BSM776: Hospitality Analysis and Trends

CW 2: Individual Coursework

Analysing Subcultures in South Korea and The Impact on

Tourism Motivation

1815224

Chessya Maria Magdalena Patria

MSc International Hospitality Business Management
July 2019
Mr. Amin Khandaker

Words count: 3049

INTRODUCTION

Motivation for tourism in literature has long been conceptualized and is crucial for
understanding tourist behavior. Due to the difficulty of understanding why individuals
travel, this subject was researched and considerable progress has been made by many
academics (e.g. Dann, 1981; Pearce & Lee, 2005; Plog, 1974). A survey of the tourism-
motivated literature revealed, though some investments noted the significance of
integrating culture into such research, a critical element that shapes individual identity and
behavioral preferences, not being fully resolved.
South Korea's modern culture has evolved from Korean traditions which prevailed
among the Korean nomadic tribes of the early days. South Korea divided into its very route
of cultural growth away from North Korean culture since Korea divided in 1948, by keeping
thousands of years of ancient Korean culture influenced by antique Chinese culture. South
Korea's industrialization, development and westernization, and Seoul in particular, have
changed Koreans ' way of life many times.
This study aims to discuss the relations between South Korean subculture and the
impact on tourism. As subculture is playing an important role in South Korea tourism sector,
this study will discuss about the subculture which connected with Group—Grid Theory. This
study main from the Group—Grid Theory is Individualism and Hierarchy (Collectivism).

LITERATURE REVIEW

1. Tourism Motivation
Motivation is often regarded as the cause of human conduct and is an
individual's need or condition that leads to certain measures to meet these
requirements. The research of the motivation of tourism is the foundation of all
efforts to acquire data on the manner of travel, therefore it is now being a significant
subject in the literature on leisure and tourism. However, there are four reasons that
makes it hard to understand why people travel: a) tourism's unwillingness to reflect
on real motives, (b) its failure to reflect on real motives of travel, (c) its refusal to
express real motivations of tourism and (d) its inability to express real motives of
tourism.
Motivation is therefore structured within a large framework of global
structure and social change. All changes in the worldwide setting, such as
modernization, urbanization and industrialization, can affect people's requirements
and wishes and their motivations thereafter (Burns and Holden, 1995; Wang, 2000).
The impact of the worldwide motivation framework is more directly influenced by
the individual's home setting. The modernization of culture significantly changes the
way people live because their daily lives are more fragmented. In addition,
interpersonal relationships are more divided and less genuine (MacCannell, 1976).
In the analysis of tourism motivation, one element of the home
environment–culture–was neglected. Individual behaviors are a consequence of the
cultural value system which has evolved into a specific group over time and is
affected both by society and by regional subculture, as well as family values (Lune &
Gupta, 2001). In studying the behaviour of consumers, the significance of integrating
cultural aspects has been commonly acknowledged (e.g. Douglas, 1997; Luna &
Gupta, 2001). Incorporation of cultural components to the research of tourism
 motivation is essential because of the increasingly diverse and complex conduct of
visitors.

2. Subculture in South Korea

We normally think when we listen to the term culture about what kind of
entertainments–music, literature, movies–we enjoy, or what kind of leisure activities
we enjoy on a greater level. But only a flawed significance of culture is being
explored. Culture is a way of life on a broader scale. Every individual's way of life
varies accordingly as each person possesses different lifestyles, features,
personalities and sense of values. Although such differences occur, the majority
embrace specific cultural practices and thus are frequently deemed acceptable. Such
cultures are known as the whole of the society's cultures, values and behavioral
patterns. There are societies of the minority, called subcultures as opposed to the
culture of the majority. As the prefix indicates, social minorities, as regards class,
ethnicity, generation and interests, are the topic of these specific cultures.
Subculture members have a different lifestyle pattern that distinguishes themselves
from the typical group, and the motives why they chose to follow these lifestyles
differ.
It is essential to look back on its historical context to see how the notion of
subculture has emerged. The concept of subculture is based on the west's social
context, especially after the end of World War II in the United Kingdom. England was
historically a country with separate class distinctions between royals and common
people. At the end of the war, however, British capitalization and industrialization
were rapidly developing, which caused confusion of cultural identity between the
newly-emerging working class, mostly of the young. In contrast to the United
Kingdom, Korean society had a weak framework for subculture. Due to its enduring
Confucian impact, colonial legacy and long-term dictatorship suffering, Korea has a
very unified and integrated social structure. Youth were either suppressed or
discouraged for their chance to demand independence from standard and to express
their wish for liberty and uniqueness. For these reasons, subculture in Korea takes
the form of a restricted subculture, which only mimics and is strongly marketable in
the superficial elements of western subculture.
While subculture in the Korea does not coincide exactly with England, Korean
youth formed their resistance identity from the 1960s to the 1990s, with the
participation of student movements. During an interview with Professor Kim Soohan
(Sociology Department), he explained the reason for the limited nature of Korean
Subculture. He personally disagreed with the assumption that Korean subculture was
not resilient and reflected only the youth's consumerist behavior. People are saying
this was not resilient, because it had many entertaining factors. This is because the
media promoted those enjoyable factors which have had a significant effect in
leaving a symbolic picture of young people's culture.
Culture has also developed alongside technology into forms that best suit the
general feelings of the common people. The culture of youth and new generation,
which once prevailed as subculture in Korea, had been widely accepted in the 21st
century. The 21st century young individuals are dissatisfied with the status quo of
indie music, underground hip-hop, rock and so much else, that lead us to subcultures
today. In contrast with mainstream culture, some art forms are classified as
 subculture due to their negligible features. The general public may not be aware, but
the arts of subculture contribute to Korea's general diversity in arts and culture.

METHODOLOGY

The current study took the DVI approach of identifying a valid cultural
grouping through the application of the grid-group cultural theory (Lenartowicz &
Roth, 1999). Cultural theory of Grid Groups is also known as the analysis of Grid
Groups, cultural theory or sociocultural feasibility theory. The work of the British
anthropologists, Mary Douglas and Michael Thompson, American political scientist
Aaron Wildavsky and many other people has been developed over the past 40 years.
There are three fundamental statements in the grid-group cultural theory. The
primary argument is that cultural bias or culture matters, what individuals do or
want. Culture influences the attitude and real actions of people on the many aspects
of human behavior, and cultural orientation. Cultural scientists claim that behavior,
since different cultural organizations have different values, varies from culture to
collation (Legoherel, Dauce, Hsu, & Ranchhold 2009).
The second argument is that a restricted amount of cultural types can be
differentiated or a typology of societies can be created which involves feasible
combinations of social relation patterns and cultural prejudicial patterns. Social
relations and cultural tendencies mutually strengthen each other by justifying
cultural tendencies to social ties, which in turn support expectations arising from the
cultural tendency. Sub-cultures, lives and rationalities, methods of organization and
social structural organizations, solidarity, political culture or merely kinds
(mamadouth, 1999) are often referred to as these combinations. According to the
theory of the grid-group, culture can be divided into two social aspects:
individualization and social incorporation (Douglas, 1982). These two social aspects
are called the group and the grid. Group is meant to be incorporated into a limited
group (strong when the individual is a member of a corporate group and weak when
an individual does not belong to a limited group), while Grid refers to "the cross-
hatch of rules to which individuals are subject in the course of their
interaction” (Douglas, 1982, p. 192). Individual relationships with organizations
determine personal identity, and social prescription is the form of private conduct.
The cultural theories of the grids also state that the typology of sustainable
combinations is widely applicable, since these two dimensions deal "who am I and
how should I be behaved," which are two fundamental and eternal issues of human
life "(Schwarz & Thompson, 1990). This claim is based on the assumption that many
individuals are based on the observance of a certain manner of organizing social
relationships, a number of their preferences, views, views, values and standards
which are demonstrated by their choice in respect of the two fundamental aspects
of social life: group (incorporation or limitations) and grid (regulation or limitation).
The theoretical model therefore forecasts four principal methods of life with
correlation of ideology (Caulkins, 1999): Individualist (Type A), fateful (Type B),
hierarchist (Type C) and equality (Type D). Mary Douglas argues that a person's
cultural prejudice is a continuous feature. It may alter over time, but it is hegemonic
and covers all fields of life. It is therefore logical to explore individuals ' cultural
prerequisites because their attitudes and conduct are predicted in a broad spectrum
 of settings. Thus, this study will use Grid-Group cultural theory in the relation with
tourism motivation or impact.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Subculture 1: Korean Wave

In the early 2000s, the "Hallyu Wave" was a truly global phenomenon. This relates to
the growing international and national pop culture in Korea. Korean pop idols and fans play
a major role to bring KPOP to a wider audience. Their connection to one another is
especially interesting, as the interaction between them actually occurs. It's distinct from
most western performers because they're unable to hold as many fan meetings, live
streams or respond to SNS (social websites) fan posts as Korean pop idols usually do. It
creates a connection between idols and fans, since the interactions are more extensive.

 Korean wave is belonging to collectivism group, individual group and individual

grid. Firstly, it is considered as a collectivism group because all South Korean people likes
KPOP. Next, it is also considered to be individual group because in KPOP there are many
artists, groups or performers which makes people join to a fandom or fanbase of their own
favorite groups. However, it is also individual grid because one person inside a fandom
could like only one member of the KPOP group members which makes it different with
another person on the fandom or fanbase.
Examples:
 Collectivism group  All south Korean people likes KPOP
 Individualism group  18 people join EXO fandom because they like EXO as a
popular boy group
 Individualism grid  Each person like different members of EXO. One person may
like Chanyeol, the other one likes Kai and another person might like Sehun.

Subculture 2: Korean Language

Koreans speak Korean and it will be very useful for you if you can learn a couple of
phrases before your trip. The Koreans regard themselves as a family and talk a single
language. They have a powerful identity in culture. 65 million individuals in or near South
Korea speak the Korean language. 5.5 million people worldwide speak Korean. In grammar
and pronunciation, the language is very different from any Western language. The dialect
spoken will determine where you are in South Korea. Almost everyone understands and
speaks the Seoul dialect. Of course, Gyeongsang is renowned for being almost
incomprehensible to conventional Korean speakers; however, the pure dialect of Jeju is
getting less and less prevalent, among the other dialects in the language of Busan and
Daegu, the dialect of Jeju that is spoken of is regarded aggressive compared to standard
Korean.

 Korean Language is a part of collectivism group and grid because all of the citizen
of south Korea speaks Korean Language. On the other hand, it is collectivism grid because in
South Korea, there are several dialects which differentiates some parts of South Korea. Even
though there are several dialects spoken in some parts or province of South Korea, people
still able to understand each other throughout the differences. Some examples of Korean
dialects are Gyeonggi dialect, Jeju dialect, Hwanghae dialect, Jeolla dialect, Gyeongsang
dialect, Gangwon dialect and Chungcheong dialect.

Subculture 3: Plastic Surgery

Since statistical data demonstrate that one in five females in Seoul had a plastic
operation and almost 50% of females and 15% of males had cosmetic procedures in some
way, it is no wonder that South Korea is regarded to be the world's capital of plastic surgery.
Dual lid operation, v line jaw reduction, epicanthoplastic (eye surgery), rhinoplasty surgery
(nose work) and frontal modifications were some of the most common processes. There are
a lot of reasons why plastic surgery is so common in Korea, but pure competition is one of
the major factors. In South Korea there are more cosmetic procedures per capita than in the
globe. In the nation there are 2330 plastic surgeons, making it one of the world's most
cosmetic surgeons per capita. Users can upload their own pictures and get guidance from
hospitals in applications such as ‘Gangnam Unnie’ online before opting for a procedure. Not
only the South Korean locals want their looks improved. Medical tourists from around the
globe are welcomed by a counter at the airport of Seoul, but most come from China. Annual
growth of 37 percent in 2018 has seen an annual number of international tourists traveling
for cosmetic operations to South Korea. In addition to the medical procedure, some
packages include a shuttle service from the airport and tour guides.

 As seen from the above background story of plastic surgery, it can be considered
as individualism group and grid. The reason is that because most Korean people wanted and
did plastic surgery. However, the kind of plastic surgery that they want to do or they already
did are different from one and another. One person might do a nose job and the other one
might want to have a V Line jaw reduction.

Subculture 4: Graffiti – The underdog of arts

Graffiti was first introduced to Korea; in Apgujeong, artists scratched their work on
the walls of a foot pass, until it was completely covered in graffiti. The Seoul government
was therefore compelled to prohibit all graffiti and even remove all graffiti from the pass. In
areas like Apgujeong, Samcheong-dong, Itaewon or Hongdae, Graffiti can now also be seen
in Seoul. There are approximately 200 graffiti artists across the world from adolescents to
the elderly. In the case of graffiti, they generally form guerrilla organizations, often called
gangs or crews. Graffiti, a fresh art form that embodies youth, opposition and liberty, is now
acknowledged as a subculture. A wider adoption of hip hop music and b-boying in Korean
culture can contribute to the increasing popularity of graffiti. Graffiti artists are charged at
corporate spraying events, such as at cafeteria or restaurant walls. Graffiti colleges are
available for newborns and youth education programs. A 3 months expo of various art
types, incorporating the impacts of graffiti, was held at Sejong Center and a graffiti art
exhibit was held at the Gyeonggi Art Museum.

 Graffiti as a subculture is included in Individualism grid because people have more

similarities or common interpersonal skill. The people who is doing this subculture usually
have the same common interpersonal skill with each other, however they do not have a
strong bond between them.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION

In summarize, this study is discussing about 4 major subcultures that are happening
in South Korea. Those subcultures are Korean wave, Korean language, plastic surgery and
graffiti. The first subculture which is Korean wave is about the growing of Korean pop
culture in South Korea and internationally. This subculture is motivating tourists, especially
KPOP fans to visit South Korea as there are concerts, fan meetings and fan signing which are
held occasionally. It is the biggest attraction for tourist to visit South Korea because of this
Korean wave phenomena. The second subculture is Korean language. All Korean speaks
Korean language but some parts of South Korea have different dialects. Even though the
dialect differences in South Korea, people still able to understand each other. As 5.5 million
people in the world speaks Korean language, it motivates a lot of people to come to Korea
to learn their language and practice more. The language itself is so different with the
western language. Thirdly, plastic surgery is another subculture that is very common in
South Korea. Many people in South Korea are interested in upgrading their looks and
appearances. It is common to have some works done on the face and even body. As South
Korea become the world’s capital of plastic surgery, it attracts many people from every side
of the globe to go to South Korea to get a better look and appearances. Moreover, the
business of plastic surgery is becoming more and more competitive. The last subculture is
Graffiti. Graffiti is popular in South Korea nowadays. The beautiful Graffiti in some areas in
South Korea successfully became a tourist attraction. However, up until today, there are still
a lot of opposition about Graffiti. It might not attract tourist more than the 3 others
subculture, but Graffiti is a piece of art created by the people to channel their talent and
ideas.
For recommendation, the Graffiti should be taken serious by the government as it is
something precious by the artist who created it. If the artists are able to create something
beautiful that is able to attract tourist, government should give the space or location where
artist could freely draw. It is such a waste of talent if the artists only able to draw in tunnels
or walls in restricted or abandoned area. For Korean wave, it might be better if the artists’
management consider to create more interesting events which may include the fans more
than all the events before. It may attract more tourists as they are interested with the event
that are going to be held in the future.
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