While everyone acknowledges the importance of community, building a thriving community is complex. Recently, social-economic researchers have been concerned that the government or local government support system, as part of an “Institutionalised social economy,” could harm community formation. Moreover, starting social enterprises only to access support funds is also problematic. This lecture emphasises that socially oriented enterprises should be established on community principles and should work to expand and revitalise communities. The lecturer shares the beginning and operation ways of “Gwacheon Cooperative Village Café TONG,” in which the lecturer has participated until now, and proposes to make a picture of an ideal community.
Mobility
Examples of Co-parenting and Caring Community Movements
The necessity of community in modern society’s fluid and anonymous life is constantly underscored. The formation and operation of various communities, fueled by people’s demands, are evidence of this. This lecture focuses on efforts made towards forming communal childcare and care communities based on actual cases. The lecture explores the four educational philosophies of cooperative childcare: ecological education, cultural education, relational education, and integrated education. It also explains how cooperatives operate. It also introduces overseas examples such as the communal childcare project, “KARABAK,” in Bologna, Italy, and domestic instances.
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.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution, New Mankind in the Age of Mobility
Considering that the late 20th-century information revolution highlighted information goods and material goods, the era of the 4.0 industry is a new phase in human history where these two factors are converging again. Through technologies like robots, artificial intelligence (AI), big data, blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, and nanotechnology, we’re building cyber-physical systems that blend the real and virtual worlds, enabling automatic and intelligent control of objects. Moreover, as advancements in mobile technology and transportation continue, with increased movement of migration, people, things, information, and capital, we anticipate further enhancements in the mobility of humanity. Thus, this lecture focuses on “The New Humanity in the Mobility Society” in the 4.0 industry and examines the necessity of establishing new human and social values. In addition, this lecture enables young people to think about the potential changes in mobility society by the 4.0 Industry and discuss the advancement of humans and technology while contemplating prospects.
Modern People’s Fluid Life in Terms of Mobility
Using public transportation to commute to and from work, moving from Seoul to Busan, and traveling by airplane is typical for modern individuals. However, these everyday activities have only become prevalent recently with the advancement of mobility technology. With mobility, modern individuals enjoy a more flexible and abundant lifestyle yet face the busiest and most stressful times in human history. This lecture explores the flexible life of modern individuals based on the history and evolution of mobility technology. Furthermore, it examines mobility within the economic and cultural aspects of contemporary life and illustrates how mobile devices have transformed interpersonal communication, encompassing the overall structure of modern life.
Pepper: The Oldest Crop in Latin America
Peppers, like potatoes, tobacco, and tomatoes, are eggplants native to the Americas. With varieties such as cayenne, habanero, tabasco, harissa, curry, paprika, and chili, peppers are widely used as spices worldwide. While many might assume peppers originated from regions like India or Turkey, their roots lie in Latin America.
Portuguese explorers played a pivotal role in spreading peppers worldwide. Five years after Columbus arrived in the New World, another significant voyage occurred in 1497. Considering peppers were also known as “Indian pepper,” “Calicut pepper,” or “Guinea pepper,” it’s assumed there might have been a third route from Brazil to Africa and Asia by the Portuguese, bypassing Europe altogether. This lecture explores the path peppers took to reach Africa, highlighting how the transatlantic slave trade influenced the connection between the Americas and Africa. Furthermore, this lecture examines how peppers arrived in Korea and when they became a staple in Korean kimchi recipes.
Evolution of Democracy Technology and Future Citizens
In the era of the 4.0 industry, mobility society, information, and communication technology are continuously evolving. It’s a time to reflect on the changes in modern society and the corresponding shifts in social and political dynamics. Democracy, facing criticism for issues such as representation and accountability, has now reached a crisis, calling for urgent solutions. This lecture proposes potential solutions to democracy based on experiments to address challenges. As a starting point for achieving a better democracy, the lecture introduces and analyses the outcomes and success factors of recent projects in France, Spain, Brazil, and Taiwan that utilise mobility technology. These projects show how the emergence of future citizens utilising mobility technology influences the transformation of political processes while also addressing the direction for the future.
How did Information and Communication Technologies Change Citizens?
The term “citizen” initially referred to individuals with political rights as members of a city or nation, but its meaning has expanded over time. Throughout history, the forms of politics and the concept and scope of citizenship have changed. In the mobility society, citizens are rewriting their history using information and communication technologies. This lecture delves into the origins and development of the concept of citizenship in history, examining our status and the future as citizens in the mobility society. Going beyond the boundaries of modern citizenship shaped by democratic revolutions, citizenship is expanding to encompass various social rights, including ecology, peace, poverty, sustainability, welfare, and information rights. Furthermore, future citizens utilising mobility technologies such as smartphones and social networks will gain new institutional powers, reshaping the preexisting social, political, and economic order.