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Though not the most thrilling read, this master's research paper by Jenny Bourne gives a good insight into the lives of six Korean lesbians talking about their experiences in Korea and the relationship between their sexual identity and living in a highly Confucian heteronormative society. Her question:
The aim of this research is to use queer theory as the basis to answer the question ‘what
are the effects of compulsory heterosexuality on contemporary Korean lesbians?’ More
specifically, ‘does heterosexism have any effects on how Korean lesbians self-identify, and how
they live their lives?’ In assessing the breadth and scope of this question I hoped to discover
what, if any, affect their sexual identities have on the daily lives of Korean lesbians and their
interactions with others in Korean society. Undertaking an investigation into the experiences of
lesbians in the context of South Korean culture, it is imperative to first gain a basic
understanding of Korean culture. Along with discourses important to Korean culture, in the
following paper I outline the theory that informs my work, ethical considerations, methods of
data collection, and my findings including some suggestions for future consideration.
It is unfortunately not as comprehensive as I would wish, but Korean Lesbians and Heteronormativity: From the Experiences of Six South Korean Lesbians does have some informative personal stories that have kept me up past my bedtime. As this was written five years ago, and Korea is such an ever-changing country, I wonder to what extent the nascent lesbian movement has evolved, how much more has been published in Korean (and English?), and how the womyn would answer the interview questions today. It also reminded me about one of my goals for this blog: interviewing queer acquaintances about their experience in Korean society. Would my readers be interested in such a project?
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