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In the Joseon Dynasty and Korean society, marriage between relatives was considered ‘my marriage’. It has been strictly avoided, and double in-law marriages have also been banned. On the other hand, in Japan, since the Heian period, marriages between relatives, including between cousins, have been taking place in a number of ways. When it comes to preparing gifts and wedding gifts, both Korea and Japan have in common that the groom sends gifts to the bride, while the bride prepares household items.
The book ‘East Asia from Cultural Anthropology’ is an introduction to the basic concepts and ways of thinking of cultural anthropology through the specific cultural characteristics of East Asia. Basic concepts and methodologies of cultural anthropology such as ‘field studies’, ‘ethnography’, ‘cultural relativism’ and ‘exchange’ are introduced in an easy-to-understand manner, while ‘family and kinship’, ‘religion’, ‘gender and sexuality’, ‘ Cultural anthropology research fields such as ‘colonialism’, ‘immigration’ and ‘supranationalism’ are introduced in connection with East Asia.
According to the book, it is analyzed that the roles of men and women have been divided similarly in Korean and Japanese society for a long time. In other words, men are ‘outside adults’ (Korea) and ‘goshujin (main people, Japan)’ who work outside the home, while women take the lead in the domestic realm and are ‘hostess’ (Korea) and ‘kanai (family, Japan)’ respectively. )’. Although Korea is still divided into ‘male and female’ only, in Japan, it is said that the gender column of ‘other’ in addition to ‘male and female’ is increasing in the display of gender centering on local governments.
If you are reading the book, you might nod your head at Eriko Aoki’s definition of cultural anthropology that what we take for granted may sometimes not be. It is about “taking into question what we take for granted, revealing what we are not aware of because it is natural, and changing what we take for granted.”
In the end, it can be helpful to understand the cultural anthropological context of East Asian culture and to see East Asia anew of diversity and coexistence rather than confrontation and competition. A complete book of ‘Cultural Anthropology Learning through East Asia’ published by Showado Publishing House in Japan in 2017.
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