Overview of South Korea
Question:
Discuss about the Ethnic Variations in Factors Contributing.
South Korea, officially known as Republic of Korea, is a sovereign state located in the southern side of the Korean Peninsula. It is a developed country, which is technologically advanced, and possesses a high rate of skilled and educated work force. The country has the presence of state of the art healthcare facilities, provides personal and job security and is supportive to conducting business activities (Doh & Kim, 2014). The country is renowned as being the highest spender on ‘Research and Development’ activities. It is also home to a number of multinational business corporations like Samsung, LG and others. It is due to this reason that South Korea ranks in a favorable position globally (Shin, 2013).
South Korea is a country with the presence of a diverse ethnicity with the country’s population being close to 51 million at present (Sung, 2013). This paper discusses the four important elements of culture present in South Korea relating to health practices, family patterns, communication styles and death/dying practices.
The healthcare system in South Korea is considered the 4th best in the world. The life expectancy rate has experienced a steady growth since 2011 (Cheol Seong et al., 2016). The average life expectancy of a person in South Korea is at an estimate of 82 years (77 years for men and 83 years for women). An average South Korea diet is rich in fish and usually consists of rice or noodles. The rate of consumption of fruits is more than sweets that are made from processed sugar. The rate of smoking however, is high.
It has been observed that South Koreans have a tendency towards adopting curative measures rather than taking preventive measures. Traditional practices in the field of healthcare are common since some citizens consider western medicines to be too strong in their composition and dosage. Some of the famous forms of traditional treatment are as follows:-
- Acupuncture- It is a form of treatment that involves piercing various pressure points of the body with thin needles (Kim et al., 2013). The thin needles are pierced and kept in place for a certain duration of time. Acupuncture is a debatable treatment practice however there have been reports of it helping reduce lower back pain, stiffness of muscles and pain in various joints of the body.
- Traditional forms of medicine- South Koreans use various forms of medicinal herbs to create tablets and pills (Hwang et al., 2014). ‘Ginseng’ is the most commonly used medicinal herb which finds its application in tea, candy and tablets or capsules (Baeg & So, 2013). A medicinal herb festival is also host by the city of Daegu every year.
- Cupping- It is a form of treatment that makes use of suction cups made from glass, bamboo, mud or silicone. The cupping therapy process is said to be helpful for the treatment of inflammation and it helps in maintaining a proper blood flow. It is also said to provide relaxation to the various muscles of the body via deep tissue massage.
- Seaweed soup- It is considered as a good source of protein and vitamins for pregnant women and is considered beneficial for the baby (Shin et al., 2013).
- Moxibustion- It is a process of burn or heat therapy. It requires the burning of a herb called mugwort, either close to the skin or on it.
- Shaman- they are people who are known to practice ‘hanyak’ which is a practice of using herbal medicine to induce a state of trance that is said to have healing qualities as well as providing personal harmony. At present however, the number of shamans is low and they are a rare sight (Yun, 2015).
- Consumption of hot water- The consumption of hot water is considered a healthy practice in South Korea. It is even practiced during summer. Due to this reason, ‘sungyung’ is a popular dish among Koreans, which consists of hot water and burnt rice.
The various beliefs relating to healthcare in South Korea are as follows:-
- Karma – Buddhism is prevalent among the South Korean culture and it greatly influences them. The beliefs regarding sickness and death in Koreans are mostly formed from Buddhist principles.
- Um and Yang- They are considered to be the two forms of life force present in every individual. A conflict between these two forces is believed to result in depression, hypothermia, seizures, stroke and so on.
The South Korean hospitals are well known for the availability of latest technology and medical equipments along with the presence of skilled nurses, doctors and other staff. The rate of suicide however, is high and it is a serious cause of concern in the country (Chan et al., 2014).
Although there has been a great increase in western influence, the traditional practices regarding marriage and family still exist in South Korea. In a typical South Korean family, the father acts as the head of the family. As in case of the father, the eldest son gets more respect than the other children do. The eldest child in the family is also expected to inherit his father’s wealth and business. Recently however, the implementation of a new law has changed this practice and the wealth needs to be divided equally among all children. Women are expected to take care of their husband’s parents and be engaged in household work. However, with time, the position of respect and power of women has changed, and women actively take part in different work roles. Although half of the labor force comprises of women, they are still somewhat below the male population in terms of status.
Health Practices
A South Korean family usually follows the nuclear style. This is mainly due to the reason of low fertility rates among Korean women. The respect is given to the members of the family according to their age or seniority. The parents have great expectations from their children in terms of academic performance and therefore this puts a lot of pressure on the children (Nam & Chun, 2014). The South Koreans also take part in traditional ceremonies that take place throughout the year in order to show their respect and gratitude to their parents or deceased family members.
When it comes to marriage, the practice of dowry still exists and the bride is expected to pay a large sum of money for the furnishing expense of her home. The men over the age of 18 years and women over the age of 16 years, are legally permitted to be able to get married with the consent of their parents. In case an individual wants to marry someone of his own consent, the legal age for marriage for both the genders in this case is over 20 years (Ha & Kim, 2013). Arranged marriages remain a common practice in the country until this day. The South Koreans were previously intolerant towards homosexuality. However, with the influx of western influence, people have started to accept homosexuality and all genders and sexual orientation receive equal treatment by the country’s youth (Hemmert, Bstieler & Okamuro, 2014).
The Koreans are known to promote peace and harmony through their messages, but have a tendency to become extremely rational when they are emotionally hurt. This is credited to the long history of conflict and suffering faced by the people of the country. The Koreans consider saying no to someone as a display of poor manners and therefore they refrain from saying no directly. Disagreement or unhappiness is usually portrayed in a very vague manner and may get frustrating while engaged in a communication process.
The official language of South Korea is Korean, and it makes use of a system of writing known as ‘Hangul’. The use of Chinese Hanja characters is very limited in writing and is seen to take place only in print and legal documents. The Korean language has the presence of a standard dialect called Seoul. There is the presence of four more Korean language dialect groups throughout the country (Jeon & Cukor-Avila, 2015). The learning of English language has become a popular and compulsory practice in recent times with students also opting to learn Japanese language as well as Mandarin.
The verbal communication style in South Korea is considered to be indirect in nature with less reliance on verbal words and more reliance in paying attention to the posture and expressions of the speaker is given priority. However, the style of speech delivery may often feel serious and stern in nature. Laughter is often used as a tool to escape uncomfortable situations. In South Korea, more priority is given to the way a speech is delivered than the information contained in the speech.
Family Patterns
In case of the non-verbal styles of communication, smiling, eye contact and the use of certain gestures take place. The Koreans are usually seen to have a straight face in terms of facial expression which is bound to change drastically in case of disagreement or rage. The personal space is not much guarded and people are expected to apologize in case of invasion of privacy caused due to contact in a busy street. Sneezing is considered rude in South Korea and an individual who is sneezing or about to, is expected to excuse himself from the room while doing so. While receiving something, the use of both hands is considered to be a polite gesture.
It is mandatory to obtain a death certificate from the local hospital in the event of the death of an individual in South Korea. If the cause of death is due to an accident or a crime, the police need to give clearance via an Autopsy Certificate without which cremation or funeral would not be possible. The death certificate is handed out to the family members of the deceased individual.
Usually, the funeral of a deceased individual takes place after a time period of 3 days. Cremation or burial cannot take place within 24 hours of death of an individual since it is illegal to do so. The funeral process consists of several rites that need to be followed (Davies, 2017). The ears and nose of the deceased are plugged with cotton and the body is washed using incense water. Coins are placed on the eyes of the deceased member and his mouth is filled with rice thrice. The eldest son of the family is supposed to place himself in a mountain tomb and pray while his wife is expected to manage and cook the food for the funeral.
During the event of death of parents or elder members of the family, the mourning process is to take continue for a time period of 3 years. During a funeral, men are expected to remain calm, composed and are not allowed to shed tears. However, in case of women, they are expected to be emotional and shed tears for the deceased individual. A friend, relative or family member is supposed to deliver a formal speech regarding the memories and good qualities of the deceased person.
The burial may take place on a private property or private ground only if approved by the local office or the district. The same process is to be followed while burying in the family grounds as well. The burial process requires the presence of important documents, which may consist of the total size of the property where the burial is to take place, the documents of approval obtained from the local office and a map of the property. However in case of burial in a public cemetery, the rules are not as rigid and it only requires the death certificate and a certain amount of fee.
The process of cremation may take place at any crematorium in the country if the time is set and service is arranged accordingly. The scattering of the ashes after the cremation process is prohibited in public places and rivers. It is allowed to be done only in designated areas of burial.
Communication Styles
In recent times, if a death occurs at a hospital, all the activities of the funeral, including the fixing of a venue, is conducted by shops located in the hospital.
Conclusion
Thus the conclusion can be drawn by stating that South Korea is a technologically advanced, developed nation. Even after the vast advancements in technology, the cultural values of the country still remain traditional where emphasis on respect and authority is given to the elder members of the family. The progression of time and the substantial increase in western influence has brought about necessary changes in the mentality of the individuals present in the society. It is due to this reason that women are given more important work roles rather than being limited to a homemaker only. Homosexuality was practiced in secret due to the high level of intolerance, which is gradually changing with more and more people being acceptable of it. The youth today is heavily influenced in western culture and the concepts of love marriage and learning new languages is gaining popularity. In terms of health care, traditional practices still exist but the country is renowned for its state of the art technology in healthcare. The number of immigrants is high and this has contributed to a diverse ethnicity. Rice and fish are the most staple forms of diet and the consumption of medicinal herbs is popular. Though the country is developed in nature, practices like dowry still exist and need to be checked. Apart from this, more respect should be given to women and an increase in the rate of participation of women in positions of power is required. The status of women needs to change and practices like dowry which exist till this day need to be abolished.
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