Interviewing my mom

Interview with my mom (Young-wha Kang)

This is the note that I took while I was interviewing my mom. Since the interview was taken in Korean, I translated it into English below this note.
1. 옛날 청소년기에서 제일 중요했던 것은?
대학 입시 – 제일 중요하다
2.엄마의 청소년기에서 제일 중요했던 것은?
미술전공 – 학교 끝난 후 화실에서 입시 준비를 하였다.
방과 후에 공부만 하는 것이 아니라 미술을 같이 해야 했기 때문에 바쁘고 힘들었다
3. 옛날 청소년들과 지금 청소년들의 가장 큰 차이점은?
공부만 잘하면 성공할 수 있다고 사람들은 믿어왔다. 공부 이외에는 아무것도 하지 않아도 된다고 생각한다
현재: 여러 분야에서 자신이 좋아하는 것을 공부할 수 있는 사회의 분위기가 많이 바뀌었다
Ex) 음악, 운동 등의 필요성이 강조 – 학생들이 즐길 수 있다
공부 이외에도 다양한 것을 할 줄 아는 사람들을 필요로 하는 사회
4. 왜 옛날 청소년기와 지금의 청소년기에 차이점이 생겼다고 생각하는가?
정보 공유가 가능해졌다.. 정보를 얻어내는 방법이 정말 많이 변했다. 놀이문화의 변화가 너무 크게 변했다.. 특히 인터넷은 놀이 방식과 사고 방식을 많이 변하게 하였다.
청소년들이 조숙해지고, 순수함이 많이 없어진 것 같다.
책보다는 웹서핑… 고민하기 보다는 빠른 답을 찾길 원하고 찾아낸다. 즉흥적이다
5. 대학교 입시에 대한 청소년들의 스트레스는 어떠하였는가? 지금이 더 심해진 것 같나?
옛날이나 지금이나 입시에 대한 스트레스는 똑같다
옛날: 대학 가고싶은 사람만 가면 된다… 일자리를 얻는 것이 큰 문제가 되지는 않았다
요즘에는 더욱 심한 것 같다,
삶의 질에 대한 눈높이가 높아져서 학생들이 더더욱 높은 점수를 받는 것에 목숨을 걸고, 좋은 대학 – 좋은 회사 취직… 이를 만족시키지 못하는 경우 자살을 택하는 것
6. 엄마의 청소년기에서 대학 입시는 어땠는가?
당신께서 하고 싶어했던 것을 했기에, 힘들어도 보람찼다.
목표를 가지고 노력 해왓기 때문에 힘들어도 즐거웠다.
7. 옛날 부모와 지금 부모의 자식을 교육시키는 것에 차이가 있는가?
형제들이 많아서 부모님: 교육 보다는 생계에 더욱 신경을 쓴다
그래서 개인의 교육에는 많이 신경을 써주지 못했다
엄마: 전업주부, 엄마의 역할이 주업
요즘에는 자식의 수가 줄고, 교육에 신경을 쓸 기회가 높아지다보니 자연스럽게 자식에 대한 기대가 더욱 높아 지는 것 같다.
사교육이 늘어남
8. 옛날의 청소년기를 간단하게 표현하자면?
순수함과 열정을 가졌던 시대
- 사회의 부조리에 때묻지 않았으며 자신들의 꿈을 생각하면서 그 꿈을 키워 나가는 과정이었기 때문에, 이상향, 좋은 것, 긍정적인 것들을 생각하면서 노력했던 것 자체가 순수하다.
- 꿈을 위해서 모든 것을 투자하였기에 열정적인 시기이다.

What was the most important thing from a teenager's life in the past 30 years?
Mom: I would say preparing for going to college. Many students (teenagers) considered entering a good college as a very important goal in their lives.

What was the most importnat thing from your teenage life?
Mom: Preparing for going to art school... Since I was going to major at art, I thought art was the most important thing in my life. After school, I spent most of the days practice drawing. Also, I needed to consider getting good grades on my schools in order to go to a good art college. Preparing for the school was very important to me, but it was such a hard process to accomplish.

Do you think there are any differences between current teenagers and teenagers in the past?
Mom: Hmm... I think there are not any "big" changes between those two. However, I would say that there has been changes occurred in the society itself. What I remember is that, when I was a teenager, many people believed that they will succeed if they are good at studies. Since studying was the most important thing for them, nothing else was considered as a necessity. But now, I think the society has changed... People can study not only in academic ways... I mean, nowadays many middle/high schools think having P.E or music classes is important for student to develop their artistic abilities. This didn't happen.. no couldn't happen in my days, you know.

Can you be more specific why those differences have occurred? (related to Q3)
Mom: The main cause of this phenomenon probably is the improved method of getting information. After the invention of computer, teenagers can get information "very easily". Internet has changed the ways of how teenagers spend their free time. You know, on the internet, there are sometimes some biased, or inappropriate information for teenagers. I think it influenced them to be mature than before, and the way they think has changed as well. For example, when I was a teenager, I always needed to look into the books gathering some information. Now, internet is "the ocean of information." You can get the right sources by "click". I think this also caused some of current teenagers that they are not very good at being patient. They want things to go quick.


Do you think teenagers of past and present have the same amount of stress of going to college?
Mom: Of course teenagers in the past were under a lot of pressure of going to college.... I don't think there is a difference of the amount of stress. But I can see that students' point of views of college has changed. I mean, when I was a teenager, people thought that not every student needs to go to university. It was not a necessity.. only those who wanted to study in universities prepared. Now, you see, going to college is almost like an obligation for teenagers. They want to go to good colleges, so the competition became even harsher. When some of those students, in fact, "fail" to go to universities that they wanted to attend, end their lives committing suicide.

How did you feel when you were preparing to go to college?
Mom: It was hard, but it doesn't mean that I wanted to give up. Attending a good college was my final academic goal so I did my best. If I recall my teenage life as a senior, I would say "hard but joyful"

How were your parents like when you were a teenager? Are there any differences between the way how parents in the past and present educate their children?
Mom: You know that I have many siblings, so my parents were very busy taking care of four children. They considered feeding their children was more important than providing extra education for them. Therefore, I didn't have a chance to get any private tutoring. In my teenage life, the main role for dad was working outside, and moms were staying home and nurturing children.
Now, many moms work as well, so I think the amount of income of one family has increased, right? Also, there are not that many children in one familiy these days. Because of these facts, teenagers in these days can get extra education... I mean, they can be more educated than my generation. So I think parents in the present are more caring about their children's education.


How would you define adolescence in the past 30 years?
Mom: "Being pure and passionate" because I spent my everything to achieve my dream and to follow the ideal image of myself as a grown-up fashion designer. At that time I did not know much about the "dark sides" of the society, so I would say that I was somewhat pure.. you know ^^.