Analyzing real-life jeong (정) experiences reported by 74 university students, the study finds that jeong grows through caring for each other and works as “psychological insurance” to lean on in hard times.
The Psychological Interior and Social-Cultural Functions of Korean Cheong
정(情)의 심리적 구조와 사회-문화적 기능분석
QUESTION
In actual jeong relationships, what behaviors make people judge that jeong has formed, how is jeong expressed, what good does a jeong relationship do (its motive), and what feelings come with it?
FINDINGS
Every respondent said the person they share jeong with also feels jeong for them — a jeong relationship is not one-way but built together.
성관계는 어떤 한 사람 또는 일 방향에서 설정 되는 것이 아니라 '서로 같이 만들어 가는 것'이라고 볼 수 있다는 것이 시사된다…it is suggested that a jeong relationship is not set up by one person or in one direction, but is “something made together.”p8'자신이 가장 정을 느끼는 대상도 당신에게 정을 느끼고 있습니까?'라고 직접 질문을 하였으며, 모든 피험자가 이 응답에 동의하였다We asked directly, “Does the person you feel the most jeong for also feel jeong for you?” — and every participant said yes.p8People judged that someone feels jeong for them mainly by “caring” (akkyeojum, 아껴줌), but judged their own jeong mainly by “we-ness and oneness.”
어떤 사람이 자신에 대해 정을 느끼고 있다고 판단하는 가장 주된 근거는 '아껴중'이었다면, 자신이 어떤 사람에 대해 정을 느끼고 있는 근거로는 '우리성 _ 일체감이 가장 주된 근거If the main basis for judging that someone feels jeong for oneself was “caring,” the main basis for one’s own jeong toward someone was “we-ness/oneness.”p9People most wanted to see someone they share jeong with in hard, lonely times, and the benefit of jeong was emotional stability (security, comfort) far more than practical gain.
'정서적 안정 기 능` 범주의 응답이 64.5%이었고, '실질적 이익 기능' 의 범주 응답이 26.5%라는 점…the point that responses in the “emotional stability function” category were 64.5%, and in the “practical benefit function” category 26.5%…p10'힘들고 외로운 상황'의 부정적 맥락(49.2%)…the negative context of 'hard and lonely situations' (49.2%)…p10응답유형 1 '든든하고, 의지가 됨•, 3 '마음 편하다', 4 '즐겁다' 등에서 나타난 ,정서적 안정'과 응답유형 2의 '일상생활에서 도움을 준다'에서 나타난 ,실질적 이익'…'emotional stability,' seen in response type 1 'reassuring, someone to lean on,' 3 'feel at ease,' and 4 'enjoyable,' and 'practical benefit,' seen in response type 2 'helps in daily life'…p10The most typical feeling when with someone you share jeong with was “comfort.”
'정관계'를 전형적 으로 나타내는 청서가 ,편안함•임을 시사한다…suggests that the emotion that typically represents a “jeong relationship” is “comfort.”p11The authors interpret jeong relationships as “psychological insurance” to rely on in hardship, with jeong partners outside the family acting as “quasi-family” or “family stand-ins.”
재난이나 어려움을 당했을 때 도움을 주는 보험과 간이 '심리지 보q(psychological insurance)' 의 기능을 주로 담당하고 있다고 해석해 볼 수 있다.…it can be interpreted as mainly serving the function of “psychological insurance,” like insurance that helps when one meets disaster or hardship.p11결국 가족의 범위 밖에서 '정관계'를 맺고 있는 대상은 '유사(歟劂 가족' 또는 '가족 대리인의 역할을 한다고 볼 때…if the people one forms jeong relationships with outside the family act as 'quasi-family' or 'family surrogates'…p12IN DAILY LIFE
Passing around a glass still wet from another person’s mouth and spooning stew from one shared pot — a way of showing self-sacrifice by even accepting the unhygienic.
상대방의 입 속에 있는 음식물이 묻은 술잔을 그대로 돌려가며 술을 마시는 행위, 한 그릇의 찌개 를 놓고 함께 떠먹는 행위…the act of passing around and drinking from a glass with food from the other person’s mouth on it, the act of eating together from a single bowl of stew…p4불결함이나 비위생도 감수한다는 자기 희생의 표현심리가 묵시적으로 관여되어 있다…implicitly involves a psychology of expressing self-sacrifice — being willing to put up even with uncleanliness and poor hygiene.p4Couples who call their spouse “sickening” or “like an enemy,” yet stay together and, when asked why, say “we just live on because of jeong.”
성인들의 일상대화에서 ,지긋지긋한' 또 는 '원수같은' 남편이니, •바가지 긁는' 또는 '점 보따 리 같은' 여편네니 하는 말을 자주 듣는다.In adults’ everyday talk we often hear about a “sickening” or “enemy-like” husband, or a “nagging” or “burden-like” wife.p2이러한 부부들도 그저 해어지지 않고 살아가며 그- 이유를 물으면 '781 때문에 사는 것 뿐,이라고 말한다…yet such couples simply go on living together without splitting up, and when asked why, they say, “We just live together because of jeong.”p2A late student telling the professor, “I got so absorbed in your book I lost track of time” — a well-meant excuse that props up the professor’s pride.
수업에 늦게 온 학생이 흔히 “교수님 책에 빠져 시간가는 줄 몰라 늦었습니다”라고 말함으로써A student who comes late to class often says, “I was so absorbed in your book, professor, that I lost track of time,” thereby…p4교수의 자존심을 회복시키려는 선의의 핑계…a well-meant excuse meant to restore the professor's pride…p4In depth
This paper, more closely — every sentence carries an original quote and page number.
Background
Earlier jeong research mostly used questionnaires to draw out people’s mental image (representation) of jeong — but that could not show how jeong actually passes between people in real life.
표상연구가 갖는 취약점은 정이 구체적인 사회적 실제상황에서 어떤 행동과 방식으로 소통되며The weakness of such representation studies is [in showing] by what behaviors and ways jeong is communicated in concrete, real social situations…p6주로 질문지를 이용해서 정에 대한 사회적 표상을 추출喬卜는 방식을 통해 얻어진 결과들이다…are results obtained mainly by using questionnaires to extract social representations of jeong.p6Because the jeong in our heads and the jeong at work in daily life may differ, this study focused on the concrete behaviors and activities of jeong in everyday life.
머리 속에 있는 청 구성(構成)과 실생활 속에서 작용하는 청 현상(現狀)은 반드시 일치하지는 않을 수도 있다The construction of jeong in the head and the phenomenon of jeong operating in real life may not necessarily coincide.p6본 연구에서는 정관계가 일상생활에서 작동되괴 기능하는 상황 속에서 실제로 일어나는 정의 구체적 행위와 활동(practical activity)이 어떻게 이루어지고 있는가를 밝히는데 초점을This study focuses on revealing how the concrete behaviors and practical activities of jeong actually take place in situations where jeong relationships operate in everyday life…p6Method
Respondents pictured one real person they share jeong with and wrote concrete case-based answers; the answers were content-analyzed by grouping similar meanings in several stages (three graduate students classified them, requiring at least 2-of-3 agreement).
C대학에 재학중인 90명의 남녀 대학생이었으며, 이 중 정을 나누는 대상으로 가족구성원을 선성한 16명의 응답자를 제외한 74명…were 90 male and female students at C University, of whom 74, excluding 16 respondents who chose a family member as the person they share jeong with…p8응답자 자신이 정을 나누는 대표적인 사람을 머리속에 떠올려 보라고 지시한 후…after instructing respondents to bring to mind a representative person with whom they share jeong…p7구체적인 사례경험을 준거로하여 응답하도록 하는 방법을 도입하였다…we introduced a method of having them answer based on concrete case experiences.p7질문 1) 그 사람도 당신에 대해 정을 느끼고 있습니가? 그리고 그 사람의 무엇을 효고 당신에게 정을 느끼고 있다고 생각하십니까?Question 1) Does that person also feel jeong for you? And what about that person makes you think they feel jeong for you?p7질문 2) 당신 ^^루가 그 사람에 대해 정이 들었다고 생각하는 근거는 무엇입니까? 질문 3) 당신은 그 사람에게 어떤 방식으로 정이나 정의 마음을 표현합니까?Question 2) On what grounds do you think you have grown attached to that person? Question 3) How do you express jeong or a jeong-filled heart to that person?p7질문 4) 당신은 어떤 경우에 그 사람을 보고싶습니까? 질문 5) 당신이 그 사람과 정을 나누면서 경험하는 좋은 점은 무엇입니까? 또한 나쁜 점은 무엇입니까Question 4) When do you want to see that person? Question 5) What good things do you experience sharing jeong with that person? And what bad things?p8질문 6) 당신이 그 사람과 함께 있을 때 경험하는 감정이나 기분은 무엇입니까?Question 6) What feelings or moods do you experience when you are with that person?p874명(남. 44, 여. 30)을 분석자료로 사용하였다…74 (44 men, 30 women) were used as analysis data.p8이와 동질의 다른 항목과 묶어 그 성격을 규정하는 다단계 묶음화(grouping) 방법을 적용하였다…applied a multistage grouping method, combining items with others of the same quality and defining their character.p8대학원생 3명이 참가하여 평쟁자간에 2/3 이상의 일치를 보는 방식으로 분류하였으며…three graduate students took part, classifying responses so that at least 2/3 of raters agreed…p8Detailed findings
The most common sign that the other person feels jeong for me was “caring” — concern and consideration, helping, worrying about me (37.1%).
'관심과 배려', •도와중', '걱정해중', '나를 잘 이해해줌' 등의 '아껴중'의 범주 (37.1%)가 가장 높은 빈도를 보인다…the “caring” category, such as “concern and consideration,” “helping,” “worrying about me,” and “understanding me well” (37.1%), showed the highest frequency.p8The most common sign that I feel jeong for them was “we-ness and oneness” — knowing them well, having spent a long time together, feeling empty when they are not around (56.9%).
'상대를 잘 알고', '오랜동안 지내왔으다, ,옆에 없으면 허전' 등의 우리성_일체감 범주 (56.9%)가 가장 높은 빈도를…the we-ness/oneness category, such as “knowing the other well,” “having spent a long time together,” and “feeling empty when they’re not around” (56.9%), showed the highest frequency.p9Jeong was expressed through concrete actions such as keeping in touch often, spending time together, and doing what the other person wants.
'자주 연락하는 행위', 응답유형 2 '같이 시간을 보내기', 응답유형 3 '상대가 원하는 것을 해주기'…“contacting often,” response type 2 “spending time together,” response type 3 “doing what the other wants”…p9The times people most wanted to see their jeong partner were negative situations — “hard and lonely” times (49.2%).
'힘들고 외로운 상황'의 부정적 맥락(49.2%)…the negative context of “hard and lonely situations” (49.2%)…p10The benefit of sharing jeong was “emotional stability” such as security and comfort (64.5%) far more than practical help in daily life (26.5%).
'정서적 안정 기능` 범주의 응답이 64.5%이었고, '실질적 이익 기능' 의 범주 응답이 26.5%Responses in the “emotional stability function” category were 64.5%, and in the “practical benefit function” category 26.5%.p10응답유형 1 '든든하고, 의지가 됨•, 3 '마음 편하다', 4 '즐겁다' 등에서 나타난 ,정서적 안정'과 응답유형 2의 '일상생활에서 도움을 준다'에서 나타난 ,실질적 이익'…'emotional stability,' seen in response type 1 'reassuring, someone to lean on,' 3 'feel at ease,' and 4 'enjoyable,' and 'practical benefit,' seen in response type 2 'helps in daily life'…p10Asked about the downsides of being with a jeong partner, the most common answer was “none” (26.5%).
'없다가 가장 높은 빈도(26.5%)를 차지하괴“None” took the highest frequency (26.5%)…p10The most typical feeling with a jeong partner was “comfort,” followed by “joy and fun.”
가장 주조적인 정서는 응답유형 1 '편안함'으로 나타났다. 그리고 응답유형 2에서 나타난 ,기쁨, 즐거움'의 정서가 다음을 이루The most dominant emotion appeared as response type 1, “comfort.” Next came the emotion of “joy, fun” in response type 2…p11Answers to differently focused questions all converged on the same three categories: we-ness/oneness, caring, and no-barriers ease (heomuleopseum, 허물없음).
동일한 내용의 법주, 즉 1. 우리성 - 일체감, 2. 아껴중, 3. 허물없음으로 나타났다…appeared as categories of the same content, namely 1. we-ness/oneness, 2. caring, 3. no barriers.p12서로 중-복되면서도 질문의 초점에서 차이를 둔 질문들에 대해 얻어진 자료를 분석해 본 결과 동일한 내용으로 합일된다는 점이다…analyzing data from questions that overlapped yet differed in focus, the answers converged on the same content.p12Authors’ interpretation
Because jeong relationships provide emotional reliance and practical help, weighted toward emotional stability, much like a family does, the authors infer that jeong relationships become the family’s most important function itself.
'정관계•는 가족의 가장 중요한 기능 그 자체가 된다고 추론할 수 있다It can be inferred that the “jeong relationship” becomes the most important function of the family itself.p12이런 가족의 기능은 정의 목적론적 기능인 '정서지 의지,와 '실질적 문제 해결'도 거의 흡사한 형태를 띠고 있을뿐더러 '정서적 안정'에 더 비중이 있다는 것까지 공통적으로 적용이 된다These family functions take almost the same form as jeong's teleological functions — 'emotional reliance' and 'practical problem-solving' — and even the greater weight on 'emotional stability' applies to both.p12A child first leans emotionally on parents and family through jeong; growing up, they form jeong relationships outside the family and so find that support beyond the family’s fence.
가족이라는 울타리를 넘어서도 가족들로부터 얻었던 ,정서적 의지'를 찾을 수 있는 것이다…one can find, even beyond the fence of the family, the “emotional reliance” once obtained from family members.p12아등-은 최초 부모와 이 후 다른 가족의 성원과 •정관계'를 맺으므로써 '정서적 의지'를 얻는다Children first form jeong relationships with their parents and then other family members, thereby gaining 'emotional reliance'.p12Ordinary people’s understanding of jeong is woven together around “mind” (maeum, 마음), unlike traditional psychology which splits cognition, emotion, behavior, and motive.
인간 심리를 구성하는 형태와는 달리 통합적으로 구성된다는 점이…is that it is constructed in an integrated way, unlike the form of constructing human psychology [by separating cognition, emotion, behavior, and motive].p12전통적 일반심리학에서 인지, 감정, 행위, 동기 등과 같은…such as cognition, emotion, behavior, and motivation in traditional general psychology…p12특히 정과 같이 인간의 '마음쓰기' 또는 '마음'을 준거적 거점으로 구성되는…especially those, like jeong, constructed with human 'maeum-sseugi' (caring) or 'maeum' (heart/mind) as their reference point…p12Limits the authors note
The authors themselves noted that asking respondents — rather than the other person directly — why the other person feels jeong for them could be questioned.
상대방이 자신에게 정을 느끼고 있다는 근거를 상대방에게 직접 물지 않고 당사자로 하여금 그- 근거를 묻는 방법…the method of asking the person themselves for the basis on which the other feels jeong for them, without asking the other person directly…p13Key terms
Simjeong (심정, 心情) The feeling that arises when the other person’s behavior falls short of what you expected in a relationship you are part of — and your own awareness of that feeling.
상대의 행동이 자신의 기대와 일탈될 때 생겨나는 마음과 마음의 자각…the mind that arises when the other’s behavior deviates from one’s expectations, and the awareness of that mind.p3나'라고 하는 자기(自회가 관여된 인간관계 상황에서 상대의 행동이 자신의…in relationship situations involving the self, the 'I', when the other's behavior [departs from] one's own…p3Psychological insurance The function of a jeong relationship as something to lean on in hard times, like insurance that helps when disaster or trouble strikes.
재난이나 어려움을 당했을 때 도움을 주는 보험과 간이 '심리지 보q(psychological insurance)'…“psychological insurance,” like insurance that helps when one meets disaster or hardship.p11Jeong and we-ness (uriseong, 우리성) Jeong and we-ness define each other like two forms of one body: jeong is “we-ness that is felt,” and we-ness is “jeong that is recognized.”
정이 '느껴진 우리성'이라 한다면, 우리성은 '인식된 정회라고If jeong is “felt we-ness,” then we-ness can be interpreted as “recognized jeong.”p6따라서 정과 우리성은 서로가 서로의 성격을 규정하는 필수적인 개념이자 단서가 되며Thus jeong and we-ness are essential concepts and cues that define each other's character…p6정과 우리성은 ,역환적 이형동체(逆換的 異形同&)'라고 규정해 볼 수 있다…jeong and we-ness can be defined as 'reciprocal different forms of one body'.p6