| This research aimed to perform two major analyses: (a) a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of Korean multiculturalism and multicultural education using both government policy documents and a range of media sources (conservative, progressive, and migrant-led), and (b) a CDA of official multicultural curriculum as presented in the 2009 national curriculum reform policy documents and the 23 corresponding Korean language arts textbooks.;Data analyses show that the conservative government's multicultural policy documents present a binary view on multicultural families: they are either very talented, potential contributors to the Korean economy (possibly educated, rich, and white migrant workers) or illegal, harmful sojourners (mostly less educated, poor, and darker-skinned migrants). Biased toward international marriage families, the government's multicultural policy documents deliver success stories of migrant wives and images of very obedient migrant women who sacrifice their lives for their families. The government's documents on the 2009 national curriculum reform emphasize (a) the superiority of Korean ethnic groups and the cultural kinship among Koreans, and (b) sympathy toward different Others' lives rather than encouraging respect and mutual understanding.;In similar ways, the conservative media and the 23 pre-screened Korean language arts textbooks depict Korean society as a beneficiary agency which gives migrants a variety of opportunities. The hardships such as xenophobia, racism, and domestic violence they encounter are described as individually oriented rather than structurally framed. Meanwhile, in the most progressive newspaper and two migrant-led websites, the government's multicultural policies are criticized harshly. Migrant-focused discourses are not often featured in Korean language arts textbooks, but some textbook publishers present and represent the voices of migrants struggling under structural problems and trying to resolve them with their colleagues. Analyses also reveal that North Korean related issues are completely silenced in Korean language arts textbook publications because of ideological and political struggles between both Koreas.;In conclusion, this research challenges the monoethnic perspectives presented in the Korean language arts textbooks and explores the possibilities of enacting social changes in solidarity with Koreans and migrant Others. |
