Learning Journal #10

[Claire Yang]

If I were to receive a grant for linguistics research, I would start by analysing the similarity and differences between Korean culture and Chinese culture in aspects of etiquette. Li, a concept often rendered as “ritual,” “proper conduct,” or “propriety.” Originally Li denoted court rites performed to sustain social and cosmic order. Confucians, however, reinterpreted it to mean formal social roles and institutions that, in their view, the ancients had abstracted from cosmic models to order communal life. From customary patterns, Li came to mean conventional norms, yielding a new concept of an internalized code of civility that defined proper human conduct. In South Korea, etiquette or the code of social behavior that governs human interactions is largely derived from Korean Confucianism and focuses on the core values of this religion. In addition to general behaviour, etiquette in South Korea also determines how to behave with respect to social status. Since both etiquette culture embraces Confucian, they share a lot of similarities in different social aspects. I would love to do more research and conduct surveys to see how it influences people's lives.