Meaning of family becoming broader, more inclusive in Korean society
- 5 years ago
'한국 가정'의 정의, 다양해지고 확대되고 있다
May is dubbed as "family month" in Korea, with many dates set for spending time with our loved ones.
To mark family month,... we've been running a series of reports this week covering various aspects of family life in the country,... and tonight we have our Oh Soo-young here in the studio.
Soo-young glad to have you with us.
So we've had a lot of days marked on the calendar this month to celebrate our nearest and dearest.
That's right. Since 1993,... the United Nations has marked May fifteenth as the day of family but Korea is quite exceptional in that it celebrates various aspects and members of family throughout the month.
We started with Children's Day on May Fifth, when children receive presents or pocket money from their parents and a day off from school, as it's a national holiday
Then, on May Eighth, we observed Parents' Day, which unfortunately isn't a national holiday but it's still an important day on the calendar. Many other countries around the world celebrate Mother's Day and Father's Day which are normally in May as well.
Earlier this week, we also had "coming of age" day, which is when we congratulate young Koreans who turn 20 years old this year,... as this was traditionally seen as the start of adulthood. They're given symbolic gifts of roses and perfume.
And Tuesday was a day for couples, celebrating marriage in the country.
So as you can see, May is all about family and expressing your appreciation and gratitude to your loved ones.
So family month is something that's unique to Korea. I assume the emphasis on family comes from the traditionally collectivist culture.
That's correct, given Korea's historically agrarian society,... family units have been closely knit and defined by the Confucian organisation of relationships.
Under this patriarchal system, the father or husband was the ultimate decision maker, the mother was the homemaker, and the children were expected to be obedient and reverent of their elders.
Of course, in modern times, after the Korean war,... this hierarchal convention has shifted to more modern family dynamics. There are much fewer extended families living together,... as family units are now mostly nuclear families,... and in recent years,... we've seen a surge in the number of people living alone.
Not only that, but women have gained much more status and power in society and couples now share decision-making and income-earning roles. Their children are also becoming more and more individualistic.
I suppose that's all the more reason to observe this month for families.
Right. And as much as the meaning of 'family' was an integral part of Korean culture,... sociologists say there's a need to expand and update the term to make it contemporary.
"In both Eastern and Western cultures, there were some negative aspects to family-centered societies, such as patriarchal dominance. However, with growing social diversity and gender equality, the meaning of family is also changi
May is dubbed as "family month" in Korea, with many dates set for spending time with our loved ones.
To mark family month,... we've been running a series of reports this week covering various aspects of family life in the country,... and tonight we have our Oh Soo-young here in the studio.
Soo-young glad to have you with us.
So we've had a lot of days marked on the calendar this month to celebrate our nearest and dearest.
That's right. Since 1993,... the United Nations has marked May fifteenth as the day of family but Korea is quite exceptional in that it celebrates various aspects and members of family throughout the month.
We started with Children's Day on May Fifth, when children receive presents or pocket money from their parents and a day off from school, as it's a national holiday
Then, on May Eighth, we observed Parents' Day, which unfortunately isn't a national holiday but it's still an important day on the calendar. Many other countries around the world celebrate Mother's Day and Father's Day which are normally in May as well.
Earlier this week, we also had "coming of age" day, which is when we congratulate young Koreans who turn 20 years old this year,... as this was traditionally seen as the start of adulthood. They're given symbolic gifts of roses and perfume.
And Tuesday was a day for couples, celebrating marriage in the country.
So as you can see, May is all about family and expressing your appreciation and gratitude to your loved ones.
So family month is something that's unique to Korea. I assume the emphasis on family comes from the traditionally collectivist culture.
That's correct, given Korea's historically agrarian society,... family units have been closely knit and defined by the Confucian organisation of relationships.
Under this patriarchal system, the father or husband was the ultimate decision maker, the mother was the homemaker, and the children were expected to be obedient and reverent of their elders.
Of course, in modern times, after the Korean war,... this hierarchal convention has shifted to more modern family dynamics. There are much fewer extended families living together,... as family units are now mostly nuclear families,... and in recent years,... we've seen a surge in the number of people living alone.
Not only that, but women have gained much more status and power in society and couples now share decision-making and income-earning roles. Their children are also becoming more and more individualistic.
I suppose that's all the more reason to observe this month for families.
Right. And as much as the meaning of 'family' was an integral part of Korean culture,... sociologists say there's a need to expand and update the term to make it contemporary.
"In both Eastern and Western cultures, there were some negative aspects to family-centered societies, such as patriarchal dominance. However, with growing social diversity and gender equality, the meaning of family is also changi