyteller and audience. Together, the three case reports and the cross-case discussions lead to valuable research findings and potential implications in art education. This study presents empirical evidence identifying the learning issues and strategies of actual learners of digital storytelling, highlighting the complexity of digital video making and reinforcing the significance of learner autonomy. Digital video making can serve as an alternative learning practice to facilitate improvisational, self-regulated, creative, and work-based learning. This understanding of the purpose of amateur digital video production is significant because it allowed the individual learners in this study to enjoy freedom and imaginative space while working with their digital videos, exploring and experimenting in the vast world of digital technology, narrative, and artistic iv approaches, instead of trying to adhere to a fixed storyboard, afraid to make mistakes. Unlike professional films, which are constrained by commercial purposes, digital stories can encompass a broad set of subjects, topics, objectives, content, attitudes, and working strategies. The findings of this study have important implications not only for the areas of media education and art education, but more broadly for learning theories in general

What Type Of Framing Message Is More Appropriate With Nine-Ending Pricing?

While the effect of nine-ending prices on purchases has been well documented, studies that examine the impact of this pricing technique in the context of advertisements are rare. This paper examines the joint effect of the pricing technique and message frames on the advertisement efficacy. Since a nine-ending price is compatible with gain-framed messages due to its gain image, we propose that nine-ending pricing strengthens the effectiveness of gain-framed messages (versus loss-framed messages) on the overall advertisement efficacy. The results of two experiments provide support for this hypothesis

Interaction of Apoptotic Cells with Macrophages Upregulates COX-2/PGE 2

Recognition of apoptotic cells by macrophages is crucial for resolution of inflammation, immune tolerance, and tissue repair. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)/prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) play important roles in the tissue repair process. We investigated the characteristics of macrophage COX-2 and PGE2 expression mediated by apoptotic cells and then determined how macrophages exposed to apoptotic cells in vitro and in vivo orchestrate the interaction between COX-2/PGE2 and HGF signaling pathways. Exposure of RAW 264.7 cells and primary peritoneal macrophages to apoptotic cells resulted in induction of COX-2 and PGE2. The COX-2 inhibitor NS-398 suppressed apoptotic cell-induced PGE2 production. Both NS-398 and COX-2-siRNA, as well as the PGE2 receptor EP2 antagonist, blocked HGF expression in response to apoptotic cells. In addition, the HGF receptor antagonist suppressed increases in COX-2 and PGE2 induction. The in vivo relevance of the interaction between the COX-2/PGE2 and HGF pathways through a positive feedback loop was shown in cultured alveolar macrophages following in vivo exposure of bleomycin-stimulated lungs to apoptotic cells. Our results demonstrate that upregulation of the COX-2/PGE2 and HGF in macrophages following exposure to apoptotic cells represents a mechanism for mediating the anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic consequences of apoptotic cell recognition