9월 25일 Topic 2(Gender Equality)

[MinMin]

가벼운 Topic에 이어 조금은 논쟁이 될 듯한 주제입니다.

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@A little More Difficult One: Changing the Roles

     There is little gender equality in Korea but some progress is being made to improve the

status of women in politics, business and the society in general. Koreans know that women

here have a lower social standing than men, but they don't realize how low until they take

their first trip outside Korea and see how women live in other countries. A few facts:

1. Korean women have limited job opportunities. Large corporations rarely place women in

    high-level positions. Most are hired as "office girls", who they expect to quit when they get

    married. In the west, women work until their 60s.

2. In divorce cases involving children, the children almost always go with the father. In the west,

    they usually stay with the mother.

3. Most pregnant women who have abortions abort female fetuses, not male fetuses. Females

    are considered less valuable than males. 

4. Women who don't get married before their late 20s are often called "old miss", a derogatory

    term. There is no similar name for single men.

     Although it may be some time before Korean women are given the same status that women

in the west have, there are signs that Korean society is definitely changing its attitude toward

women. Here are a few of those signs.

1. Improved career choices:

    Many women are now joining the armed forces. The Air Force and Naval Academies now

    admit female cadets, and women can now become helicopter or transport plane pilots.

2. More women in government:

    Laws have been passed to ensure more gender equality in government positions.

3. More court cases decided in favor of women:

    Men are no longer the automatic winners of divorce cases.

4. Laws protect married women:

    New laws prevent women from being fired just because they get married. Married women

    who becomd pregnant can now take 90 days maternity leave and receive 30 % of their

    salaries during that time.

    One reason for the sudden change in thinking towards women is the greater exposure

to western ideas that have been made possible by the internet, satellite communication

networks, and western mass media. Koreans have come to realize that the traditional Confucist

thinking toward women is outdated and out of place in today's world.

    They also know that Korea can never be considered a completely democratic society

unless women are given equal status to men. In a democracy every citizen has the same

rights, and no citizen can be considered as second class.

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@Useful Expressions:

1. gender equality: equal social status for both men and women

2. high-level positions: jobs such as manager, department head, company president, etc

3. abortion: the unborn baby is killed and removed from the mother's body

4. fetus: unborn baby

5. derogatory: insulting, bad-sounding name

6. career choices; a wider selection of careers that they can go into

7. automatic winners of divorce cases; In the past, children always went to the father, but

    no more. Sometimes they go with the mother, and the father has to pay to support them.

8. maternity leave; a period of time when the women is absent from work for the purpose of

    having a baby

9. greater exposure to western ideas: They can see how women in the west are much freer

    than Korean women

10. western mass media: such as movies, TV programs, news programs

11. out of date: old fashioned

12. (be) out off place: seems too strange in the modern world

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@Discussion Questions

1. Do you think that women are treated fairly in Korean society? Why or why not?

2. Which statement do you agree with, concerning retirement for working women?

    Explain your opinion.

    a) Women should quit their jobs when they get married.

    b) Women should quit their jobs only if they become pregnant.

    c) Women should be able to work as long as men, with no limitations.

3. Which statesment do you agress with, regarding women's salaries? Tell why you think so.

   a) If a woman does the same job as a man, she should receive the same salary.

   b) Even if a woman does the same job as a man, she should receive a lower salary,

       since she doesn't need as much money.

4. Do you think that women are treated fairly by Korean courts of law? Give examples of

    why you think so.

5. In cases of divorces involving children, which parent should take care of the children

    and why?

6. Do you think there have been any changes in women's rights in Korea during the past

    15-20 years, or do you think nothing has really changed? Explain your opinion.

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쓰고 보니 무진장 심각한 주제인 듯 하네요... 이런...

그래두 가벼운 맘으로 이야기 나눌 수 있기를 바랍니다. *^^*

[광82]

추석 같은 명절때.. 더욱 심하죠.. 남녀 평등 문제...

[JOE~]

어렸을때 추석즈음 신문 만평같은거 보믄 아저씨들은 고스톱치고,아주머니들은 일잔뜩하는 그림에 올추석엔 그러지 말자고 써놓은걸 봤었는데..^^;;요즘은 사회적분위기가 많이 바뀐거 같구요,앞으로도 그런 분위기는 가속화 될거 같아요~ㅎㅎ

[플라잉치킨]

남자와 여자간에 논쟁이..ㅋㅋㅋ 명절도 다가오는데

[MinMin]

안 그래도 추석을 맞이하야 찾아 낸 주제입니다... 신문기사를 찾지 못해 주제 둘 다 타이핑 했더니 쪼매 디드만요... 해 놓고 나니 생각보다 기네용... ^^

[sue^^]

또 인쇄중^^