The Idea of Cosmopolitanism in Korean National Curriculum

• In Event: Contradictions and Complexities of Curriculum Reforms Around the World

Abstract

In its long 5,000-year history, Korea has been characterized by a homogeneous population. Recently, however, Korea has been facing the challenges of becoming a multicultural society. In this context, the idea of cosmopolitanism plays an important role, providing a vision for the reinterpretation of the Korean identity. The purpose of this study is to explore the characteristics of the cosmopolitan perspectives reflected in recent Korean national curriculums. For this purpose, this study analyzed Korean national curriculums after the mid-1990s, when great debates over educational reform started in the wake of globalization. This study analyzed, in particular, the cosmopolitan perspectives in two aspects: the Korean national curriculum policies and contents of the social studies and moral education curriculum.

Authors

• Sangeun Lee, Seoul National University

• Jiae Park, Seoul national University

• Jiyoung Kang, Seoul National University

• Kyunghee So, Seoul National University