The End of a Journey
I feel a sense of catharsis now that I've finally finished my genius hour assignment.
In all honesty, this assignment was both stressful, but fun. I feel like a lot of what I wanted to include in my presentation had to be cut out (due to time), but the fact that I was able to talk about something that I actually like made the presentations themselves a lot less stressful for me.
Due to the fact that I had to cut my presentation short, I'll list some of my successes and challenges here.
I'm glad I was able to answer my question. That was one of the biggest worries I had when we started, because I felt as though I wouldn't be able to find one concrete answer. I also do think that I was able to find a variety of good reasons behind each of the beauty standards in all of the time periods. However, I had a lot of trouble with men's standards and the 20's - 80's in specific.
There was little to no information about what was considered to be the ideal type for men, which meant a lot of the things I was saying where drawn from my own conclusions, as well as obscure places on the internet. Also, I felt like in the 20's and 80's I started to talk a lot more about the fashion rather than the physical features like I did for Joseon era and the present day, mostly due to the fact that I had a hard time filling in the blanks for those two eras.
If I were to do this blog again, I do feel like maybe I'd make my question more specific. It kind of took a life of it's own, and turned into another question once speaking to my primary source of "why are Koreans so obsessed with their looks?", which was very interesting to me. If I had known, I might've done this as my question instead.
I think that the journey that I went on with my research has really opened my eyes to the Korean beauty industry a lot more. I understand the rational behind a lot of the beauty products now (though I may not agree with all of them), but when you're as invested in the K-pop and K-drama scene as I am, it really gives you a new perspective when watching content.
I had a lot of fun with this assignment, and if I was given more time, I know I would've rambled on and on about my topic - there's just so much to explore! But I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, and would gladly do a project like this again.
In all honesty, this assignment was both stressful, but fun. I feel like a lot of what I wanted to include in my presentation had to be cut out (due to time), but the fact that I was able to talk about something that I actually like made the presentations themselves a lot less stressful for me.
Due to the fact that I had to cut my presentation short, I'll list some of my successes and challenges here.
I'm glad I was able to answer my question. That was one of the biggest worries I had when we started, because I felt as though I wouldn't be able to find one concrete answer. I also do think that I was able to find a variety of good reasons behind each of the beauty standards in all of the time periods. However, I had a lot of trouble with men's standards and the 20's - 80's in specific.
There was little to no information about what was considered to be the ideal type for men, which meant a lot of the things I was saying where drawn from my own conclusions, as well as obscure places on the internet. Also, I felt like in the 20's and 80's I started to talk a lot more about the fashion rather than the physical features like I did for Joseon era and the present day, mostly due to the fact that I had a hard time filling in the blanks for those two eras.
If I were to do this blog again, I do feel like maybe I'd make my question more specific. It kind of took a life of it's own, and turned into another question once speaking to my primary source of "why are Koreans so obsessed with their looks?", which was very interesting to me. If I had known, I might've done this as my question instead.
I think that the journey that I went on with my research has really opened my eyes to the Korean beauty industry a lot more. I understand the rational behind a lot of the beauty products now (though I may not agree with all of them), but when you're as invested in the K-pop and K-drama scene as I am, it really gives you a new perspective when watching content.
I had a lot of fun with this assignment, and if I was given more time, I know I would've rambled on and on about my topic - there's just so much to explore! But I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, and would gladly do a project like this again.
You had a really great presentation that kept everyone interested the whole way through to the point that when you stopped your presentation I was kind of mad because I wanted to hear more about where it was all going. Asia is a place that isn't covered in most western history courses so it was really cool of you to bring some insight into Korean beauty standards to a class that previously probably didn't know much about them. I was very surprised to find out that in early Korea men who were "prettier" or more feminine were found to be more attractive, especially because in Europe it was the exact opposite. Your blog and presentation have led me to think more about the topic, because they are both great and go into a lot of detail.
ReplyDeleteTo say that I have thoroughly enjoyed your project, is a massive understatement. Your project has been so well researched, engaging and extremely well thought out. I have learned so much not only about beauty standards in Korea but about Korean history. It is always a joy to be a teacher in your own classroom. You have showed me the power of studying history through beauty trends, and it is something that I am definitely looking at exploring in the future. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your project and presentation. I think it was so interesting and eye-opening to learn about Korean beauty standards, a topic I may not have considered before your project. Your project was very well done, and well researched. I think it was a very broad topic, however you did an excellent job at condensing the information and was able to effectively portray your information. I found it really interesting to learn about how Confucianism actually had an impact on beauty standards in Korea for such a long time, this was something I never thought about before. Overall, I really enjoyed your project and presentation!
ReplyDeleteAmazing blog and presentation Deborah, I greatly enjoyed you choosing a topic that isn't often discussed much of in western society. I thought it was very important to bring light to because not only did you pay homage to your roots, but as such you are able to recognize the downfalls of these beauty trends as well. When mentioned in your presentation the growing pressures/normalization of plastic surgery, one could draw parallels to the also growing acceptance for plastic surgery in North America. It was also interesting to see the drastic shift from original beauty standards to today in modern society as it was quite the contrast. Your overall blog and presentation has allowed me to gain a better understanding of Korea's culture and as such has brought light to issues which I wouldn't have seen before.
ReplyDelete- Vivian
I was hesitant that I would enjoy this topic when you first brought it up, but your passion for the topic as well as your presentation in general really resonated with me. You managed to single-handedly inspire me to watch a k-pop video! It was not my cup of tea or anything but your presentation and topic made me realize the importance of trying new things and just because you might not be from a particular nation does not mean you are withheld from the ability to enjoy their customs. Overall a great topic and very insightful information combined to created a very meaningful genius hour, good job!
ReplyDelete