Light verb constructions have been treated as a relevant linguistic topic because they show unique characteristics that are not found in other verb constructions in Korean. Thus, previous studies are mainly focused on specific characteristics: (i) the relationship between light verbs and v and (ii) the affixation of accusative case particles. However, in this thesis, I examine more important issues related to light verb constructions in Korean: (i) how light verb constructions can works as predicates in clauses, (ii) the nature of the relationship between the complement and the light verb in light verb constructions, and (iii) where the complement and the light verb are present in the surface structure in Korean. Operating under the assumption that the light verb construction is a way of presenting a predicative type similar to lexical verbs or adjectives in Korean, I claim that (i) the lexical-semantic and syntactic information of all predicates, including light verb constructions, is determined in the “lexical conceptual structure” (e.g., Levin & Rappaport 1998), (ii) the conceptual categories in the lexical conceptual structure become the lexical items in the lexicon differently in light verb constructions than in lexical verb constructions, and (iii) the light verb construction is built by incorporation which is similar to semantic noun incorporation (e.g., Dayal 2010). In addition, in this thesis I will present new characteristics of light verb constructions in Korean: (i) the function of each component in the light verb construction such as the modifier and the modified item, (ii) the relationship between components in the light verb construction (i.e., s-selection), (iii) the existence of a functional projection between two components (i.e., Event Phrase), and (iv) the generation of the negation particle an ‘not’ under the head of vP.

Ssireum is a Korean form of grappling. Wrestlers grip sashes that are looped around their opponent's waist and thigh while competing inside a sand circle with the goal of making any part of their opponent's body above the knee touch the ground. In Korea ssireum is understood to be a national sport developed during the country’s modernization in the early 20th century that has origins as a thousands-of-years-old folk game. By the start of 21st century ssireum's popularity had waned and a once prosperous professional league collapsed. The effects of globalization are frequently cited as the cause. However, the sport continues to be played at various levels throughout the public education system in addition to semi-pro and amateur leagues. This dissertation asks the question, "What does it mean collectively to play ssireum?" The answer comes from fifteen months of participant observation and interviews in Korea's collegiate ssireum league. The goal is to establish the first major body of academic information about ssireum and to place it within the larger cultural context of contemporary Korean society. Fieldwork data is interpreted using theories drawn from Roger Abrahams, Fredrik Barth, Pierre Bourdieu, and Eric Hobsbawm. Ssireum's ritualized use of symbols appropriated from the past is a means of maintaining the boundaries of an ethnic identity that allows everyone involved to assume they are "playing the same game." Ssireum is a vehicle for negotiating, performing, and evaluating a unique identity. For those involved, playing ssireum makes Koreanness. Ssireum dramatizes a traditional identity which has incorporated distinctly modern ideologies about the world. The relationships of people within ssireum are inextricably linked to existing protocols for social interactions in Korea; recruitment of talent, training regimens, competition events, future careers, and industry solvency could not be maintained otherwise. Globalization, frequently invoked in the rhetoric about ssireum, fills contradictory roles of boogeyman and savior, and misdirects attention away from counterproductive internal processes damaging the industry.

Thesis (doctoral)--Australian National University, 1984.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2004. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xiii, 342 p.; also includes graphics. Includes abstract and vita. Advisor: Allan R. Millett, Dept. of History. Includes bibliographical references (p. 333-342).

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Texas at Arlington, 2008.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Sociology, August 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2002. / Includes "Korean sermon manuscript for cross-cultural evangelism," in Korean. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 92-100).

The purpose of this study was to understand the nature of Korean bilingual children’s out-of-school literacy practices. Four Korean-English speaking bilingual children and their parents were participants in this qualitative multi-case study. The children were between seven and nine years old and attended public schools. The families lived in and around a large city in the Southwestern of the United States. In the city, there was a well-established Korean community. Data collection was conducted through multiple methods. The duration of the study was approximately four and a half months per child, staggered across eight months of data collection. Parents were interviewed twice regarding literacy activities with their child, the focal child’s experience of schooling, their perspectives of family’s language use, and their expectations for the child. Participant observation was also conducted at each child’s home to examine her/his literacy activities and interactions with family members. The children and parents were also informally interviewed throughout the data collection. Children’s writing, drawing, and crafts were collected. The children and family members were also invited to participate in a video project in which they video-recorded and took pictures of their activities for two months. Data were analyzed through constant comparative approach, activitysetting analyses, and grounded theory approach. The findings suggest that the focal children engaged in parent-guided literacy activities and self-chosen literacy activities. The parents provided extensive support for children’s academic achievement and learning to read and write in Korean. These activities were derived from parents’ experiences, beliefs, parenting practices familiar to Korean parents, and expectations for their children’s future. Children’s self-chosen literacy activities varied widely. The children drew on various resources from their social and cultural worlds to participate in an imaginative world and imagined future. Therefore, Korean bilingual children’s literacy activities situated in the current moment and space were always globally connected to other times and spaces. / text

The primary aim of the study was to examine the predictive relationships among personal factors (age, gender, education, income, BMI, and acculturation), barriers to healthy eating, healthy eating self-efficacy, environmental factors, and healthy eating habits among Korean Americans (KAs). The conceptual framework was adopted from Pender’s Health Promotion Model. Bivariate correlations among the study variables and hierarchical multiple regression tests were performed to determine the predictive relationships among the variables. Mediating and moderating effects were explored, as were generational differences in barriers, self-efficacy, and healthy eating habits. The study was designed as a retrospective, cross-sectional, correlational study. A nonprobability sample of 137 KAs was recruited from KA communities by the surveys in Texas, California, Georgia, Maryland, and other states. Although none of the personal factors were significantly related to healthy eating habits, some of the strength and direction of the relationships between personal factors and healthy eating habits were changed when behavior-specific cognitions and environmental factors moderated those relationships . The main finding of the study was that self-efficacy was the strongest predictor for healthy eating habits. Additional data obtained from this study was the discrepancy between confidence in reducing sodium intake and the actual sodium intake. Considering that high sodium intake is a problematic concern for Koreans and KAs, as well as for the general American population, further research is needed to identify the factors related to this concern and to improve this health issue. Also, further studies related to eating habits among KAs with a wide range of generational levels and geographic areas are necessary to gain a deeper understanding of their health and to promote healthy eating habits. / text

The study investigated relative roles of production and perception mechanisms in early speech acquisition in Korean. Previous studies investigating this issue have been based on Indo-European languages. Data from a non Indo-European language such as Korean, which has different phonemes from English, can confirm the presence of universal production patterns as well as potential perceptual influences from the ambient language. Speech of six Korean-learning infants (KI) was studied longitudinally (8-24 months). These data were compared with English-learning infant (EI) data for the babbling period as well as with Korean infant-directed speech (IDS). In addition, IDS was compared with Korean adult-directed speech (ADS) to explore whether the two types of speech styles show similar characteristics in Korean. Similar patterns for segments and utterances were found between KI and EI, supporting the assertion that early infant speech is primarily based on production system factors. However, KI showed more frequent language specific consonants such as fortis and long medial consonants as well as low central vowels and VCV utterances than EI, indicating that characteristics of the Korean language also influenced the speech patterns of KI. IDS was found to be different from ADS in most aspects, while being similar to KI infant speech, suggesting that Korean IDS may be adjusted to the needs of infant learners. Inter-syllabic patterns were observed in all speech types, supporting the claim that they are fundamental aspects of the production system. However, intra-syllabic patterns were only present in both groups of infants’ babbling, suggesting that this aspect of frame dominance is strongly present in infants’ pre-speech babbling, but may not be predominant in adult languages. Intra-syllabic patterns in infants’ words could be also influenced by the ambient language patterns. Results of this study suggest that infants’ early speech is primarily determined by production factors, but their production patterns are influenced by the characteristics of their ambient language in some aspects during babbling. IDS may facilitate infant acquisition by producing input that is matched to the infant production system and is also perceptually distinctive. / text