Wash place was women-only space!

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I found a painting from the late 18th century during Jo Seon Dynasty, when it was very Confucius society in Korea. The painting by Hong Do Kim (see above) is about the wash place. The most represent characteristic of his painting was “true-view landscape painting”. He illustrated the everyday lives of ordinary people in his paintings. In this painting, he actually satirised “scholar gentleman class’s Confucian society”. There are various paintings about the wash place in Korea but I chose his work because I thought this painting describes the wash place of the past vividly.

This painting is about the wash place, but as you can see, that guy (yang ban, scholar gentleman class) is looking at the women secretly hiding behind the rocks because he wanted to know what happens in the place of only women are allowed. In the late 18th century in Korea, (actually it was called Jo Seon Dynasty), these scholar gentleman class were usually known as being respectable and being laid off women. This painting is about the wash place, but at the same time it is actually about satirising the voyeurism of ‘scholar gentleman class’s Confucius society’ in Korea.

Also, it can be emphasised that the wash place was a space of women where men were prohibited to come tacitly. This painting is supposed to be one of the relevant references to support the idea that the wash places were women’s space where men are restricted to come in except children.

카카오톡과 빨래터의 6가지 공통점

다양한 필드리서치를 통해서 알게된 점은 바로, 아줌마들은 카카오톡 이라는 모바일 채팅 앱을 통해서 아줌마들만의 독특한 소통 방식을 스마트폰이라는 디지털 커뮤니케이션 기기를 통해 그들만의 커뮤니티를 더욱 더 단단하게 만들어 가고 있다는 점 이었다. 이러한 발견을 통해 나는 아줌마와 카카오톡의 사용에 관한 중점적인 연구가 반드시 필요하다고 생각했고, 따라서 카카오톡에 관한 일차원적인 연구보다는 새로운 관점으로 바라볼 수 있는 연구를 하고 싶었기에 다양한 방법과 시각으로 카카오톡에 관해 접근해 보았다.

카카오톡은 다양하게 쓰여지고 있다. 단순한 모바일 채팅을 하게끔 해주는 앱이 아닌 그 보다 더 깊게 그리고 넓게 사용할 수 있는 모바일 이라는 공간을 통해 여러 방식의 소통을 하게 해주는 공간을 제공한다. 카카오톡 그룹 채팅룸을 하나의 공간으로 생각해 보면 매우 흥미로워진다. 수다를 떨고, 특별한 날에는 서로의 안부인사를 주고 받으며 (크리스마스, 새해인사 등) 때로는 생일을 축하하는 파티의 장으로 변하기도 한다. 물론 직접적으로 만나 축하를 하는 장소가 될 수는 없지만, 스마트폰과 카카오톡을 통해서만 할 수 있는 모바일 커뮤니케이션, 예를 들어 기프티콘을 생일 선물로 준다거나 생일축하 영상 메세지를 비디오톡을 통해 보여주거나 하는 등의 방법을 통해 우리들은 카카오톡이라는 모바일 공간에서 실생활과 거의 비슷한 일들을 할 수 있게 된 것이다.

특히, 필드 리서치를 통해 알게된 아줌마들의 카카오톡 사용은 정말 대단했다. 즉각적인 모바일 소통에 중점을 둔 다른 일반 (아줌마가 아닌) 카카오톡 사용자들과 달리, 아줌마들은 즉각적이지만 관계가 더더욱 깊어질 수 있는 즉, 즉각적이나 지속적인 모바일 소통을 카톡이라는 앱을 통해 하고 있었던 것이다.

이러한 아줌마들의 카톡을 통한 적극적인 소통은 과연 오늘날에 갑자기 생겨난 것일까? 그렇게 생각하지 않았다. 물론 새로운 디지털 기기인 스마트폰이라는 것은 오늘날에 생겨난 ‘새로운 것’ 이지만 사실 스마트폰은 모바일 소통을 할 수 있게 도와주는 기기혹은 도구라고 생각이 든다. 스마트폰이 더 활발하고 더 편리한 모바일 소통을 할 수 있게끔 도와주는 도구이지만 그 ‘도구’를 사용하여 스마트한 소통을 할 수 있게 되는건 그 소통을 만들어가는 사람들 자신의 몫인 것이다. 따라서 아줌마들의 카톡사용을 통한 아줌마들만의 그리고 아줌마스러운 모바일 소통은 과연 어디서 온 것일까에 대한 질문을 나에게 끊임없이 했고 결국 ‘빨래터’라는 곳이 생각이 나게 되었던 것이다.

빨래터와 카카오톡의 상관관계에 대한 이야기는 앞으로도 계속 할 예정이기에 오늘은 이 둘 사이에 어떠한 공통점이 있는지 알아보자.

빨래터와 카카오톡의 6가지 공통점

1. Tranformation: 목적에 따라 그 장소의 역할이 변화할 수 있다

2. Keep in touch: 빨래터와 카톡 단체방의 구성원들끼리 계속 연락을 하며 지낼 수 있다

3. Women’s place: 여성의 공간

4. A notice board: 정보를 주고 받을 수 있는 게시판의 역할

5. A bridge: 지난 모임과 앞으로 있을 모임을 연결해 주는 다리와 같은 역할

6. Pop-up communication: 특별한 약속이 없더라도 카톡에서나 빨래터에서 우연히 만나서 이야기 할 수 있다. 카카오톡 단체톡방 그리고 빨래터에 오는 사람들은 거의 늘 같은 사람들이라서 빨래터에 가면 혹은 카카오톡 단체톡방에 들어가 있으면 그 사람들과 특별한 약속없이도 소통을 할 수 있게 되는 것이다.

1.Transformation: 다양하게 사용되어지는 두 공간

1960년대의 빨래터 모습

카카오톡 단체 톡방의 모습

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빨래터와 카카오톡 단체톡방의 6가지의 공통점 중에서 첫 번째 공통점인 Transformation, 즉 목적에 따라 다양하게 바뀌는 공간에 대해 사진을 통해서 알아보았다. 나머지 5가지에 대한 내용은 지난 블로그 포스팅들에서 종종 이야기 한 바가 있어서 이번에는 Tranformation에 관한 내용만 다루었다. 앞으로 디지털 빨래터 프로젝트에 대한 이야기를 계속 풀어나가면서 빨래터와 카카오톡 단체톡방에 관한 이야기는 자주 언급될 것이기에 오늘의 포스팅에서는 이렇게만 우선 이야기해 보았다.

Similarities between KaTalk and Wash Place

How the idea of wash place can be applied to the research project of Smart Ajumma? Wash place is rather relevant to link to the concept of mobile communication in Kakao Talk group chat rooms by ajummas through the usage of smartphones. A space of wash place is regarded as the equals of Kakao Talk group chat room. And both village women before the 1960s and ajummas in 2015 take the same duty of various houseworks for their family such as washing clothes. In addition, several similarities were found between village women of wash place before 1960s and ajummas of Kakao Talk group chat room in 2015.

Here are 6 similar points that were discovered.

1. Tranformation: transformable spaces depending on the purpose.

2. Keep in touch: to keep their relationship through continuous communication

3. Women’s place

4. A notice board: Information intersection

5. A bridge: pre-meeting to post-meeting

6. Pop-up communication: they don’t have an appointment for the meetings but they know they can meet with each other in the wash place and Kakao Talk’s group chat rooms.

1.Transformation

Wash Place in the 1960s

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Kakao Talk’s Group Chat room in 2015

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The other five similarities between Kakao Talk’s group chat room and the wash place were mentioned many times in previous posts. So I don’t mention about the other five similarities between Kakao Talk’s group chat room and the wash place in this post.

Kakao Talk & Wash Place (Ppal-let-ter)

In the post about ‘Kakao Talk vs Wash Place‘, I wrote what wash place worked as women’s communal place in Korea and how Kakao Talk and wash place could be similar with each other even though these places are located in dissimilar space and time. Kakao Talk’s group chat room of ajummas is located in the mobile space where we cannot do actual visit, whereas wash place was the actual place where village women could visit. In other words, wash place is a physical space and Kakao talk’s group chat room is a non-physical space that is located in the third space.

However, I think these two different places are very much alike with each other. In my research, I found six similarities between Kakao Talk’s group chat room in 2016 and wash place in 1960s. One of those similarities is both Kakao Talk’s group chat room and wash place act like a bridge between pre-meeting to post-meeting. Here is what one of my interviewees told about Kakao talk’s group chat room during having focus group interview. She explained how Kakao talk’s group chat room works for meetings with her friends.

R Hwang:

Chatting in group chat room is also like an epilogue. After the actual meeting we can review about the meeting. And we suggest ideas for next meeting as well.

Like Kakao Talk’s group chat room, wash place in 1960s was also a bridge that connected previous meetings to following meetings. When village women came to wash place, they continued to talk about stories last time and they maybe meet again for the next time again in this same wash place. They probably didn’t make a confirmed appointment of meeting in wash place, but they could meet with each other again in wash place for the next time because these village women had to come to wash place for doing their laundry regularly. For this reason, Kakao Talk’s group chat room among ajummas and wash place in 1960s among village women are like a bridge that connect to the previous meeting to the following meeting.

Kakao Talk vs Wash place

After survey and Focus group interview, I suddenly realised that Kakao Talk can be a women’s communal space in these days. Of course Kakao Talk is not designed for only women and many people use it every day regardless of the age and genders. However, their group chat rooms, the chat rooms for ajummas where they’ve created and they’re involved in. That can be a women’s communal place, I reckon. So I started to find a women’s communal spaces. Hair shop, Sauna, etc. But I want to find a ‘Korean’ women’s communal spaces. For this reason, I found the wash place.

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Of course, every country has or had the wash place. But, Korean wash place was a bit different from any others’. We don’t have to go to the wash place to do laundry today due to almost every house have technologically developed and upgraded washing machines. Or there are coin laundry shops nearby our houses. Whereas, back in 1960s, going to the wash place and doing the laundry is must do thing for women in Korea. And this wash place was like a multiplex where women not only do their laundry but also meeting others and even taking bathes.

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They don’t make an appointment for meetings, but they expected to meet someone whoever they go to the wash place and of course they could meet someone in that place. As a social place, women in Korea they could share useful information or sometimes just mundane gossips about their mother-in-law, etc.

Thus, wash place for women in Korea during 1960s was not a place only for doing their laundry. It is more like a communal space at that time. Wash place during 1960s in Korea was considered as a ‘women-only communal space’ even though there was no law and regulations that prohibited men to come in.

Kakao Talk and Ajumma (2)

So now you know or you got an idea what Kakao Talk is through reading a previous post, ‘Kakao Talk and Ajumma (1)‘. I know it might be hard to understand what it is exactly before you actually use that application. If you know more about Kakao Talk, you should try to download Kakao Talk app and use it. It is a global and free service so anyone can use it through their smartphones. But I’m sure that using Kakao Talk in Korea have more various options (such as Kakao Shop, Kakao Pay etc.) that bring you to have a lot of fun. Anyway, try to use Kakao Talk first, I recommend.

Today, I want to talk about Kakao Talk more deeply. Having communication through using Kakao Talk is pervasive in Korea because it is a sort of main tool for communication in our everyday practices. In short, we communicate with each other on Kakao Talk everyday. So we say “Let’s do Ka-Talk!”, “Send me Ka-Talk!” or “See you in Ka-Talk!” etc.

참고이미지-1-카카오톡-4.0-스플래시-이미지 Koreans love abbreviations and we call Ka-Talk instead of Kakao Talk. And when you see the sentence of “Let’s do Ka-Talk!”, you can tell ‘Ka-Talk’ is a kind of act. Ka-Talk in this case means ‘doing communication in Kakao Talk’s chat room’ or ‘we will talk about something in our Kakao Talk’s chat room’, etc. Thus the word Ka-Talk means not only one of applications, but also an actual action of having mobile communication in Kakao Talk’s chat room through using their smartphones.

In my experience, I could be connected to my parents and friends all the time because of using Kakao Talk. Even though we were physically separated from each other, we could still be together technologically or mentally in the third space (e.g. Kakao Talk’s chat rooms). Compared with few years ago when there were no smartphones or Kakao Talk’s, (pre-smartphone era, I named) I had to buy international phone card to call my parents in Korea every time. This (sort of) traditional way of phone call communication restricted our time and space whenever we have a talk on the phone. However, Kakao Talk sets us free from the barriers of time and space whenever we have conversations on Kakao Talk’s chat rooms. This means that we can do mobile communication on Kakao Talk’s chat room regardless of time and space if there is wifi connection. And it is free.

For next post, I will talk more about how ajummas use Kakao Talk with their family and friends.

Kakao Talk and Ajumma (1)

Have you heard about Kakao Talk? For me and Koreans Kakao Talk is an inextricable mobile communication app today. Kakao Talk is an application for smartphones which allow people to have instant mobile chatting without having barriers of time and space. If there is wifi connection with your smartphones, you can have message chatting, voice chatting, video chatting and sending various types of files (e.g. photos) in your chatting rooms. Kakao Talk is similar to WhatsApp , but Kakao Talk has more functions than WhatsApp. For example, Kakao Talk has Kakao Shop (buy gifticon), Kakao Pay, Kakao Style, Kakao TV, Kakao Taxi (you can call taxi through your Kakao Talk app whenever you need to take a taxi) and etc.

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Various brands of ice cream shops you can choose and send gifticon through using Kakao Talk to your friends or family.

Gifticon has a diverse selection to choose from such as a range of clothes, accessories, foods, e-coupons for cafes or restaurants etc. People who receive gifticon from their friends through Kakao Talk, can simply show the e-code of those gifticon to the counter of the shops when they want to use them.

Kakao Talk is a one of apps for mobile communication on smartphones. Kakao talk allows people to have constant mobile communication whenever they need and wherever they want to communicate with their contacts. It becomes a huge mobile communicative tool for Koreans. Group chat rooms are good example to explain how Kakao talk became a major mobile communicative application for Koreans. For example, companies have mobile meetings on their group chat rooms, family discusses their next meeting on their group chat rooms and especially ajummas love group chat rooms! Through using group chat rooms in Kakao Talk, people can do ‘group chatting’ with their friends or colleagues easily. They don’t have to send the same messages to each person one by one.

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Y Kim:

Yes, Kakao Talk’s group chat room is so convenient to organise meetings with friends.

J Han:

All I need to do is just create a group chat room. And then it is very easy to send a message to everyone at once! It’s so easy!

Interviewees responses of a question about using group chat room of Kakao Talk

According to the interview above, the main reason to use group chat room of Kakao Talk was for sending messages to several friends at once and organising meetings as well. As it is easier to send the messages to everyone who are in the same group chat room, it is convenient to organise meetings without hassle rather than send the same messages to each person separately. Besides, people in the group chat room can discuss or manage together to set a place and time for a meeting with ease. This means that, everyone can see the content of conversation at one view and even though they might miss the conversation, people can come back to read those conversations at any time with their smartphones. The advantages of using Kakao Talk’s group chat room attracts ajummas who used to call to each friend to organise the regular meetings.

The beginning of every month, my mom’s smartphone gets busy because of Kakao Talk’s alarming sound. Her friends send Kakao Talk messages endlessly to organise their regular meeting. My mom wasn’t familiar with using her smartphone and Kakao Talk before. But now she is an expert of Kakao Talk! She purchased another cute emoticon for Kakao Talk few days ago. She told me that her friends got so many emoticons so my mom also want to buy another new released emoticon to send her friends in the group chat room. How cute she is! And how cute our ajummas are!

Holiday Syndrome?

Time flies and it’s already February in 2016! Of course we had new year holidays at the beginning of this year, January. However, we (Koreans) have another new year on this coming Monday (8th Feb 2016). From yesterday we’re having a new year holiday until mid of next week. Most people (non-Koreans) think this late new year is called ‘Chinese New Year’. It is so true but we say Korean new year or just Lunar new year. I love holiday (who doesn’t?) especially Korean holidays because I can meet my cousins, aunties, uncles etc. Sadly, my grandma had passed away two years ago so I can’t see her lovely smile any more but still I love to meet my relatives.

Whenever I say I love Korean holidays to my friends especially married ones, all of them told me, “if you are married, you couldn’t love Korean holidays any more, for sure!”. I know what they mean because this is very controversial topic for every Korean woman (especially married women). It is ‘Holiday Syndrome’!

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Ajummas in the supermarket to do grocery shopping for Korean New Year 2016

Traditionally, we have a memorial service for ancestors (e.g. great-great-grandparents, great-grandparents, grandparents) on every Korean holiday such as Korean new year, Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving day) etc. On these holidays, we have to prepare food for ancestral rites table and at the same time for ourselves (family members). This is very good Korean tradition to admire our ancestors on every Korean holiday and relatives could be able to reunite together regularly through enjoying these Korean holidays. However, there is a big problem.

As I mentioned before in my blog post about Women in Korea (2) Before IMF on 11th Jan 2016, Korean society was severe patriarchal society from 1980s to 1990s. Women (mothers, wives, ajummas) had to sacrifice their lives to support husbands and children. This happened in the past and now the society has been changed a lot. Women are also working outside and they push themselves hardly to build their careers. They’re not staying at home to support their family by sacrificing their lives any more. I don’t mean that sacrificing their lives to support husbands and children like our mothers in the past were worthless. I mean the women in today have more opportunities to build their careers than 1980s so they can’t just be a stay-at-home mother rather they should work outside for their careers.

However, the problem is that the social structure and people’s mind haven’t changed a lot. It is like we can do real-time free video chatting through our smartphones but people still use only voice calling with their high-tech smartphones. Society forces women to build their careers and get higher education but this society doesn’t allow women to be free from their family affairs that the society thinks ‘women’s full time job’. This can be a jump of logic but I think Korea is still very much patriarchal society even though there are so many opportunities for women, especially married women to work outside to build their careers compared with before in 1980s.

Holiday syndrome was also came from this patriarchal social structure, I think. All the daughters-in-law must go to their mothers-in-law’ houses to prepare food for their ancestors on every Korean holiday. And the problem is that many of husbands (or sons of mother-in-law, father-in-law or any ‘male’ human beings) don’t support, help or assist their wives at all. They think preparation of food for their ancestors are entirely ‘women’s duty’ for a very long time so these husbands never try to help their wives. Also mother-in-law don’t want their sons to work in the kitchen. This is also related to the Korean concept of predominance of man over woman. For this reason, there was a saying that ‘male must not come in the kitchen’.

daughters in law with a mother in law prepare food

image from <http://blog.daum.net/youngho7995/99>

I understand how Korean society had the feudalistic convention of regarding men as superior to women in the past. But the past is past and now is now. We have to change our wrong feudalistic thinking about men and women. Korean holidays are more than worth to enjoy because we can learn our histories, traditions and even ‘Jeong’ with our family and relatives. We are also allowed to think about our ancestors and our roots as well. If our mothers and daughter in law can’t enjoy these holidays, preparing food for other family members can’t be women’s duty any more. It become just women’s stressful work.

image from <http://news.kmib.co.kr>

The news reports about holiday syndrome of married women can be seen on TV or in the Internet every year. Our ajummas are suffering from Korean holiday syndrome for many years. The resolution is very simple. Holidays are for everyone. Please do prepare together and enjoy together.

‘Male must come in the kitchen. You’re more than welcome’

image from Pocket Monster, <http://bbs2.ruliweb.daum.net/gaia/do/ruliweb/family/230/read?bbsId=G005&articleId=7994370&itemId=75>

Ajumma day

In this blog, everything is about ajummas because this blog is for ajummas and I really want to share who ajummas are to both Koreans who already knew about ajummas and others who never heard about ajummas before. In the previous blog postings, I wrote mostly about ajummas who were in pre-smartphone era (times when ajummas didn’t use smartphones, from early-1960s to early-2000s). Now I will talk more about ‘Smart Ajummas’ because that is my biggest concern why I do this blogging and I would like to share ideas and information how Korean ajummas are becoming ‘Smart Ajummas’ and what these ‘Smart Ajummas’ are doing in their everyday lives with the use of smartphones.

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Anyway, today I’ll talk about ‘Ajumma Day’ in Korea. Actually I had no idea what ‘Ajumma Day’ was before I’ve been there in 2014. Ajumma day was established in 2000 by one of the biggest website for ajummas azoomma.com and now many of ajummas in Korea love Ajumma day on the 31st May in every year. May is for family month in Korea for example, 5th is Children’s day, 8th is Parents’ day and 15th is Teacher’s day. And the reason why they chose the last day of May as Ajumma day is because Ajummas (mothers at home) are the most important people in every family so they chose the 31st of May (family month).

Sand art for Ajumma Day, 2014

Ajumma Manifesto (I translated from Korean)

As an ajumma in the digital information age of the 21st century, I pledge that I will endeavour to do my best as an independent being for myself, my family as well as the social changing and progress.

I am an independent ajumma who loves myself and recognise the value of my life. I love myself the way I am now and I am proud of myself as an ajumma. I do my best to find the right to live happily as a woman.
I am a leader ajumma who takes care of my family and lead the healthy family culture creation. I do my best for family life that a wife and a husband loves, understands and helps each other. Ajumma, as the pillar of the family, I practice from the small thing to create the healthy family culture.
I am an active participant ajumma for social change and progress and I am concerned about neighbours all the time. I always think about my neighbours beside the family egoism. I show compassion to my neighbours in need and stand valorously against social injustice
I’m a active ajumma who recognise my role in the digital information age and challenge to the new world through the Internet. As a principal agent of home information, I endeavour to do my best to inform my children. I actively embrace new technology and try to use it according to social change and progress.

For the research, I went to Ajumma day in 2014 and I was really impressed. I was more than happy that there is a special day only for ajummas in Korea. And the programs for that day were fully enjoyable and at the same time they gave very useful information for ajummas. Most of all, I think this ajumma day encourages ajummas to be proud of themselves through various actives on that day. Also these ajummas can have opportunities to meet other ajummas who are in the same boat. So ajummas can become one big ajumma group through ajumma day or any other various events for ajummas.

“Ajumma is the best!!” a message from a wish tree on Ajumma Day, 31st May 2014

Ajummas on Ajumma Day, 31st May 2014

I enjoyed a lot on Ajumma day in 2014, but I still feel that some more contents or events should be developed and improved more. And I believe it will be getting much better and richer. Further, Ajumma day will be an one of representative days of May in Korea because our ajummas are precious. (:

A cool Ajumma photographer on Ajumma day 2014

Ajumma mobile shoppers

Smartphones are now mundane communication device among ajummas in Korea. They use smartphones not only for communicating, but also for consuming digital products as well. The number of ajumma mobile shoppers are growing and they purchase both tangible and intangible products for example, clothes (tangible) and apps or ebooks (intangible). They were used to be TV home shopping lovers so there were various products aimed specifically at ajumma customers on TV home shopping channels. Ajummas are still important customers for TV home shopping in Korea but these ajummas are not watching TV home shopping channels on the couch any more. They are now shopping at mobile shops through their smartphones without barriers of time and space.

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ajummas are ‘smartphoneing’ in the subway, Seoul 2014

Young women (younger than ajummas, I can say their age range is from early-20s to mid-30s) and Moms (early 30s to early 40s, usually they have young children-infants to around 15 years old-these Moms are not to be yet ajummas, it is like pre-ajumma level I can say), they are biggest consumers of mobile shopping but now ajummas become ‘mobile shoppers’. For this reason, many of mobile shopping sites provide specified products that are aimed for ajumma consumers.

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image from ‘Azmang’ :department store for ajumma (they said) of Mobile Auction.co.kr (http://itempage3.auction.co.kr/DetailView.aspx?itemno=B299375605).

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image from ‘Madame Sense’ of Mobile Gmarket.co.kr (http://item2.gmarket.co.kr/item/detailview/Item.aspx?goodscode=341536165&pos_class_cd=111111111&pos_class_kind=T&pos_shop_cd=SH&keyword_order=madame+sense&keyword_seqno=8931769789&search_keyword=madame+sense).

Like photos I attached above, those mobile shops sell clothes especially for ajumma customers. They actually categorise those clothes as ‘Mom’s clothes, Ajumma clothes etc’. You can tell those clothes are very ajummarous items (according to stereotyped images of ajummas as I mentioned before). This is good development that mobile shops concern ajumma customers and it tells the number of ajumma mobile shoppers are increasing constantly. However, I would like say something about this.

Well, I don’t feel happy with some mobile shops that target to especially ajummas. Some of mobile shops sell limited items. I mean those sellers (maybe) have biased views about ajummas’ fashion tastes. When I google mobile shops for ajummas (or middle-aged women) I can find shops like above. I don’t know what I have to say exactly but I feel those mobile shops for ajummas (especially shops for fashion items) are quite different from shops for younger women (or non-ajummas I can say).

Whenever I go to Namdaemun market with my mum, there are several fashion malls especially for ajummas and their clothes are really fashionable (good designs, better quality, beautiful combination of colours and textures, trendy etc.). But what do you think about those clothes that I uploaded above? I think mobile shops especially for ajummas are not good enough yet. I’m sure they’re improving continuously but unfortunately there are not various choices for ajummas when they do mobile shopping yet.

Ajummas are not smart ajumma, I said. They’re using smartphones in their everyday practices in many ways for various purposes. Mobile shopping is no exception. Ajumma mobile shoppers will be increasing dramatically and I really hope there will be more and better mobile shops for ajummas.

Remember, ajumma power is amazing.

How did they become Smart Ajumma?

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Ajummas are now becoming smarter, especially in the way of they communicate due to their use of new technology in their everyday practices such as smartphones. They are now smart ajummas and becoming smarter constantly according to the development of new technologies. However, it ought not be concluded that smart ajummas are named so only because they use new technology. They also actively attempted to acquaint themselves with new technology in daily lives.

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The penetration of smartphones in Korea is significantly higher than the average in the world and it reach 83 percent as of end-March, according to the data compiled by Digieco (Yonhap News 2015). For me, Korea is like a heaven of smartphone because ‘you can do almost everything with your smartphone’ in Korea. But convenience is not only technology’s best friend, I mean there are always problems to use convenient technology, such as smartphones. Yes, smartphone is a double-edged sword, like the Internet! If you can do almost everything with your smartphones in Korea, this means that you can’t do anything without smartphones. (I won’t talk too much about smartphones because this blog is more about smart ajummas)

Anyway, smartphone is a pervasive mobile communicative devicenow. People use smartphones in their everyday practices regardless age and gender. Ajummas are no exception. There are exact data about penetration rate of smartphone users of middle-aged women in Korea yet, it can be assumed there are increase of using Internet among middle-aged women.

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I know this is not a thesis but I think if I put an actual ‘data’ in this post, it might be powerful to support my idea why I can call ajummas as smart ajummas. I can’t just assume ajummas in Korea became smart ajummas because they use smartphones a lot. So I attached these data which help you to understand my argument (or thought) how I can call ajummas as smart ajumma.

For next post, I will explain in detail why ajummas should be considered as ‘smart ajummas’ today in Korea.

Korean collectivism (we-ness)

The gold collection campaign were possible because of Korean collectivism which is We-ness, Uri (or Woori). Uri, we-ness, or in group-ness as a more essentially relevant feature of Korean collectivism. The social relationship among Korean in-groups are based on social networks, the sophisticated genealogical system, the power of school connections, or regionalism. For Koreans, group is very important. To explain or talk about Korean collectivism in one blog post is not enough but this blog is not a ‘thesis’ rather a blog that I would like to share my research project, especially about ‘ajummas and their usage of smartphones in everyday practices’. In addition, I need to mention about Korean collectivism to support some ideas (e.g. gold collection campaign). Moreover, it might be helpful to you to understand Korea and ‘ajummas’ in Korean society if you know what Korean collectivism (we-ness) and Jeong means.

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This image explains how ajummas have similar hair styles in Korea. More stories about ajummas will be posting continuously.

image from <http://kfoodtalker.tistory.com/3442>

Of course, there are negative opinions how Korean collectivism ignores everyone’s individuality and force to be standardised. For me, Korean collectivism can be pros and cons in many ways. It leads people to be united and do something together such as Red Devils (supporting group for the Korea Republic national football team), Group Singing or Gold collection campaign. This Korean collectivism brought people to feel like ‘We are Koreans’ or ‘We are one’. And in my experience, this Korean collectivism doesn’t allow me to be different from others. In other words, being different from others is not an ideal thing to be in certain groups. Thus I have to become similar with others in groups to stay in certain groups. This is just my opinions so there should be various ideas about Korean collectivism.

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image from Koreatimes.co.kr <http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2014/01/291_67541.html>

Group Singing

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High school students wear the same North Face jumpers at graduation ceremony

image from: photohistory.tistory.com <http://photohistory.tistory.com/11401>

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Ajummas wear similar mountain-climbing clothes in the subway

This Korean collectivism can be explained with the concept of ‘Woori (we-ness)’.

Woori (we-ness)

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We is a plural of ‘I’ in linguistic. So a group of ‘I’ can be interpreted as ‘Woori’ (because Woori means ‘we-ness’ in English).

However, Woori is not simply a plural of ‘I’. As you can see above, woori is not a simply a plural of ‘I’, and it needs ‘jeong’ between ‘I’ to become woori.

Then, what is Jeong?