[007] Disgust.
Well my compliments to you for the delicate wording.
I was just thinking the other day: just how many people (or more specifically, TEACHERS) had said this or something similar during the past 8 years I’ve been in KOREA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL? A truckload, I tell you.
My concern is that the same teachers who warn us not to stereotype or judge from preconceptions inform us the next day that we Koreans cheat well. Usually, their only evidence is that some individuals (as in a FEW) cheat on their quizes. But is this really just a Korean Culture phenomena or a worldwide-high school phenomena? I would bet my everything on the latter. I’ve recently heard that when teachers are first introduced to our school, the other staff officially tell them to be careful of academic dishonesty, as it is a SERIOUS problem in this school and culture. Now isn’t that the LABELING EFFECT they talk about in Psychology?
In one experiment, two groups of college students watched the same video of a person interviewing. One videop had no lable, but the other one said, “person may have mental disorders.” The group that watched the latter all thought the interviewee was disabled, although his actions were considered “perfectly fine” by the other group with no preconceptions.
There is no reason for me not to think that this Labling Effect is happening in our school among the teachers. Sure, they may argue that they’ve experienced it first hand. But would’t the college students in the experiement above each argue their opinions using set up “evidences” too?
It disgusts me.Truely it does.
Some blatantly say that KOREANS CHEAT.
Some go the long way pretending to understand that they realize it’s “OK” in the Korean culture.
Can anyone be THAT ignorant? how would cheating be “OK” in any culture?
Guessing how we think about certain things according to actions perceived by an un-understanding pair of eyes.
If we were to play that same game: Westerners have a tendency to disrespect elders by staring at them blatantly in the eye or leaving them in elder homes, tendency to think that other’s bodies are unclean or the sort; overly avoiding the slightest contact. They have a tendency to be unmindful of germs in their living space; wearing shoes in the house.
You know that these aren’t true. I know that these aren’t true.
If lesson was understood. APPLY it in real life. Thank you.
Postscript: And stop saying that Koreans are good at systematic math; but horrible at solving word problems (and thus implying that we are thoughtless number processing machines). Stop saying that all Koreans are obsessed with colleges and are likely to suicide if Ivy League rejects them. Stop hinting that because of our “more communal Asian culture,” we lack individualism and are brainless conformists.
Stop it stop it stop it stop it stop it.
-and realize that I’ve adressed this issue with the mildest words possible.
on April 17th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Teachers who said Koreans cheat were probably all blond :] (revenge intended to American culture)
on April 18th, 2008 at 10:02 am
What? now you’re creating a misconception too.
I think my point is not to do that.
on April 18th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Would this labeling effect make more students cheat, (because of the self-fulfilling prophecy and all) or would it encourage students to change this misconception? If it isn’t the latter, we’re just stuck in a downward spiral.
on April 18th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
that was a misconception I made ‘on purpose’ to clearly show that white people and american culture are targets of stereotypes as well. ;p that’s why I said ‘revenge intended’ in the parenthesis to let people know that i know what i’m doing
anyways life is cool.
on April 19th, 2008 at 12:24 am
Well said about the labeling effect, Cathy!!! Some of the stereotypes about the Koreans are just… not true. I mean, it’s SO OK to cheat in Korea that one of my friends who go to Korean public school got a ZERO on her FINAL exam for cheating even though she didn’t DO it.
on April 20th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Alex// One vote on the former. Screwed in a downward spiral it is, my friend.
Jennifer// Exactly. True story: I’ve never dared to cheat during my few years in Korean School; however I admit cheating once or twice in my American school before, ‘cuase my Motha F-ing partner was cheating off me. One day I decide to cheat off him.
on April 22nd, 2008 at 3:09 am
It’s most definitely a world-wide phenomenon. Kids cheat all the time on assignments in America. I’ll go ahead and say I copied the answers to a lab sheet from my friend last week. Will anyone notice? No. Plagiarizing is more of a problem than cheating. Can you say Wikipedia?
Asians aren’t seen as “number-crunching machines” here though. They’re positively stereotyped as hard workers. There are so many media stories about how Asia is going to take over and how American students are lazy and stupid because Asians do so much better on tests, especially in math and science. It’s pretty much the basis of our entire educational system: No Child Left Behind. Unfortunately, in the rush to improve our test scores and push ahead of Asia a lot of kids are getting left behind.
on April 24th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Hannah// I’m glad to hear that Asians aren’t seen as “number-crunching machines” there in the states.
The “no child left behind” policy really strikes interesting. It has a sharp contrast with the Korean mentality towards education. If the US holds equity, Korea would go for efficiency [as they would say in econ]. It’s all about competition and “leaving” others behind here in Korea. Though, we rarely compete with close friends- instead try to help each other out. I think that’s where the Asians extra-copy myth came from. : [
on May 10th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
It annoys me too to hear teachers talking about Korean students like that - they might find it easier to label us because KIS high school is almost 100% Koreans, so they think everything they say goes out to the general public, but it isn’t right. I’ve also heard teachers at our school say things like, “I mean, I know Korean students are especially big procrastinators, but ….” and “You know, Korean people can never finish what they started,” and it makes me angry seeing how inconsiderate and stereotypical they are.
on May 19th, 2008 at 3:36 am
Hey Cathy, did you trackback to Hanna? So very cool when bloggers from other countries post a comment on your blog.
I’ve wondered a little about the labeling effect as well. One answer that some teachers around the world have had is to work to make assignments difficult to cheat.
The thing is that we (as in the world) is such a remix — cooperative culture that what is cheating will eventually need to be redefined.
For me, I’m more upset that the student is ultimately cheating him or herself by plagiarizing and wasting my time.
Last year in the first month at KIS, I caught 27 plagiarized papers. This month only 2. People are getting smarter, but I actually think they are more educated as to what the teachers consider to be plagiarism and work to do their own thing.