Browsing by study line "Asian Studies"

In this thesis, I have approached taekwondo from the cultural perspective using ethnographic methods. This martial art form is often associated with Korea; however, its origins seem to lie in the Japanese karate – although Korean sources often claim it to be even 2000 thousand years old tradition practiced in Korean peninsula. Foreign scholars such as Udo Moenig, on the other hand, have conducted convincing studies that illustrate similarities between these two martial forms. Furthermore, many martial art schools – that are considered as the “founding schools” of the “modern taekwondo” - were established after the Second World War. This controversy offered inspiration to look further into taekwondo as an “invented tradition”. In short, according to Eric Hobsbawm and Terrence Ranger’s definition, “invented traditions” are often created by repeating and even manipulating origin stories to establish the preferred history. Moreover, it often strengthens the local nationalism. Therefore, it is important to look into Korean nationalism to understand the reasons to highlight taekwondo’s Korean roots. In the modern day another concept related to taekwondo and Korean nationalism is the so-called “Korean Wave”, also known as hallyu by its Korean name. Especially scholars such as Jin Dal Yong and Kim Bok-rae define hallyu as a “soft power” to disseminate Korean culture globally through cultural products such as television shows, music, food and even sports. Hence, studying foreign people, who do taekwondo or in other words taekwondoin, to see if taekwondo really promotes Korean culture and inspires people to learn more about Korea became the main focus of the project. I decided to focus on the Finnish context because I have been learning taekwondo myself. Additionally, as a Finnish person I am familiar with the Finnish culture due to which understanding both cultures helps to explain the differences between the two cultures. Furthermore, I wanted to see, how much Korean cultural features have been adopted in the Finnish taekwondo gyms. To do this, I observed and attended taekwondo classes in three different taekwondo associations in Southern Finland, and I interviewed seven people with different belt ranks from beginner to master. In Finland taekwondo is typically seen as a martial art form with Korean background. Certain traditions such as bowing to greet and yelling as a response to commands are often associated with martial arts generally. Korean language is used in the class variedly depending on the instructor, but many seem not comfortable memorizing the terms and most common technique names have been translated to Finnish. In addition to this, teaching taekwondo is almost purely volunteer-based, the classes are after work hours, and the space to train is rented and so shared with other sport associations. Although taekwondo gyms might not remind people of Korea, the preserved traditions are seen as a way to pay homage to the founders of the sport.

In the 21st century Japan has been experiencing massive demographic changes. The country’s birth rate is low, and the population is steadily aging. Women are increasingly needed in the labour force in order for Japan to prosper despite these changes. However, for a long time there has been different type of gender-based employment and hiring practices, which have affected women’s employment and careers in Japan. Due to these practices and Japanese work culture, many women end their careers when they get married or have their first child. Additionally, many women are working part-time. The impact of these gendered divisions of labor can be noted in gender pay gaps and promotion practices. The purpose of this study is to examine whether the employment and hiring practices are changing in Japan and how Japanese work culture and women’s role in it have changed in the last few decades. I interviewed three sets of mothers and daughters about their career dreams and experiences in the Japanese labor market. I also examined the influence of one’s mother on individual’s career decisions. In the theory segment, I review Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital which examines how individuals reproduce, embody and aggregate knowledge in the social field. In this study Bourdieu’s theory works as an example of how one’s family and social status can affect their education, employment, and future success. The findings of this study are that Japanese women are often affected by their mothers, family dynamics, and social environment when it comes to employment plans and dreams. Both the mothers and the daughters think that the employment opportunities for Japanese women have increased in recent years and that many companies in Japan seem to be changing their culture and habits to achieve better gender equality. However, there is requirement for more varied sets of work-related role models for women to feel more secure and confident in various areas of labor and work positions. Additionally, flexibility from employers, as well as partnership and participation of husband in child rearing and housework, is required for mothers to be able to continue working.

This thesis deals with three official visits by Finnish parliamentarians to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the 1970s and 1980s. The first visit was made by a delegation from the Finnish group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in 1972, a few months before Finland recognised both North and South Korea. The second visit, led by Speaker Sukselainen, was in 1975, and the last official parliamentary visit was in 1984, led by Speaker Pystynen. In the early 1970s, North Korea applied to join the Inter-Parliamentary Union, an organization founded by British and French parliamentarians in the late 19th century to bring together members of democratically elected parliaments. The DPRK Supreme People's Assembly's application was not immediately accepted - even though parliamentarians from several other socialist countries had already joined the IPU. The Finnish group of the IPU was ready to accept the North Koreans in the spirit of a détente - and, perhaps, also under the influence of Finlandization, which permeated Finnish foreign and, to some extent, domestic policy at the time. All three visits have been examined chronologically, focusing on the two meetings with "Supreme Leader" Kim Il Sung. Three participants in the 1972 visit have been interviewed and the results analysed. The thesis is based on unpublished reports of three visits, interviews, and handwritten notes from audiences with Kim Il Sung. A memorandum on the audience with President Kekkonen is also among the primary sources. The method used to examine the material was archival research (Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Parliament, and the National Library of Finland), source analysis, and content analysis. The research question is: How did the three official visits of Finnish parliamentary delegations to the DPRK during the Cold War and Finlandization era contribute to the establishment and development of Finnish diplomatic and other relations with Kim Il Sung’s North Korea? The thesis describes and analyses the content of the three visits, including interviews with three participants of the 1972 visit and the audience with President Kekkonen, with particular focus on the main discussions and the meetings with Kim Il Sung. Relations with North Korea were virtually non-existent in 1972. It was therefore natural to try to develop them through exchanges of high-level political and economic delegations that mapped out the terrain and prepared the ground for experts. In this broad context, official delegations from the Finnish Parliament also had a role to play. Given the extensive networks of Finnish MPs, they acted as conduits for further political, economic, and cultural relations between Finland and North Korea. The thesis shows that North Koreans, including Kim Il Sung, were genuinely interested in developing trade and technological cooperation with Finland. He even specified several potential areas for this cooperation. It also shows that President Kim and other North Korean leaders were trying to create the impression that there was no imminent danger of war on the Korean Peninsula, at least not from the northern side, which would have hindered exchanges between North Korea and Finland. Moreover, the thesis reveals that both Finnish diplomats and Members of Parliament were impressed by the various achievements of the North Koreans, although Kim Il Sung had characterised his country as still developing. Contextually, this thesis aims to explore a clearly delineated part of the political history of the Cold War, namely the phenomenon of Finlandization, i.e. Finland's subordinate policy as a small country neighbouring the Soviet superpower, and how Finlandization influenced the establishment of diplomatic relations with a country as distant as North Korea.