Flexner Lecture: The Tao of K-drama: After Root Shock

Part of the Flexner Lectureship Series

Established in honor of Mary Flexner, a Bryn Mawr graduate of the class of 1895, this year's Flexner Lecturer is Mindy Thompson Fullilove '71, a social psychiatrist and professor of urban policy and health at The New School. Here are Mindy Fullilove's thoughts about this first lecture in her lecture series: 

"Massive harms follow the traumatic stress of losing some or all of one’s emotional ecosystem – what I call “root shock.” This lecture will describe root shock in American communities as we have suffered from the decades-long “sorting-out” of our cities by race and class. The photo, taken by Richard Saunders in 1951, shows us the fear and resistance of a woman forced to move because her building was being demolished. The events of the past 100 years in Korea – Japanese colonialism, the brutal Korean War, partition, the dictatorship in the South, rapid development, concentration of the population in Seoul, vast urban renewal of the city, and the fight against patriarchy – are sources of root shock to the entire population. Korean cultural production, bolstered by intentional government investment, is a global phenomenon. Korean dramas, viewed on televisions around the world (including at my house!), bring the stories of Korea’s upheaval and restoration to our living rooms. These stories, infused with the Wisdom of the Korean culture, fascinate me as a social psychiatrist preoccupied with disaster and recovery. I will explore these issues in Crash Landing on You." 

Refreshments will be served. 

Register for in-person attendance Access the Virtual Livestream (11/2/23 - 6:45 p.m. edt) 

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