A/Prof Rachael Joo - Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont, USA

In this talk, I will present on the phenomenon of Korean golf in the Clark special economic zone in the Philippines as an exploration of new imperialisms that have emerged on the former United States military reservation. A vast area spanning parts of several provinces, Clark has for three decades been designated a special economic zone (SEZ) as a space to attract foreign capital through corporate investments in manufacturing, housing, and entertainment industries. Based on research done with my colleague Jose Medriano, this talk explores some of the cultural consequences of decades of intensive state-managed capitalist development by connecting narratives of Korean golf to the continuing land claims of small-scale farmers and indigenous groups. Korean golf refers to Korean owners, operators, tour companies, players, and the use of Korean language, symbols, and cultural practices in the game of golf. Through this narrative, I highlight the contested claims to land in a highly polluted space and demonstrate an approach to the study of imperialism, inequality, and indigenous struggles in an era of global capital. This study weaves together the subjective pleasures of Korean golf with the stakes for those who are erased from the landscapes they call home.

Rachael Miyung Joo is an Associate Professor of American Studies at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. She is trained as a cultural anthropologist who also works in the field of cultural studies. She published a book, Transnational Sport: Gender, Media, and Global Korea (Duke 2012) that focuses on the significance of transnational sports in defining global Koreanness in the 21st century based on field research in Seoul, South Korea and Los Angeles, California.

This seminar is co-hosted by School of Languages and Cultures and Cultural Anthropology, School of Social and Cultural Studies.

For further information contact Prof. Yiyan Wang on  +64 4 463 6456 or email yian.wang@vuw.ac.nz or email yian.wang@vuw.ac.nz.

Rachael’s seminar will also be available via this zoom link: https://vuw.zoom.us/j/9343106503