essay

A Rite of modernization and its postmodern discontents: of weddings, bureaucrats, and morality in the Republic of Korea

asian visions of authority : religion and the modern states of east and southeast asia • Honolulu • Published In 1994 • Pages: 165-192

By: Kendall, Laurel.

Abstract

This study examines the changes in wedding ceremonies from traditional ('old style') to western ('new style') and back to a more traditional style that occurred in Korea in the postwar era. Kendall sees religious rituals, including weddings, as vehicles for morality and identity, and argues that changes in wedding ceremonial style reflect postwar changes in Korean moral order and national identity. According to Kendall, the change to new style weddings is primarily associated with changing gender relations in the family and the emergence of a new professional, urban middle class. The subsequent revival and revision of the 'old style' was initiated by the government in an effort to reclaim Korea's heritage and curb excessive consumption surrounding new style weddings, which were considered ostentatious and socially divisive. Kendall comments that in recent years the government has stepped back from trying too closely to regulate social behavior.

HRAF PubDate

1998

Region

Asia

Sub Region

East Asia

Document Type

essay

Evaluation

Creator Type

Ethnologist

Document Rating

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Ian Skoggard ; 1997

Field Date

1983-1987

Coverage Date

1960-1990

Coverage Place

Republic of Korea

Notes

Laurel Kendall

LCCN

93037979

LCSH

Koreans