Abstract:
In this thesis on Korean schools in Japan, I examine the perceived ‘ideal’ national education agendas of the North and South Korea-affiliated schools. The research will attempt to examine how the desirable national identities are promoted, through the way in which the respect ethnic schools approach national education. The thesis is comprised of five guiding questions: i) how are ethnic schools influenced by the North and South Korean ethnic homeland states (diaspora-homeland relationship)?; ii) how are the ethnic schools influenced by the Japanese host state? (diaspora-host nation relationship); iii) what kinds of North and South Korean identity elements are used in the schools’ webpages (relational comparison); iv) what kinds of national education approaches are deemed appropriate (social purpose); and v) what kinds of diasporic identities are subsequently promoted (triadic relationship among diaspora, homeland, and host country)? This research examines various types of published literature in English, Japanese and Korean on the subject and related fields. This thesis utilises the official websites of the Korean ethnic schools in Japan (both Mindan- and Ch'ongryŏn-affiliated) as its core primary source, examining in particular the educational objectives and/or ‘mission statements’ behind their approach to education; and their curricula. Findings from evaluating these websites suggest that unlike what it was like in the past findings and research and how it is sometimes perceived by outsiders, both schools – especially Chosŏn schools – are far from teaching the reluctantly-perceived political and/or ethno-nationalist ideologies of their ethnic homelands. Rather, whilst instilling in the children the sense of solidarity amongst them as an ethnic minority in their country of residence and diaspora of the country of origin, these schools attempt to be at the forefront of the shifting ‘ethnoscape’ of the host country towards multicultural coexistence, and prepping the students like any other schools would, for the transnational reality with emphasis on multilingualism – English, Japanese and Korean. The research also suggests that the diasporic identity and diaspora nationalism promoted by the respective ethnic schools have gone through some reconfiguration process. While the periods between 1960s and 1970s were highly politicised and these opposing ideologies were manifested in the respective schools’ teachings; the 1980s served as a turning point for the Zainichi community, where they had struggled for their civil rights in education, employment and enfranchisement collaboratively with other marginalised groups in Japan. Keywords: Ch'ongryŏn, Chosŏn Schools, Diasporas, Diasporic Identities, Ethnic Education, Ethnic Identity, Ethnic Schools, Han’guk Schools, Koreans in Japan, Mindan, Multicultural Coexistence, Nationalism, National Education, North Korea, South Korea, Zainichi Koreans.