Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Sociocultural korea
Sociocultural korea
North Korea's cultural considerations
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Sociocultural korea
Last class, we were disusing the creation of a dystopia society, in which North Korea may be represented as one. Nevertheless, the argument could not be unified to neither yea nor nay. Some classmates thought that North Korea is a two-sided nation where the people in power live in a utopia and the common citizens live in a dystopia. On the other hand, some argued that it is a total dystopia. The last thought was that this country can be considered a utopia because of its successful communist establishment. Besides a few polarized ideas, the essence of the debate was “how to define utopia operationally in order to analyze Andrei Lankov’s journalistic work. Multiple explanations were proposed e.g., the collapse or sometimes the beginning of
Utopia is a term invented by Sir Thomas More in 1515. However, he traces the root two Greek words outopia and eutopia which means a place does not exist and a fantasy, invention. It is widely accepted that Plato was to first to picture a utopian order. In his masterpiece, “Republic”, he formed the principles of ideal commonsense and his utopia (Hertzler, 1922:7). After the classical age, Sir Thomas More assumed to be the first of the utopian writers in early modern period. As a humanist, he gave the world in his “Utopia” a vision of a perfect communistic commonwealth (the history of utopian thought). Utopia’s influence on contemporary and rival scholars is so deep that it has given its name to whole class of literature. Following the appearance of More’s Utopia, there was a lack of Utopian literature for nearly a century (Hertzler, 1922:7). This period ended with the works of Francis Bacon, Campanelle and Harrington. These early modern utopians, being the children of Renaissance, filled with a love of knowledge and high respect for the newly truths of science. Thus, they believed that the common attainment of knowledge means the largest participation of all members of society in its joys and benefits. After the period of early Utopians, continuation of a sprit of French Revolution and initial signs of industrial revolution resulted in the emergence of a new group of Utopians called Socialist Utopians (Hertzler, 1922: 181). The word “Socialism” seems to have been first used by one of the leading Utopian Socialists, St Simon. In politics utopia is a desire that never come true neither now nor afterwards, a wish that is not based on social forces (material conditions and production) and is not supported by the growth and development of political, class forces. This paper discusses the validity of this claim, tries to present and evaluate the political reforms, if any, offered by Socialist Utopians.
This argument is supported by the unique position of the narrator they are not an “’objective’ observer” but instead “She is an entrapped cinematographer” (8). The narrator portrays a world through a biased voice making it seem that much more splendid and magnificent. After finishing the description of the utopia, the narrator switches to first person and begins asking questions directed at the audience about the town. These questions “pose real ethical, linguistic, and perceptual problems involved in describing and conceptualizing utopia during the last 20th century” (Roemer 8). By allowing the audience to build the town the narrator allows for the “justification for the brevity and vagueness of the narrative” (Roemer 10). The narrator is made to look even more unreliable by her word choice and “admits her ignorance about many aspects of the Omelas system” (Roemer 10). By using this kind of narrative voice the story becomes more believable and offers a change from previous utopian works it is not offers “a memorable encounter with a modern utopian text” but also causes the audience to become part of “the creation of utopias that may involve unexpected moral responsibilities” (Roemer
The North Korean government is known as authoritarian socialist; one-man dictatorship. North Korea could be considered a start of a dystopia. Dystopia is a community or society where people are unhappy and usually not treated fairly. This relates how Ray Bradbury's 1953 novel Fahrenheit 451 shows the readers how a lost of connections with people and think for themselves can lead to a corrupt and violent society known as a dystopia.
1984 demonstrates a dystopian society in Oceania by presenting a relentless dictator, Big Brother, who uses his power to control the minds of his people and to ensure that his power never exhausts. Aspects of 1984 are evidently established in components of society in North Korea. With both of these society’s under a dictator’s rule, there are many similarities that are distinguished between the two. Orwell’s 1984 becomes parallel to the world of dystopia in North Korea by illustrating a nation that remains isolated under an almighty ruler.
No one would ever think that a small country could create a controversy known the world over, but North Korea has achieved this goal. The North Korean genocide has claimed 2000 people a day and these killings are from starvation and beating. Many people think communism is better than democracy, but it has its faults. For example, North Korea is Communist and whatever the leader’s beliefs, the Communist citizen has to believe. What is happening and what happened is genocide.
A “utopia is that which is in contradiction with reality,” said the famous French novelist Albert Camus in his collection of essays, Between Hell and Reason. History shows us that seemingly exemplary ideals in practice have led to the collapse of societies. Just examine the two most prominent attempts at a utopia: Hitler’s attempt to socialize all of Europe and create the “perfect” Aryan race coupled with Karl Marx’s beliefs to instate communism into society. The final result was the destruction of their perspective visionary worlds. There was one major facet that prevented these two from creating their paradigms: utopias take away individual freedom and identity and therefore society cannot exist. Aldous Huxley’s science fiction novel Brave New World examines the large disconnect between the future and present day societies, showing how several aspects of this dystopian world lead to the downfall of the individual identity, most prominently exemplified by the death of John Savage.
This serene society greatly contradicts the one we live in. Our society is furnished with hatred and warfare, yet in return, we are given freedom and the privilege of having distinctive characters. Given the nature of human beings, our society is more idealistic to live in. Utopia is an imaginary state, which consists of people who believe they are more capable of living in a group than alone. In such a community, the welfare of the group is the primary interest compared to the comfort of individuals.
North Korea could be described as a dystopian society. For all of its citizens, the Internet is widely monitored and restricted, allowing only limited access. “One could speculate that it is more propaganda about the country, its leaders, or negative coverage about the US.... ... middle of paper ... ...
Before reading Utopia, it is essential that the reader understand that like Jonathan Swift’s, A Modest Proposal, Utopia is satirical. More creates a frame narrative in which Raphael Hythloday, the novel’s main character, recollects his observations of Utopia during his five-year stay. Hythloday spares no detail in his descriptions of Utopia, as he discusses everything from their military practices, foreign relations, religion, philosophy, and marriage customs. Interestingly enough, everything Hythloday discusses in Book II seems to be a direct response to of all of t...
Rogue states under dictatorial rule threaten the fragile peace, which exists in our modern world. Constantly as a society Americans have always fought against these said foes. However all too often we pass a blind eye to the humanity of the enemies’ civilian populations. For more often than not, those who live within these systems are chronically oppressed. The nation of North Korea is no exception, with “Bing-brother always watching.” The government in North Korea pervades all aspects of life.
Carrie Vaughn’s Amaryllis and Joe Mastroianni’s Jordon’s Waterhammer reflect the stereotypical characteristics associated with Dystopian Literature through their setting, characterisation and plot development.
The Army’s Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Culture Center defines culture as a “dynamic social system,” containing the values, beliefs, behaviors, and norms of a specific group, organization, society or other collective that is learned, shared, and internalized by members of that society (Watson, 2010). Culture forms the basis of how people interpret, understand, and respond to everything around them. There are many definitions of culture used by the United States military. The overarching commonality is that culture is a shared understanding and belief system made by members of a particular society or group within a society (HQDA, 2014). Culture affects almost every action and decision a person will make.
An Acorn Community in Virginia is a good example of an anarchist group of people who live by their own rules, and disregard the government. Dictatorship, on the other hand, is the opposite of anarchism and is located on the far right side of the line. Dictatorship regime interferes with each aspect of its citizens’ lives. Government concentrates on maintaining the order at all costs, disregarding citizens’ basic liberties “the right that government must not take away” (Freedom, Order, and Equality). However, in dictatorship societies majority of population enjoys the same equality. In the case of North Korea, most of its population is under the line of poverty and more than twenty five percent of children are malnurtured. North Korean citizens do not have basic freedoms, such as, freedom of speech or information freedom. State applies cruel punishments, and public executions for the smallest
The hierarchy of society is a crucial in a discourse of utopianism and communism. Note that I am distinguishing utopianism from communism. From Marx’s point of view, communism is scientific, realistic, and probable. The decision-making apparatus of Utopia is very democratic in nature. This is something certainly to be applauded and in keeping in touch
A lot of authors have expressed their views on utopia in their novels. Some have done it by creating their own perfect world, while others have chosen a different path. They have selected to voice their opinions in anti-utopian novels, or dystopia. An anti-utopia is simply the reverse of a utopian novel. The aim of both novels is ba...