It was recommended to me that I watch a show called 꽃보다 할배 or Grandpas Over Flowers which is a Korean comedy series about a group of elderly men who travel around and explore the world. It explores different concepts about Korean culture around aging and because the show is not scripted, it provides a unique and authentic platform. I watched an episode in which the group of grandpas travel to Barcelona, Spain. There were two situations that I found exemplified certain aspects of Korean culture around relationships with and between the elderly people. One situation was when a younger man around 40 years old was told to plan the trip for the grandpas. He was in charge of buying the tickets and setting up the lodging. The grandpas teased him a lot, but he took their critiques lightly, almost in an endearing way, and catered to their needs before his own when taking care of them. Another concept that I found very interesting was the hierarchy of age even within the elderly community. For example the eldest grandpa led the entire group to their hotel in Barcelona. No one else helped him or provided input on the situation. The oldest grandpa was in charge of looking at maps, talking with locals, and guiding the group to their destination. The rest of the grandpas looked up to him for wisdom and direction and did not trust their own abilities to fill his shoes.
I think it is also interesting to note that the show's production also played a role in accentuating these roles of the older and younger generations. The directors put comments on the screen as the show is playing, that points out the silliness/clumsiness of the 40 year old man, yet acknowledges how he comes through for the grandpas. They also made the eldest grandpa seem more heroic by pointing out all of his skills and efforts as he led the group.
These two examples represent a part of a larger concept of community. South Korea has a history with the ideology of Confucianism. A lot of aspects of their culture such as respect for elders and filial piety stem from Confucianism. My Korean professor suggested that in the past there was a need for a strong community. The most convenient and closest community was the family, so it was common for all members of the family to live in the same household. In times of economic hardship, this structure relieves the responsibility of each individual and creates a collective accountability system. Positions were established of leaders and providers to support the overall group. Even though the culture and community of South Korea has developed and modernized over the past several decades, it is still apparent that these ideologies continue to present themselves as important aspects of Korean life. It is typical for he children of the grandparents to provide for the group economically, yet the elderly still hold the wisdom and guidance for the community. The eldest is seen as the most wise, honorable, respected, valued member of society.
Video Clip from the show:
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I noticed that South Korea has a really social norm on respect for elders and doing good to parents as well. This post is very interesting to me since it discusses the history of it and thus how it derives from then. In China, I was taught to respect my parents and elders since young as well, but I didn't feel too big of a thing because I live with my parents and grandparents. However, it is always very frustrating to me when I saw in Korean dramas that the young are criticized harshly by the elders for nothing and cannot even speak up for themselves.