History

Mobility of Crops and World History

1. Tobacco: Is it god’s gift or smoke of the devil?
– Tobacco from ancient Maya times and cigarette rod made by baking clay
– Discovery of tobacco by Columbus and spread it to Europe
– From treatment to major products that increase health
– Politics of tobacco, changes in the form of tobacco
– Meaning of tobacco in Latin America (especially Cuba)

2. Sugar, ‘‘white gold“, changes the world
– From the age of honey to the age of sugar cane ‘sweet reed’
– The rise of sugar, brutal slavery of sugar cane plantations and importation of black slaves
– Anti-slavery movement and revolution in the US, France and Haiti
– Abolition of slavery systems and birth of contract workers (new workers for producing sugar)

Mobility of Crops, World History, and Festivals

1. Tomato: the bright red fruit that changed the diet of humankind
– An unfortunate plant shunned by Europeans for 200 years
– Hidden reasons why tomatoes have become a staple ingredient in Italian food (Neapolitan pizza, etc.)
– How tomato ketchup was invented, which changed the diet of people around the world
– Tomatoes, the largest produced non-food crops in the world
– Multimedia Video: Origin and Development of the Tomato Festival in Spain

2. Chocolate: Indulgence and Violence Surrounding Sweet Chocolate
– The history of chocolate that is older than the ancient civilisation of Azteca
– The Spanish sweetened the ‘bitter water’ chocolate
– There is nothing sweet about the farms and companies that produce sweet chocolate .
– Pathway to fair production and distribution
– Multimedia Video: International Chocolate Festival in Portugal

3. Banana: The fate of a fruit that changed the world
– The forbidden fruit that Adam and Eve ate was a banana, not an apple!
– The history of bananas that originated from Asia
– Bananas heading to the Pacific
– The humble bananas rebuild the empire
– Sorrow in ‘Banana Republic’
– Multimedia Video: Banana Festival in Colombia

Mobility in Joseon Period

This lecture delves into how mobility varied among different social classes in the Joseon Dynasty, introducing the king’s royal processions, noble’s exiles, and commoners’ displacements, along with their historical meaning and characteristics.

1. The king’s mobility, despite Confucianism being the state religion, was a significant aspect of the Joseon Dynasty. Initially, it was a leisurely pursuit for the king, leveraging its legitimacy. However, it gradually transformed into a tool for strengthening royal authority. This lecture examines the frequency and purpose of king’s travels, their meaning and role in the context of time.

2. This lecture explores nobles’ difficulties due to unexpected exile and discusses how exile was handled during the Joseon Dynasty, including treatment. Using examples such as the exile of elephants and foreigners, this lecture also introduces notable places of exile like Jeju Island and Heuksando sand shares exile stories like Yakyong Jeong, highlighting their adaptation process and achievements. Finally, this lecture summarizes the pros and cons of exile and its historical meaning.

3. For commoners, unplanned displacement was usually the background of their only long-distance travel or moving abroad. Using the case of Soonduk Moon, this lecture explains the movements of commoners during the Joseon Dynasty. Specifically, it investigates how the Joseon society dealt with displaced people, the process and treatment of those who were displaced, and the meaning of their repatriation within the Joseon social order.

‘White Gold’ Sugar Changed the World

Sugarcane originated in tropical New Guinea, dating back to approximately 8,000 B.C. It reached the Philippines and India 2,000 years later, eventually spreading to South China. The earliest record of sugar was found in India in 400 B.C., where sugar was offered to the gods. From ancient times, sugar has been a healing and medicinal substance, as reflected in the English idiom, “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.” Exploring the history of sugar, from its transformation into massive sugar factories that shaped Cuba’s destiny to the brutal slave system on sugarcane plantations, the importation of enslaved Black people, the abolitionist movement, the revolutions in the United States, France, and Haiti, and the birth of contract laborers (new workers engaged in sugar production), this lecture traces the journey and trajectory of sugar, “white gold,” until it became an everyday thing on tables worldwide.

Mobility and User Experience – Emotion Sign

With the rise of the digital era, our communication methods are changing, and interaction styles are becoming more varied. People express their thoughts not only through sentences but also by using words and emojis. One clear example of this shift is the expanding emoji market. With images as small as 50 pixels, individuals use emojis to convey their opinions and feelings. By looking at examples of user experiences in communication and emojis, the lecture explores new perspectives and insights into co-evolutionary mobility.

History of Digital Contents 1: Changes in Media

Throughout the lecture, students learn about the dictionary definition of media and the background of media emergence. They also explore how analogue and digital media have transformed through various examples, considering the processes and catalysts behind each characteristic. Also, by examining the evolution of multiple media, from cave paintings to mobile and social media, students explore the characteristics of social media and contemplate effective ways to use them.

Information and Commumication Technologies & Mobility Society

The various forms of mobility in modern society, through advancements in mobile technology and transportation such as migration, immigration, the movement of people and goods, computers and the flow of information and capital, are widespread phenomena. A mobility society is characterised by expanding spatial boundaries based on mobility.

If a migration to cities since the Industrial Revolution is simply a shift in residential locations, mobility in the information age encompasses broader social, political, economic, and cultural changes. Beyond philosophical thinking about how human life will change shortly, we will confront practical challenges. With the emergence of the 4.0 industry, led by the internet, robots, artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain, Internet of Things, 3D painting, nanotechnology, and other technologies, society is undergoing rapid changes. The convergence of scientific and technological advancements with existing industries and services transforms human life in new ways.

Community Building: Start from My Own Needs, Collaborating, Engaging and Cooperating with the Power of Collaboration

Communities form based on the needs of their members, where individuals with similar demands come together to cooperate and move towards cooperative associations or social enterprises. Efforts are also made to include those who cannot directly participate in these communities, forming “a community of cooperation and inclusion.” For example, in Wonju, there is a senior cooperative where elderly individuals create their jobs without taking opportunities away from the youth. Similarly, in Munrae-dong Creative Village, artists have formed a community. This lecture prompts the audience to consider their own “needs” and how communities formed around those needs should progress. Today, as mobility technology has made society more fluid and anonymous, it questions, “What kind of community should we create?”

Meanings of Counter-economy, Counter-caring, Counter-education, etc. in Modern Society

In “counter economy,” “counter-culture,” and “counter education,” the term “counter” means opposition or resistance. In modern society, where mobility technology has advanced, people enjoy material abundance, forsaking traditional communities’ cooperation, sharing, inclusivity, and hospitality. This lecture explains modern society based on the theories that analyse society, focusing on the “functional system.” Furthermore, it explores why “counter” is necessary for each functional system, such as education, economy, politics, culture, and arts. Additionally, it emphasises the importance of community movements as a counter and a complement.

Potatoes: Crops with the Rise and Fall of Inca Civilization

Potatoes, like peppers, tobacco, and tomatoes, are eggplants native to the Americas. It is known as the crop of the soul alongside the legend that they were a divine gift. In ancient Latin America, potatoes and corn were pivotal in large-scale engineering projects. Due to their high potato productivity, civilisations such as the Mayans, Aztecs, and Inca were possible.

This lecture examines the path of potatoes ingrained in modern life, exploring how potatoes were the source of Inca civilisation and a staple for indigenous people in Latin America. Additionally, it reflects on the value of potatoes embedded in the history and culture of indigenous communities in Latin America.