This study was designed based on the awareness of globalization of refugees / immigration and crisis of modern setup. Refugees / immigration has emerged as a transnational and global phenomenon now, not an exceptional situation which occurs only in ...
This study was designed based on the awareness of globalization of refugees / immigration and crisis of modern setup. Refugees / immigration has emerged as a transnational and global phenomenon now, not an exceptional situation which occurs only in specific regions or countries. Among them, Europe is the region experiencing the most serious crisis of refugees / immigration. Germany and France especially have been experienced conflicts since 1960s due to the inflow of immigrant workers, and migration within Europe was also active due to the collapse of the East-European block that professed the socialism in 1990s and the cessation of cold war system. Most of all, Europe is recently experiencing 'new refugee crisis' due to the inflow of Arab refugees resulting from Syrian civil war. These phenomena have great implications on Korean society.
Each country these days are experiencing weakened cultural identity and strengthened hybridity as various cultures has been introduced with the refugee / immigration. Accordingly, it is necessary to reflect on the diversity of refugee / immigration cultures and design alternative cultures. And the solution is to think about world literary possibility and 'other universality' of refugee / immigration narration. In other words, it is necessary to consider the existential coordinates of statelessness in our time and to explore solidarity between refugees and citizens and the possibility of coexistence together.
Therefore, the research team paid attention on the issue of refugee / immigration in the society of Germany and France and explored the issue of refugee / immigration in Korean society through experiences of these countries. As a two-year project, the contents of this study were divided into refugee / immigration narration that is reproduced from the perspective of local observer and epic of self that is reproduced from the perspective of refugee / immigrants. The contents and methods of the study are as follows.
First, we paid attention on the fact that the foundation of refugee / immigration literature has not been prepared yet. Therefore, the study was started by setting the category of refugee / immigration literature and establishing its concept. Second, the study considered refugee / immigration literature from the perspective of comparative culture. In this process, the perspective of cultural translation was introduced to break from the cultural standardization, and refugee / immigration narration was analyzed through ethnography as a decentralized narration.
As such, the research team studied Korea, Germany and France in a comparative cultural perspective through the first and second-year research execution process and considered various issues caused by cultural conflicts between refugees and immigrants based on literature texts. Furthermore, the study tried to prepare humanistic consideration and countermeasures to diagnose and solve issues in multicultural society from various angles.
As a result, the study could organize academic foundation that allows full-scale research on refugee / immigration literature, and could draw comparative cultural communication through academic exchange of researchers in German, French and Korean literatures. Furthermore, the study sought a direction to take in part of the education for immigrants and social communication and exchange. Specifically, the results of the study were utilized as follows.
First, academic seminar on refugee / immigrants literatures of Germany, France and Korea were held. Second, public lectures were prepared to seek social consideration on the spread of refugee / immigration literature and refugee / immigration issues. Refugee / immigration issues are not limited to the subject of academic exploration. This is because they are social agenda our society should consider together. Third, it sounded the possibility of opening university courses. The opening of university courses along with the public lectures will be an important channel for spreading understanding and empathy about the issues of refugee / immigration and their representative narration. Fourth, the possibility to link with immigration education program in elementary and secondary curriculum was examined. The research team explored immigration-related special programs in elementary and secondary curriculum through various methods such as visiting school sites in Germany. Fifth, publication of books will promote the academic and public spread.
As such, the study considered the issues of refugee / immigration from various angles through literature texts of Germany, France and Korea for the purpose of humanistic consideration on multicultural society and refugee / immigration. It is expected to drive the spread and continuity of study field on refugee / immigration literature and to draw interests of the community on the issues of refugee / immigration.