JinxedbyEmily’s Weblog

A knowledge issue that is associated with North Korea is “how does art impact how one sees their own country?”

This can be justified as a TOK knowledge issue because it focuses on more than one knowledge area. It covers language, art and also history. Art is a language itself, it is telling people ideas, or even what to think without directly saying it to them, it’s just more of a subconscious message. For example, in the video we watched of North Korea, there were posters, pictures and mureals of Kim Jong Il all over the capitol city as well as in the schools and workplaces. He was portrayed as a powerful leader, sometimes he would be smiling. This gives the residents of the city only one view of him. All of the stories they told the children were about how much of a wonderful person he was. If this was the only way Il was portrayed, this can also impact the history of North Korea. Some people might not even be aware that the stories aren’t true or that he might not be as great as he seems.

So, the issue of art interacting with history and language in North Korea is suitable as a knowledge issue because it includes more than one knowledge area, and has the potential for up to three, Its acceptable if answers make sense and are treated in a TOK point of view, and don’t seem biased or unrelated, trivial, etc.

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