Social Acceleration vs. Slowdown: Who Became Less Busy in Korea? and Why?

Abstract

IntroductionTimelessness, or the sense of not having enough time, is what many people in contemporary societies complain about. This experience of shortage has been noted as one of the most significant phenomena in modern history (Gershuny 2005; Rosa 2013; Szollos 2009). If the sense of rushed is a defining feature of modern society, the Korean case may be especially useful to consider, in light of the rapid pace at which Korean society modernized. Indeed, in recent periods, pressure trends have been a topic of widespread concern in Korea, calling for scientific attention to be paid to Koreans' experience of and stresses related to pressure.This study deals with how people feel about their and how that feeling has changed over the last decades in Korea. We explore significant factors, such as education attainment, employment role and parental role that have been identified in social acceleration discourse (Rosa 2003; Rosa 2010a; Rosa 2010b; Rosa 2013; Roxburgh 2002). And we conduct several analyses to examine how those factors contribute to perceived pressure (PTP) in the Korean context. The findings from this study may be useful in describing changing notions about and the experience of in contemporary society.For much of history, was considered as a phenomenon of nature, aligned with the rhythms of seasons or the cycles of human life. However, with the emergence of clock-based time, it has been separated from nature and the biological cycle (Rosa 2010b, pp. 1-29). Time is now considered as a resource, or even equivalent to currency (time is money); we consume time, deploy it, or exhaust it. Contemporary technology and social practices are based upon the time-saving and high-speed framework (Wajcman 2008, pp. 60-62). According to the high-speed modernity literature, the social acceleration cycle is achieved by the combination of three factors, namely technological innovation, accelerated change at the societal level, and changes in the pace of life (Rosa 2010a, p. 33).According to Hartmut Rosa, social acceleration not only impact daily routine but also touches individual perception of and the way people handle (Rosa 2013, pp. 13-19). Indeed, several empirical studies have identified how technology development and societal changes (increases in work competition, rates of economic growth, automobile ownership, and use of speedy devices) affect the pace of everyday life (Roxburgh 2002; Teuchmann, Totterdell and Parker 1999; Wajcman 2008). Rosa has observed that maintaining the pace of life is like standing on the sliding rooftop (Rosa 2010a, pp. 87-88). That is, people need to balance their pace of life against the demands of fast-changing society; by failing to do so, they slip off the inclined roof, risking social exclusion and alienation.Keeping pace with social change and efforts to synchronize with disruptions that often result from change can be very stressful. Recent empirical studies report that time-related stress, described as feeling rushed, hurriedness, and feeling busy, can have direct or indirect impact on psychological as well as physical health outcomes (Roxburgh 2012; Sullivan 2007; Szollos 2009). It is therefore crucial in contemporary societies to examine the relationship between health outcomes time-related stress.Arguments have also emerged in the literature that there are several types of resisting force that create delay or actually decelerate the speed of social change. Natural disasters (e.g., heavy snow, floods, etc.), long distances, illness, and pregnancy tend to limit the effects of speedy innovations (Rosa 2010a, p. 34). Human societies have mostly overcome those types of hurdles so far. Recent social movements, however, have intentionally resisted this on-going social process by introducing the idea of time escape. This emphasizes that caring, sharing, and building memories are the essence of human nature and that they take and energy (Urry 2010; Yee and Chang 2009). …