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‘ I Expect that Korean Society Will Embrace Various Cultures’

Homi K. Bhabha, a world-renowned scholar and Director of the Humanities Center at Harvard University, recently visited Korea so that he could personally observe its efforts to become a multicultural society.

Originally from Mumbai, India, Homi K. Bhabha received his master’s and doctoral degrees in literature and philosophy from the University of Oxford, and is currently Director of the Humanities Center, at Harvard University. In particular, Professor Bhabah is recognized for his groundbreaking concept of “cultural hybridity,” which has helped to distinguish him as a foremost postcolonial and poststructural scholar, along with the late Edward Said. Under his hybridity concept, the culture of a particular country will not be unilaterally dominated by another infiltrating culture; rather, confrontation and exchange between the two cultures will a third cultural form. It also emphasizes the importance of embracement and introspection in cultural exchange.

1. The ‘Clash of Civilizations’ concept of Harvard Professor Samuel Huntington has been at the forefront of debate in recent years. However, your belief in ‘cultural hybridity’ is based on a different perspective.
Basically, I do not agree with the “clash of civilizations” approach, because it distinguishes nearby civilizations from distant ones, based on which it excludes other cultures. It claims that different, “pure” cultures will clash with each other. At the core of my “hybridity” theory is the thought that culture is “hybrid” in nature. No culture in the world can be said to be pure, today. We know that apparently different civilizations and cultures had met and influenced each other, when we trace back their roots. This means there is basically no culture that cannot be influenced by exchange. Therefore, we should not talk about the purity of culture, just by considering its current status, and should not exclude elements of other cultures that have entered our cultural sphere. It will be possible to realize multiculturalism, in a true sense, based on embracement and tolerance, when we accept that our own culture is not absolute and there is a link in our culture to other cultures.

2. We understand that the audience was very much impressed by your presentation of ‘On Global Memory: Reflections on Barbaric Transmission’ at Ewha Womans University.
There are conflicts occurring in various places around the world at this moment that result from defining a civilization different from your own as “barbaric.” Especially, with cultural exchange and tolerance being overshadowed by political and security concerns since the September 11 terrorist attacks, there is a growing tendency to view and assess the culture of other countries and other people just as a matter of politics and security. However, with cultural contact being made at global level these days, it is meaningless to distinguish the inside from the outside. It was in this same context that German philosopher Hannah Arendt noted: “Deadly danger to any civilization is no longer likely to come from without.” Even so, we should not, of course, gloss over everything with such naïve rhetoric as: “The whole world is one family.” We should be able to see similarity and alterity between civilization and barbarism.
We should not regard globalization as a “one-sided invasion” of (economically and militarily) a weak civilization by a strong one. As I said in the discussion on cultural hybridity, there is no unique culture in the world. It will not happen that any culture unilaterally rules or dominates another one. This means there is no need to determine whether any culture is superior or inferior to others. For example, Hollywood cinema is accused of being the main culprit of cultural invasion in many countries, including Korea and France, but the issue should not be addressed by regulations alone. Instead, it is a more effective strategy to funnel all resources into creating quality film schools and a favorable environment to enjoy various movies. As such, it is important for each country to build a system with balanced responsibility for economic, political, and cultural factors, in response to globalization. As there is “migration of people” as well as trade and finance exchange in globalization, we should consider not only economic efficiency, but also ethical aspects.



3. Related to the unequal distribution of globalization benefits, you have focused attention on the countries that have yet to realize a ‘postcolonial process.’
Globalization has positive aspects that are acknowledged by everyone, but it also involves problems like anti-humanism and imbalance. So we should work together to find ways to overcome these problems. Most of the countries that gained independence in the 1950s from Western colonial rule were not equipped with infrastructure, mentally and materially, when they came to confront the challenges of globalization.
The process of building such infrastructure to meet the challenges of globalization is defined as a “postcolonial process.” Problems faced by developing countries that have not had enough time to implement such a process are also a concern of the entire world. Of course, the relevant countries themselves must find ways to utilize their time and resources more efficiently. would like to emphasize the role of educational institutions, especially universities. Universities should play a leading role in sharing the results of today’s IT revolution, one of the key infrastructure components of cultural exchange.

4. In order for Korea to become a truly multicultural society, what should be done to minimize social conflict?
Those experiencing the changes of becoming a multicultural society should keep in mind that there is “no superior culture.” In recognizing that every culture is equal, they should be able to embrace other cultures and foreigners. In addition, there should be a system in which people with various cultural backgrounds can gather together to discuss problems and devise solutions. Especially, the government should pay careful attention so that its citizens need not have groundless worries about increasing numbers of foreign residents in their country. Korea seems to have a strong tendency to encourage foreign residents to assimilate themselves to Korean society through various routes of education. However, such efforts to induce unconditional “Koreanization” of foreigners who wish to live in Korea represent another form of discrimination. It is thus necessary to a forum for public opinion to recognize and embrace people as they are.

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