0-100: Cultural Differences Between the US & Korea

https://aaron.kr/content/talks/0-100-cultural-differences-between-the-us-korea/

I've lived in Korea for 15 years, teaching English (and computers) to all levels, from kindergarten to adult. I spent my first 26 years of life & education in the US, from kindergarten to university. I grew up in a typical American family, and I'm now raising a typical Korean family.

For these reasons, I was recently approached to give a presentation on Cultural Differences between the US (my home country) and Korea (my residence) to a group of high school students in Jeonju.

Now, there are plenty of good blog posts, YouTube videos, and discussions about cultural differences between the US and Korea already available online, so I decided to take a different approach. This presentation will start with a brief overview of some facts and statistics that I've gathered from the CIA World Factbook. But then, we will dive into cultural differences that one may experience at certain milestones along a typical life journey "from birth to death" (hence, the presentation's subtitle).

Transcript

1. 0-100 CulTUraL dIFfeREnCes beTwEeN tHe US & KorEa From Birth to Death
2. Let ME inTrODucE mYseLf Why am I qualified to talk about this subject? • 26 years in America attended all levels of school grew up in an American family • 15 years in Korea taught all levels of school raising a Korean family Aaron Snowberger
3. SomE BasIC faCtS 01 Source: CIA World Factbook
4. ComPAre & ConTrASt Size : Area • Landscape People : Population • Health Money : Education • Military
5. siZE USA : 9,833,517 km2 (#4) Korea : 99,720 km2 (#109) laRgER! ~100x
6. siZE Slightly larger than Indiana
7. siZE Slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
8. HalLA-saN (한번 구경 오세요)
9. SeOul (WorLd’S moSt WirED ciTy)
10. JeOnJu (laRgESt HanOK viLlAGe)
11. DenALi (ColDEsT mTn oN EarTh)
12. MaUna KEa (taLlESt MtN on EarTh)
13. DeAtH vaLlEY (HotTEsT pLacE on EarTh)
14. LanD Use Korea : 18,049 km2 🌾 🌽 USA : 4,375,915 km2
15. LanD Use Korea : 18,049 km2 Landscape: ⛰🏕 🌾 🌽 USA : 4,375,915 km2 Landscape: ⛰🏕 moRE! ~242x
16. 334,998,398 (#3) 51,715,162 (#28) White (72.4%), Black (12.6%), Asian (4.8%), Other (10.2%) English (78.2%), Spanish (13.4%), Chinese (1.1%) Korean (96.2%), Foreign (3.8%) (1.99 million) PopULatIoN & DenSItY
17. 334,998,398 (#3) 51,715,162 (#28) White (72.4%), Black (12.6%), Asian (4.8%), Other (10.2%) English (78.2%), Spanish (13.4%), Chinese (1.1%) Korean (96.2%), Foreign (3.8%) (1.99 million) PopULatIoN & DenSItY
18. PopULatIoN pYraMId
19. PopULatIoN pYraMId
20. LifE & HeAlTh LifE KOreA Usa KorEa Usa HeAlTh Mother’s Mean Age (1st) 31 26.4 2.36 / 1,000 (7.6% GDP) 2.61 / 1,000 (16.9% GDP) Physician Density ($%) Maternal Mortality 11 / 100,000 (#142) 19 / 100,000 (#129) 4.7% 36.2% Obesity Infant Mortality 2.91 / 1,000 (#215) 5.22 / 1,000 (#176) 🌀 🌀🌋🌪🔥🏚 🔫 Natural Hazards Population Growth 0.26% (1.09 / woman) (#226) 0.7% (1.84 / woman) (#140) 14.4% 15.1% Below poverty Life Expectancy 82.78 80.43 95.9% 87.27% Internet
21. LifE & HeAlTh LifE KOreA Usa KorEa Usa HeAlTh Mother’s Mean Age (1st) 31 26.4 2.36 / 1,000 (7.6% GDP) 2.61 / 1,000 (16.9% GDP) Physician Density ($%) Maternal Mortality 11 / 100,000 (#142) 19 / 100,000 (#129) 4.7% 36.2% Obesity Infant Mortality 2.91 / 1,000 (#215) 5.22 / 1,000 (#176) 🌀 🌀🌋🌪🔥🏚 🔫 Natural Hazards Population Growth 0.26% (1.09 / woman) (#226) 0.7% (1.84 / woman) (#140) 14.4% 15.1% Below poverty Life Expectancy 82.78 80.43 95.9% 87.27% Internet
22. LifE & HeAlTh LifE KOreA Usa KorEa Usa HeAlTh Mother’s Mean Age (1st) 31 26.4 2.36 / 1,000 (7.6% GDP) 2.61 / 1,000 (16.9% GDP) Physician Density ($%) Maternal Mortality 11 / 100,000 (#142) 19 / 100,000 (#129) 4.7% 36.2% Obesity Infant Mortality 2.91 / 1,000 (#215) 5.22 / 1,000 (#176) 🌀 🌀🌋🌪🔥🏚 🔫 Natural Hazards Population Growth 0.26% (1.09 / woman) (#226) 0.7% (1.84 / woman) (#140) 14.4% 15.1% Below poverty Life Expectancy 82.78 80.43 95.9% 87.27% Internet JulY 2, 2021 UnaNImoUS coNsENt
23. EcoNOmiC cOMpaRIsoN GroWtH 2.16% - USA 2.04% - Korea SavINg 18.7% GDP - USA 34.8% GDP - Korea InFlaTIon 1.8% - USA 0.3% - Korea
24. EduCAtiON (koREa) 6 Elementary 3 Middle 3 High
25. EduCAtiON (uSA*) K-6 Elementary 7-9 Junior High 10-12 High School Year: September - May Vacation: December, May - September Hours: ~8:30am - 3:30pm (~6:00pm)
26. EduCAtiON (uSA*) K-5 Elementary 6-8 Middle 9-12 High School Year: September - May Vacation: December, May - September Hours: ~8:30am - 3:30pm (~6:00pm)
27. MorE edUCatIoN dIFfeREnCes no unIForMs Only 19% of schools require uniforms LesS daYs & TimE USA: minimum of 180 days & holidays every month! Korea: minimum of 220 days moVInG cLasS There is no “home room.” Students move from class to class exTrACurRIcuLAr acTIviTIes In school: sports, clubs, leadership Out of school: jobs, dating, socializing But also: fights, drugs, skipping, vandalism
28. A Day IN tHe lIFe: HigH sChoOL What does a typical day in high school look like? This video shows the difference between the USA & Korea from the perspective of two female students.
29. ComPUlSorY (1.5yRs, $450+/mTh)
30. VolUNtaRy (4+yRs, ~$2000/mTh)
31. Q & A Size : Area • Landscape People : Population • Health Money : Education • Military
32. Q & A Size : Area • Landscape People : Population • Health Money : Education • Military BreAK tiME
33. MilEStoNEs iN lIFe 02 Cultural Difference as you progress in life But first!
34. Except at night & in certain places... Typical business hours: 9am-5pm Spanish? & $$$ In Starbucks?... But also lots of checks... Only in cities?... Only pizza?...
35. liFE sTagES Youth : Childhood • Schooling Adulthood : Career • Family Elderly : Aging • Retirement
36. Youth 0-5: Infancy 6-11: Elementary 12-18: Middle / High School 16, 18, 21: Coming of Age 18-21: University? Adulthood 21-30: Figuring Yourself Out 31-40: Family? Career? 41-50: Career! (Mid-life Crisis?) 51-60: “Over the Hill” 61-66: The End (of career) is Near Elderly 66-70: The “Golden Years” 71-75: Aging 76-80: Slowing 81-85: The “Twilight Years” 86-100?: THE END liFE sTagES
37. liFE sTagES
38. YoUtH 0-18isH...
39. BirTh What do fathers do? What do mothers do? How much is it? 1st birthday? SleEP Where do kids sleep? WalKInG & TalKInG How do parents talk to kids who are just learning? 0-5: InFanCy (AlSo 1sT biRtHdaY)
40. FirSt Day OF sChoOL First day of school customs? Buy anything special? MakINg FriENdS How do kids make friends? How do kids relate to friends? In & AfTer ScHoOl How do you “do” school? What do kids do after school? What about holidays? 6-11: elEMenTArY (alSO hoLIdaYs)
41. LeArNinG to WOrK Do you help around the house? Learn to cook and clean? Get a part-time job? PetS Ever had a pet? What kind? What if your pet dies? ColLEge EnTraNcE exAMs Do these tests make you stress? Why or why not? What kind of peer pressure? 12-18: MidDlE / HigH sChoOL (AlSo pEeR pResSUre)
42. 16: fIRsT caR / joB When can you learn to drive? How do you learn to drive? WHY do you learn to drive? 18: fIRsT loVE Anything special two young lovers do together? What if your heart is broken? 21: FirSt DriNk Any first drink traditions? What if you’re not “of age”...? 16, 18, 21: ComINg oF Age (AlSo dRIviNg / ParKInG cuLtURe)
43. MeEt The POliCE Why might you meet the police? How do you feel about the police? 🦟<=🛵? ExPerIeNcE DeAtH How do you do funerals? Ever went to a friend’s funeral? MovE oUt What’s it like to move out? What’s it like on your own for the first time? 18-21: UniVErSitY? (AlSo pOLicINg CulTUre)
44. adULtHoOd 21-66
45. On YoUr oWn College Graduation? What prompts the transition out? FirSt “ReAl” Job Anything special about a first job? FirSt “MajOR” puRcHAse What’s the first “big” thing someone might buy? 21-30: fIGurINg YoUrSelF Out
46. GetTInG maRrIeD What is a traditional wedding like? How about a modern wedding? BuyINg a hOuSE What do people do with a first house purchase? When / why buy it? HavINg a bABy What is the process like? Any difficulties or benefits? 31-40: faMIlY? caREer?
47. ChaNgES at WOrK What if you get fired? Get a promotion? Change your job? ExCesS $$$ This is your most prosperous decade. What do you do with the excess? Debts? Save? Invest? MidLIfe CrISis What does a midlife crisis look like? Ever heard of a ¼ life crisis? 41-50: CarEeR! (MidLIfe CrISis?)
48. FamILy aGAin Marry off your children? Receive grandchildren? Get married yourself again? 51-60: “OveR tHe hILl”
49. RetIRemENt ParTy What does a retirement party look like? Any traditional / special gifts? 61-66: The EnD (of CAreER) is NEar
50. ElDerLy 66-100?
51. “GolDEn YeArS” What do you do at the beginning of your retirement? Travel? Move? Bored? 66-70: The “GOlDen YEarS”
52. HeAlTh iSsUeS What’s the leading cause of death? 71-75: AgiNg
53. NurSInG hoMEs If not in nursing homes, how are the elderly supported? 76-80: sLowINg DowN
54. LasT wiLl & TesTAmeNt How does inheritance work? Who gets what and why? Any gotchas? (Taxes, etc) 81-85: The “TwiLIgHt YeArS”
55. The NExT gReAt aDvENtuRE What happens after death? Where does the body go? What about next of kin? 86-100?: The ENd
56. ComMEnTs? Q & A Youth : Childhood • Schooling Adulthood : Career • Family Elderly : Aging • Retirement
57. CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo, including icons by Flaticon, infographics & images by Freepik ThaNkS! Does anyone have any questions? Find me @ aaron.kr Please keep this slide as attribution