Today's Elderly in Korea: Negative Consequences of Confucianism 1: Cultural generation gap

          As industrial revolution has changed human history and people's living, elderly's life in Korea is not any more like traditional Korean society in these day. Confucianism was the main cultural theme for a long time in Korean history, but after democracy was firmly built in Korean government and foreign influx affected into Korean culture, Korean family forms has been more changed to nuclear family form. Following article is from Korean Times regarding recent elderly's suicide rate in Korea. 

06-11-2010 19:07       Elderly account for 33 percent of suicides

By Lee Hyo-sik Staff reporter One out of every three Koreans committing suicide is a senior citizen, with a growing number of the elderly here taking their own lives due mainly to financial difficulties and illness. The Korean Association of Senior Welfare Centers said Friday that senior citizens aged over 61 accounted for 32.8 percent of those who committed suicide here in 2009, up sharply from 19.4 percent in 1999 and 10.3 percent in 1989. The center said an increasing number of the elderly are killing themselves as more of them live on their own in line with rising life expectancy and the splintering nuclear family structure. Additionally, many suffer from economic strain as they did not save enough money for retirement and combined with a range of terminal illnesses, they are prompted to take own lives. "We will launch a campaign at Tapgol Park, a favorite hangout among seniors, to increase the awareness about the seriousness of suicide among the elderly, as well as to offer them support so they can consider alternatives to ending their lives. We will hold an anti-suicide campaign and stage performances and other events to stress the importance of life," the center said.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/06/113_67496.html



         Why do any elderly commit suicide and what are the difficulties that they face with?
According to see characteristics of Confucianism in previous posts, elderly's life in Korea should be happier than any other cultures in world. However, there are negative consequences from the Confucianism in recent Korean society. First, I will discuss about negative consequence for elderly from cultural generation gap, which causes conflicts within family. And at next post, I will talk about second negative- financial burden.

Big Cultural Generation Gap in Current Society 

        As Korea has gone through sudden growth of economic development like other East Asian countries after the World War II, Korean War and Vietnam war in 20th century, the generation gap between old and young people are bigger than other society. Also the cultural influence largely have affected into Korean culture such as 'Americanization.' Individualism from western society causes smaller family form in Korea, a lot of young generation tend to prefer living themselves rather than living with their old parents. This tendency causes emotional hardship for elderly who got used to the traditional culture value such that respecting elderly and taking care of their parents and ancestors are the duty of young people - from the reciprocity of the Confucianism. 


       In our class reading, Olson also mentions about the negative consequence of filial piety from different experiences between the generation with an example of Chinese Americans in the United States. "the American-born Chinese have become more acculturated to the beliefs, traditions, and customs of U.S. society, many of which are at odds with Chinese culture. As a consequence, it is becoming more common to hear foreign-born Chinese parents express disappointment and complain that "my son is just like an American (Olson 2001, page 26)." 

Changed Culture, Changed Family Form 

        Due to the changes in culture, taking care of elderly is no more in hand of individual family members. Following article is showing that a lot of elderly in today's Korean society live themselves without their children.  

05-05-2010 18:49       1 in 5 senior citizens live alone in Seoul

By Kwon Mee-yoo Staff reporter The number of senior citizens living alone here has been on the rise over the past years, with one out of every five Koreans aged over 65 living on their own in Seoul in 2009. After an overview of its 25 districts, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said there were 927,560 Seoulites aged over 65 last year, up 26.8 percent from 731,350 in 2005. Of the 927,560 surveyed, 203,100 elderly were found to be living alone in 2009, up 63 percent from 124,900 in 2005. The figure accounts for 22 percent of Seoul's total elderly population. A higher proportion of senior citizens in Seoul live alone, compared to other parts of the country. Statistics Korea estimates that about 18.8 percent of the elderly lived on their own in 2009 across the nation, up from 17.8 percent in 2005. The statistics office attributed the growing senior citizen population living alone to Korea's prolonged life expectancy. Also, more elderly seek an independent life from their grown-up children.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/04/117_65423.html

       This report shows that current Korean culture is changing very different from the traditional value of Confucianism. According to this data, many senior citizens could possibly face many difficulties from cultural generation difference such as disappointment for their children and loneliness due to living alone apart from their family. Especially, because the old generations are accustomed to the Confucianism culture, they expect their children take care of them by living with whole family. 

       With this emotional difficulties, today's Korean elderly suffer from economical hardship. I will discuss that at next posts. And then at final post, I will look into the possible long-term cares for elderly in today's Korean society based on traditional cultures and recent social phenomena.   

Reference

      Laura Katz Olson (2001), Age Through Ethnic Lenses: Caring for Elderly in a Multicultural Society. MA, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, INC.
      Lee, Hyo-sik, 2010. Elderly Account for 33 percent of Suicides., http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/06/113_67496.html  [Accessed 31 March 2012]
      Kwon, Mee-yoo., 2010. 1 in 5 Senior Citizens Live Alone in Seoul, Korea Times, http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/04/117_65423.html  [Accessed 31 March 2012]
     

Strong Hierarchy between Older and Younger Age in Traditional Society

Hierarchy- one of significant influences on older life in Korea

         As I discuss previous posts, filial piety from the Confucianism and the concept of reciprocity significantly affect into people's later life. Confucianism make people remember what their older generation gave for them when they are younger such as upbringing. The reciprocity cause the duty of descendants that they have to respect older people not just their grandmother or grandfather but all elderly. Regarding this characteristic of Confucianism, one of most significant characteristic that forms older people's life in Korean and most East Asian society is 'hierarchy.' I am going to discuss in this post that how the hierarchy is created in the Confucianism, and it will be the great explanation for why elderly are respected in Confucianism cultural society.  

Why strong hierarchy in Korea and most East Asian countries?  

      In traditional society, it is often seen that grandsons or granddaughters call their grandparents while their mother cook and get ready for dinner. When whole family member gather - usually three generations, grandparents, parents and grandson-, all family don't touch food and wait for until grandparents have food first. When grandparents serve soup and food, parents and children start to eat. It is a manner during family meal.
     And, this is very unusual in American culture !
     The hierarchy between ages or generations in family is strict in Korea traditions because of the filial piety- the Confucianism.

         In our class reading, Olson also mentions about significance of hierarchy in East Asian tradition and the Confucianism. In the book, Age Through Ethnic Lenses, writer states that "Hierarchy is important, and family members have prescribed roles and responsibilities according to gender, age, and birth order. For example, one prescription is that children must obey and care for their parents without question or resentment." (Olson 2001, page 24)

'Hierarchy' from the concept of Reciprocity and Confucianism 

          The hierarchical relationship between older and younger generations is also formulated from the concept of reciprocity like other characteristic of Confucianism. Korean traditions as other East Asian countries of Confucianism culture is based on that current life of offspring is strongly connected with their older generations and ancestors, due to the one common philosophical concept- Confucianism. When people were born, they owed their lives to their former generations who fed and raised them when they were not able to do themselves. People have the unavoidable obligations to serve elderly well, as the reciprocity of Confucianism to ancestors. Therefore, the hierarchical relationship between older and younger generations is founded from the concept of family lineage and reciprocity. 

         We can find an example from ancestor worship. traditional societies of Korea significantly considered ancestor worship to prove or maintain the fine family continuity and the ritual creates the strong hierarchy between family generations. In "Ancestor Worship and Korean Society," Roger L. Janelli maintains that "Domestic ritual obligation in Korea fall parallel to the succession to household headship and the inheritance of household property.... In addition to the obligations toward his parents, an eldest son assumes any ritual responsibilities his father has had toward agnatic forebears within the three generation." (Janeli 1982, page 99) 

     This characteristic is not just limited in Korea but it was happened other confucianism traditional society such as Japan. The following example from Japan proves this. In "Shinohata," Ronald P. Dore also states "Continuity of the family had a triple importance. Securing a successor had a straightfoward bread-and butter importance for one's old age. It also had a ritual importance. Reverence for the ancestors was an important focus of religious sentiment and practice. It was a part of the duty of filial piety towards one's ancestors not only to perform the proper ritual oneself, but also to ensure that they would be performed in perpetuity." (Dore 1978, page 138) 

      Both examples from Korea and Japan explain that the importance of family continuity under the preexisted rules of succession and the hierarchical system. And, this hierarchy affects into elderly's lifestyle with their children and grandchildren in family. We can find a lot of positive influence into later life from this characteristic of Confucianism because it helps family harmony by those manners that people have to follow in family. However, if we see entire society, there could be absurd or unreasonable rules because sometime people's opinions are respected just depends on by older ages not by competences of person. So, at next post, I will discuss how the Confucianism has been changed in today's society and how it can negatively affect into older people's life. 

Reference

   Dore, Ronald P. 1978 Shinohata. Berkeley and Los Angeles, California: University of California Press
    Laura Katz Olson (2001), Age Through Ethnic Lenses: Caring for Elderly in a Multicultural Society. MA, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, INC.
   Janelli, Roger L. 1982. Ancestor Worship and Korean Society. Stanford: Stanford University Press.