A Reinvented Community: The Case of Gamcheon Culture Village

This study explores Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan, South Korea, as a special case of inclusive and participatory cultural-spatial transformation by which the village was transformed from an impoverished and decaying hillside slum into a vital and picturesque location and tourist attraction. The...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sociological spectrum 2018-03, Vol.38 (2), p.86-102
Main Authors: Choi, Yon Jung, McNeely, Connie L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activism
Artists
Arts
Civil society
Cooperation
Culture
Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship
Humanities
Participation
Quality of life
Redevelopment
Rural communities
Sense of community
Slums
Social dynamics
Social entrepreneurship
Social systems
Social well being
Transformation
Well being
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Summary:This study explores Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan, South Korea, as a special case of inclusive and participatory cultural-spatial transformation by which the village was transformed from an impoverished and decaying hillside slum into a vital and picturesque location and tourist attraction. The study delineates this process in terms of a distinctive engagement of the arts and cultural dynamics relative to general social well-being. Of particular note are the roles of resident activism and civil society, social entrepreneurs, and the arts and artists as key resources, all coming together in an organic redevelopment process. Evidence indicates an increased sense of community and cooperation, overall improvement in the quality of life, and cultural enrichment for the residents. However, transformation continues, and the sustainability of Gamcheon Culture Village as a successful case of redevelopment is dependent on the ongoing cooperation and participation of the resident base and primary artistic support.
ISSN:0273-2173
1521-0707
DOI:10.1080/02732173.2018.1430635