Citation

Ha KM. Disasters 2018; 42(4): 804-822.

Affiliation

Research Director, Korea Environmental and Safety Institute, South Korea.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/disa.12283

PMID

29578637

Abstract

Numerous Western researchers have examined the influence of Confucianism on development in Asia, but almost no South Korean researchers have studied the topic in regard to emergency management in their own country. This study begins by considering Confucianism as a social culture. Next, it goes on to evaluate its role in South Korea's emergency management system, contributing, ultimately, to efficiencies in emergency management. Drawing on a literature review and a case study, the paper assesses the double- and single-faced approaches, using four major Confucian components: destiny; family; ritual; and relation. The double-faced approach includes the positive and negative aspects of emergency management, whereas the single-faced approach incorporates only its positive aspects. This paper provides, for the first time, a systematic analysis of the relationship between Confucianism and emergency management in South Korea. Its key finding is that the double-faced approach needs to be transformed into a single-faced approach through active facilitation of behavioural change.

© 2018 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2018.

Language: en

Keywords

Confucius; behavioural change; destiny; disaster management; family; relation; ritual; social culture