cultural Post #4

[Hanchen Liu]

Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 is a very thin book. I finished it by two days, but it made me sleepless for a long time. The book contains all the gender inequalities suffered by Korean women at home, at school, and at the society. As women, if we don't want to experience this, how should we change our own lives?When I look at the introduction, I was shocked that the life of Kim Ji-young is occupied by the sexism that a women could experience through a life. Family spoil the only son at home which is Kim’s younger brother, and ignore her because they believe a son is always better a daughter. In the workplace, she could not promote even she was more capable than the male worker who get the chance. After pregnant, she had to give up her work and dreams because everybody around her told her that she cannot balance the work and family. Then she had postpartum depression.However, looking from the overall situation of women, especially in South Korea, Kim Ji-young is actually lucky. She received higher education in Seoul and got a job where she could show her value. He has a harmonious relationship with his colleagues. Her husband can respect her choices, and he does not show obvious male chauvinism. After the marriage, she gave born to a lovely daughter. This looks like a life that meets all expectations of a society to a female, but it doesn't bring real satisfaction to Kim Ji-young because she was unhappy all the time, from childhood to youth, from family to the workplace. She has been working hard to follow the social norms for women, but has never really lived for herself.After taking care of the child for a all day, Kim Ji-young bought a cup of coffee to have a rest, enjoying a rare moment of leisure, but she heard the men around her saying that she was a “mom bug” who was idle all day and felt at ease to spend husband's money. In the Korean society described in the book, when a woman paid a lot of effort to obtain the same job opportunities as men, she was still acquiesced by the society that she still need to sacrifice for the family. Society continued to beautify the mother ’s dedication and gave her no chance to complain.Many people say that they are empathize with Kim Ji-young 's story, and there are many Kim Ji-young around us. I never feel that there is anything only a male can do, a female cannot. However, the older I grow, the more I discover that even we do not regard women's identity as a barrier, it does not mean that society views us like this. This society places too many obstacles on women.

[Lidia Amanuel]

What a profound book. It is disheartening to see the experience of persecuted women around the world. This woman’s experience makes me think of how lucky I am to have had the opportunities I’ve had despite the microagressions that are still apparent in my environment, I see many women being able to pursue their dreams. There is a lot of change to be done before this becomes a reality for all women.