Professor Kwon Juria,
Head of Mano Institute of Regional Cooperation
Managing Editor Choi Ha-eun
haeun.choi.2002@gmail.com
Humans cannot survive on their own in the world. Everyone has to cooperate with one another and help each other in order to get what they need to live. Knowing this, modern society puts more importance on maintaining values that develop upstanding individuals. As a result, lots of companies and schools require their employees/students to do a certain amount of volunteer work. However, there has been a lot of controversy over making people do volunteer work for personal profit. Bearing this in mind, what is the best way to think about volunteer work?
The Woeseong Times interviewed Professor Kwon Juria, the head of Mano Institute of Regional Cooperation to hear what she thinks about volunteer work in a multicultural society.
Q1. Hello! Could you please introduce yourself?
A. Hello, I am currently a professor in Mano College of General Education and conduct many writing classes. I am known as a writing professor, but I am a culture critic. I started my literary career in 2004 and made my debut as a writer in 2006. I have written five books on my own and over ten books as a joint author. I am a journalist, and I am very interested in society as a whole. Critiquing something is about analyzing and judging it. Therefore, a lot of my work is observing. People think experts observe bigger parts, but actually they observe small parts through half-closed eyes.
Officially, I hold the position of head of Mano Institute of Regional Cooperation. There are two affiliated organizations which are the Center for Multicultural Society Integration and the Center for Social Contribution. I am also the head of the Center for Social Contribution. Additionally, I am a chairperson of the Professors Union of Busan University of Foreign Studies. I was appointed on October 7 and I protect various rights and interests of professors.
With regards to my personal life, I like walking a lot. When I go walking, I feel like I am one with nature, where I can feel my breathing and I gain opportunities to observe the surroundings since my walking speed is much slower than that of a moving vehicle. Walking means that you do not remain where you are, and I think this is a good metaphor for a multicultural society.
Q2. There are many good reviews about your lectures. What do you think is the most important thing to consider when giving lectures?
A. I always ask students what they think of my classes. I think asking their opinion is a courtesy as a professor. When you give lectures on the same subject for a long time, it is easy to fall into mannerism. Giving lectures is just like driving. Cars on the road are never placed in the same position. That is why driving is difficult and easy at the same time. The basic part of driving is just pressing the accelerator and break pads. However, the other cars driving on the roads with you constantly change, which requires different continual adjustment and judgment depending on the situation. It is the same for lectures. Even though I might feel like I do not change, the students change, and I might have different thoughts as I get older. This is the reason why I ask for feedback and monitor my lectures.
Q3. What do you think multiculturalism is?
A. I think multiculturalism is maximal mixing. The Center for Multicultural Society Integration and the Center for Social Contribution are executive Offices of the President, and these two centers are running toward a multicultural society. Furthermore, the goal of BUFS is to reinforce 50% of the student body with international students. In order to achieve this goal, not only must we have many students enrolling, but also, we must have a multicultural mind when we view people, and the university should be equipped with the appropriate infrastructure accordingly. The term 'the end of the earth' that is used in Christianity is the final point that we have to reach, and I think that multiculturalism is the final point. However, Korea still has a monoculture consciousness and puts more values on geographical repatriation or authenticity which creates a negative cognition about mixing with other cultures. In fact, we are already a mixed society. We are no longer homogeneous nation. When living in a global age, getting mixed is not an option, but a necessary thing. Therefore, we need to view international students as members of our university, not as foreigners. We should not force them to learn our culture, but we also should get to know their culture. Moreover, international students should be able to enjoy BUFS on the same level as Korean students. This is multiculturalism and we should expand our thinking to the extent of migration policy. Non-Koreans should think, "Wow, I like this place and I want to stay here." BUFS should be the steppingstone to achieve that in the wider society.
Q4. What do you think is volunteer work?
A. First, we have learned about volunteer work by rote and have done it in a competitive society. That is why we understand volunteer work as a personal record that is required to get into a university or a company. However, volunteer work is not sharing what is mine, but it is returning what one has received. We must change our minds. When I breathe, I am not breathing because I did something well, but I am breathing thanks to the good air of the nature which means I am owing to the nature. Let's say that you invented a unique item and earned a lot of money. You might think that you earned money because your idea was unique, but actually, you should think that society had an infrastructure that required this new item, and you simply got the benefit from society. Therefore, people who get many things also owe many things. We talk about humanism a lot. The limit of humanism is that the superior one gives more. It is not only about being superior because the more superior you are, the more you owe. Volunteer work is not giving what I have, but it is about paying one's debt to society. The reason why this is important is there is nothing for us to brag about. Being humble is important. We should do volunteer work with a thankful mind. Not everyone is aware of this fact, but everyone owes something to society. Debt can be something else other than money. The love of one's parents, the cool autumn of Korea, and the freedom to walk in the park are all part of what we owe. I think we should do volunteer work with this mind. I hope that one day people will do voluntarily work regardless of points or employment criteria. I think the world is changing little by little.
Q5. Could you share your volunteer work experience?
A. I attend church, and I have been serving as a teacher in church school and in the choir for about 20 years. I also ran a free theater and showed movies every week in the new town where I live. I had to watch many movies and select what to play, but unfortunately I did not have enough time. I also wrote movie critiques on the Community Service Center's newspaper without pay.
Q6. You said spontaneity is very important, but from the perspectives of students, volunteer work might be something that bothers them. Do you think schools and companies should make volunteer work mandatory?
A. Yes. I think it should be mandatory. In our country, the standard of middle class is the size of one's apartment, what car one drives, or how much money one has saved, while France's standard lies on whether one plays any musical instrument or goes to any performance. The United States and England look at whether you do any sports or which political party you support. There are diverse standards, but we only look at people's economic aspects. In South Korea's system, people have no choice but to thrive to take 'my profit.' On the other hand, people in foreign countries are bound to gather to have a concert or play sports. We should also make a system for people to contribute with obligations. We feel that we cannot survive on our own in this network society. That is why we do Tandem. The reason why we do team projects is because students are so used to doing things by themselves. Volunteer work, contribution or cooperation is a required skill in this network society. We should obtain a technique to cooperate with others and persuade others to join us. It might be difficult at first, but when you get a job, you will desperately feel this. That is why students should learn this.
Q7. Do you have anything you want to say to the students who do volunteer work just because it is required or to get a job?
A. As I said, I want to say that we all owe others. There are many things that belong to others, including things that we think are ours.
