How Women-and Their Hair-Transformed South Korea
Added 2022-04-04 15:51:40 +0000 UTCMy husband sent me this article this morning, which was really interesting. There is a scene in Mr. Sunshine about cutting hair that mimics the feelings expressed in this article. -Megan
Comments
I loved this article on A.O. I have read it with some of my students, and now they all want to research it more!
Kara Guminski
2022-04-05 08:45:47 +0000 UTCAnother novel on the hair trade is The Braid by Laetitia Colombani - it's actually quite nice, though a somber subject. Really surprised that she said the high school haircut was for modernity - we had to do that but for modesty. You either had to tie your hair back or it had to be chin-length or shorter.
Hannah
2022-04-05 02:37:54 +0000 UTCI have watched a few YouTube videos about the hair trade in India and it's really sobering how much they get paid and how much these wigs ultimately sell for.
Megan Erickson
2022-04-04 19:01:22 +0000 UTCVery interesting article, especially as regards the union activities. And Grace, thanks for sharing the article about the cruel pressures placed on the Koreans by Japanese occupiers. It's interesting how Japan also earlier adopted short hair cuts for men in the late 1800s, (except for Mr Sunshine's Dong Mae and his band of samurai yakuza types!)when originally cutting off a topknot was a sign of giving up/losing status ....."modernization" and many practices adopted from the West was the goal which led to the imperialism which would have dire consequences. I so appreciate learning about this history. These stories are fascinating and sobering.
LauraPat H
2022-04-04 17:22:49 +0000 UTCI feel this. I remember my mom chopping off my long hair in elementary school bc she said I looked like a ghost (you know, the long haired maiden ghosts that get referenced in kdramas all the time - 처녀귀신 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Virgin_Ghost) Another article about the trauma of hair cutting during Japan's occupation of Joseon - but for men: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2020/01/715_281346.html Also puts in mind scenes from the book A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, about the hair trade in India. Very very sad book, I do not recommend unless you are in a particular mood to be absolutely devastated.
Grace
2022-04-04 16:22:16 +0000 UTC
