Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This study investigated real life situations which learners in South Korea grade 8-10 learners would prefer to be used in school mathematics.This thesis is based on the ROSMEII (Relevance of School Mathematics ducation) questionnaires and interviews, which was used to examine the preferred mathematical learning contexts for South Korean grade 8-10 learners. The study investigates the affective factors that pupils perceive to be of possible relevance for the learning and teaching of mathematic; and is aimed at providing data that might form part of a basis for a local theory of the mathematics curriculum. The standardized ROSMEII survey questionnaire of 23closeended items that relate to some aspects of mathematics on a 4-point Likert-type scale was administered to Korean grade 8-10 learners at the end of compulsory schooling, and mainly 14 to 16 year old cohorts. The data for this study were collected from a sample of 1839 learners drawn from 26 South Korean schools in the year 2009. Interviews were conducted to gauge the pupils‘ preference of the ROSMEII questionnaire contexts and used to validate learners‘ responses. In analyzing their responses, it became clear that, on the average, views expressed were common to all groups of pupils in South Korea (whether male or female, or from the metropolitan, city, or countryside). The clusters of the most preferred mathematical learning contexts are linked to youth culture, which learners are usually and easily engaged with in one way or another. These clusters include the sports, leisure and recreation cluster; planning a journey/popular youth culture cluster the technology cluster; the making of computer games, storing music and videos on CD‘s and Ipods. The lowest preferred mathematical learning contexts are: an agricultural cluster which focuses on agricultural matters and traditional games (yut). In conclusion, this study suggests that teachers should use contexts that increase learners‘ interest in classroom activities. Therefore mathematics curricula and textbooks which are appropriate to this context must be provided in order to provide more efficient mathematics education. It is imperative that the Korean school system must develop a particular program for nurturing learners‘ mathematical power. Furthermore, mathematics education policy makers must reconsider whether the current education system is appropriate, and also listen to learners‘ preferences when designing appropriate mathematics curriculum and textbooks.

The objective of this thesis is to provide Korean churches with a theological framework to solve the current environmental impact of energy and mineral development in Korea. But this is merely a microcosm of what is happening in securing energy and mineral resources throughout the world, because we cannot imagine one day of our lives without energy and mineral resources in current civilized societies, just as we cannot exist without pure blood. In effect, the key question is whether there are Christian insights and theological perspectives which can help prevent complex and dynamic environmental impacts from mining activities and nuclear plants in the environmental crisis. In this thesis a variety of development and consumption trends of energy and mineral resources in the world as well as Korea has firstly been analyzed to comprehensively grasp their environmental impacts as well as their economic contributions in current civilized societies in chapters 2, 3 and 4. Secondly, this thesis looks at the controversial concept of sustainable development set up by the Brundtland Commission. The thesis goes on to discuss two controversial views of a traditional finite world paradigm and market resource allocation paradigm to examine the ideology and practice of economic growth. The thesis moves on to discuss fundamental roots of environmental degradation and the biblical proposition for sustainable development in order to redefine its concept. This thesis finally suggests "biblical sustainable development in accordance with the will of God" as a practical matrix to set up a theological framework for sustainable development of energy and mineral resources in the environmental crisis. Additionally, biblical sustainable development in the mining context is also discussed as a basic tool to develop a new scheme for ecological integrity in mining activities in chapter 6. Thirdly, through looking at theological perspectives and Christian insights, the thesis arranges a theological framework for biblical sustainable development of energy and mineral resources as the rudiments of an environmental ethic grounded in the Bible and as a criterion to capture theological and ethical reflections on the environmental impacts from nuclear plants and mining activities in Korea. Additionally, practical guidelines for biblical sustainable development is suggested to lead this world into the biblical sustainable society based on the theological perspectives for energy and mineral resources in chapter 7. Fourthly, in order to clearly identify the challenging tasks of Korean churches, this thesis evaluates the environmental initiatives of Korean churches based on the factual analysis of the environmental impacts from mining activities and nuclear plants and environmental activities of Korean churches and NGOs in chapters 4 and 5, and then suggests practical guidelines for individuals and churches based on the theological framework for biblical sustainable development in accordance with the will of God in chapter 8. Finally, through evaluating the Korean energy regime and mining policy, directions for the Korean government is also suggested in order to bring their environmental initiatives more in accordance with the will of God in chapter 8. The Church is arguably the most powerful institution in the world and can literally move mountains because it has its power from our Lord God. This power has to be utilized not only in Korea but in the whole world in order that humanity can save this planet before it is too late. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted

The thesis focuses on the relationship between China and the Korean Peninsula. It examines China's view on the peninsula, its ties to and influence over this region and its conceptions for the future of the peninsula. The thesis concentrates on the relations between the People's Republic of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Nevertheless, the relationship between them is analyzed in the context of the Chinese long-term strategy for the Korean Peninsula. The primary Chinese interests related to North Korea are identified together with instruments that can China use to accomplish them. Special focus is given to the assessment of the economic influence that China has over North Korea. However, the Chinese economic leverage is examined in connection with political and military relations between those two countries and in broader context of the development of international relations in Northeast Asia.

This study examines ideas of self and self-cultivation as developed during the first half of the Choson Dynasty (1392-1911) by focusing on introductory texts or commentaries, diagrams, or Korean annotations on the Great Learning. Moreover, given that much of this material is pedagogical, how and to whom these ideas were presented will also be examined. The scholars examined here were leading thinkers during the first half of the Choson Dynasty— Kwon Kun (1352-1409) helped introduce and lay the intellectual framework of Ch'eng-Chu Neo-Confucianism in the early period of the Choson Dyansty. T'oegye (1501-1570) is often seen as the foremost Confucian scholar of the Choson period. His ideas served as the foundation of a major school of thought during the Choson Dyansty, the Yongnam school. The last scholar, Yulgok (1536-1584), is also seen as one of the great scholars of the period. His ideas form the basis of the other major school of thought in Korean Neo-Confucianism- the Kiho school. Examining the ideas of these thinkers will reveal how ideas of human nature and self-cultivation developed and changed over the early course of the Choson Dynasty and how and to whom these ideas were presented. / Arts, Faculty of / Asian Studies, Department of / Graduate

DICTIONARY OF STORMS is a collection of poetry that explores the dynamics of one family through their son’s absence. Using recurring images of skin, water, dragonflies, and pearls, the poems examine distance and absence, wanderlust and filial obligation from different family members’ perspectives. Desires are sloughed off, replaced by new ones, re-cultivated as mythos. The architecture of many individual poems, and the collection as a whole, are structured by meditative lyricism reminiscent of Li-Young Lee. Robert Hass’s poems and translations serve as a model for articulating both the difficulty and beauty of longing. Personae such as “Admonishing Brother Returns as Chrysanthemum” and “Hungry Brother Returns as Octopus” are influenced by Ai and Louise Glück. In the spirit of Emily Dickinson and John Keats, DICTIONARY OF STORMS reflects upon longing, grief, and desire.

archives@tulane.edu / This study presents an analysis of otome, dating simulator games popularized throughout Japan and South Korea, specifically exploring how the fictive relationship formed between the female main character (MC) and various male non-player characters (NPCs) enables the user to adopt the role of sexual and emotional agent. By examining the degree to which player choice influences a game’s plot, character development, and the tenor of the romantic relationship formed between MC and NPC, this research will seek to contextualize otome games as a digital affinity space uniquely positioned to address female fantasy and respond to culturally informed demographic changes relating to dating, sex, and marriage in South Korea and Japan. Using examples of Korean and Japanese otome titles across multiple platforms and related trends in popular culture and media, this paper will conclude with an examination of the gendered, emotional labor necessitated by the typical otome game structure as a method of reframing the commodification of the shojo archetype from a female perspective. / 1 / Meredith Connelly

This strategic compensation model based on contingency theory of organizations proposes that a fit between the organization's business environment and compensation system will affect the firm's performance (Rockmore, 1991; Rockmore and Scarpello, 1994). This proposition was tested with a set of Korean sample data of seventy-five publicly traded companies within thirty-four three-digit Standard Industrial Classification codes. The cluster analysis applied to the 7-item task environment uncertainty components resulted in two group classifications that face relatively ‘more certain’ and ‘more uncertain’ environments. Principal component factor analysis of the 8-item compensation system components resulted in three compensation system factors and subsequent cluster analysis classified firm pay plans into two clusters, which we labelled ‘more traditional’ and ‘more innovative’. Discriminant analysis confirmed the resulting classifications of both task environment and compensation system types. With both ROA and EPS measures, significantly more ‘fits’ (firms in stable environment that use traditional compensation system or firms in uncertain environment that use innovative compensation system) showed financial gains compared with ‘nonfits’. This financial impact of the contingency was more salient for those firms that face uncertain environment. The same results were obtained when ANOVA was performed.

Though it is conceded that the major stream of migration in developing countries flows from rural to urban areas, research on identifying the principle determinants of rural-urban migration are quite scarce. This is especially so in quantitative terms. Therefore, hypotheses concerning the economic determinants of rural-urban migration are investigated and economic impact of rural-urban migration is also examined in this dissertation. Migration can be viewed from many different perspectives -- selectivities, pull and push, human investment approaches, etc. However, this study follows economic tradition and views migration in a general equilibrium context. In the economic opportunity hypothesis, discrepancies of factor payments among regions is postulated. The significance of selected economic determinants such as the magnitude of capital investment and relative prices of rural and urban goods is then tested along with the economic opportunity hypothesis. The migration model in this study is specified as a system of interrelated equations. The simultaneous equations model which is employed, enables us to examine the effectiveness of key variables on migration, and the impacts of these variables on rural and urban labor markets. The model is tested with Korean labor force data. Rural wage rates were found to have a negative relationship with migration, whereas urban wage rates showed a positive relationship. The changes in relative prices of rural and urban goods were found to exert a significant impact on rural-urban migration. A decrease in prices of rural goods may induce an increase in out-migration and an increase in prices of urban goods may be a pulling factor of rural-urban migration such that rural-urban migration increases. Thus, the net out-migration may be reduced when agricultural prices increase. An increase in capital investment in rural areas was found to reduce rural-urban migration, and an increase in capital investment in urban areas was found to encourage rural-urban migration. Investment was found to be the most significant variable in determining wage rates, however, it was less significant than the prices of rural and urban goods in determining rural-urban migration. It is concluded that changing relative economic opportunities, changing output prices, and capital investments between rural and urban areas are important factors providing impetus for rural-urban migration and they are major economic determinants of rural-urban migration in Korea. Thus, government is faced with alternative policies for the reduction of rural-urban migration. For instance, the government may give wage subsidies to the rural employment sector, it may increase large-scale public investments, or it may allow a rise in agricultural prices. Each of these policies would tend to reduce the flow of resources from the agricultural sector to non-agricultural sector. A redistribution of resources may not facilitate efficient resource allocation and the optimal growth of the national economy. Therefore, the efficiency aspects of stimulating a resource flow should be examined carefully before these policy variables are implemented for achieving population redistribution.

The objective of this proposed research is to test whether interorganizational collaboration contributes to the ability of an organization to bounce back swiftly from disasters. The research questions are examined from the Institutional Collective Action (ICA) perspective. The general argument of this dissertation is that organizational resilience can be explained by interorganizational collaboration. The ICA framework, specifically, identifies two general network structures to explain strategies that can be adopted to minimize collaboration risks: bonding and bridging structures. This dissertation focuses on how governmental and nongovernmental organizations in South Korea collaborated. The data was collected from the southeastern tip of the Korean Peninsula in August of 2012, and January of 2013. The 2012 Typhoons devastated the area after the first data set was collected in August 2012, causing the loss of estimated US$ 730 million and 29 fatalities. Afterward, the second survey was administrated in January of 2013 to gauge respondents’ views on how organizations responded to the disasters. This dissertation consists of three essays. The first essay presents a brief overview and assessment of the current research on resilience. The second essay empirically tests the sources of organization resilience. The third essay examines the dynamic nature of interorganizational ties by employing stochastic actor-based models. The findings show how organizations prefer to not coordinate with other organizations even though this could reduce their strains during a disaster. The findings also suggest that organizations that operate in higher risk areas or participate in joint full-scale exercises before a disaster form interorganizational ties afterward.

Thesis advisor: Wen Fan / In recent years, South Korea has come to face a national issue of low fertility. The low fertility rate remains on a declining trajectory, and that South Korea is looking at facing a great population reduction. This thesis aims to explore the reasons behind this phenomenon, through examining the relationships between various socio-economic factors and fertility rate. Data analysis of a preexisting data set was conducted. The results showed that physical health, lifestyle factors, education, and safety of environment demonstrated the strongest relationships with fertility rates, whereas mental health, fear of aging, and perception of healthcare showed weaker associations. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2019. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: Sociology.