THE CULTURAL PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF THE FIT BODY IN SOUTH KOREA: FOCUS ON ESTABLISHED – OUTSIDER FIGURATION OF THE BODY IN THE FITNESS FIELD Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Leicester by Hye Won Choo Department of Media and Communication University of Leicester 2015 The Cultural Production and Consumption of the Fit Body in South Korea: Focus on Established - Outsider Figuration of the Body in the Fitness Field ABSTRACT This thesis examines the ways in which the fit body has acted as an established form of capital in Korea. In addressing this question, this research explores the theoretical and methodological links between Bourdieu‘s and Elias‘s perspectives. In particular, using the fitness field as the context, this study examines specific types of valued capital and assesses the ways in which figurations between actors are produced and reproduced in ways that reinforce and sometimes disrupt ‗established-outsider‘ (E- O) figurations in other fields (such as the academic field). In working toward its findings, this work makes use of multiple methods, including historical media analysis, media production study, interviews, and comparison of Gangnam and Gangbuk, to name but a few. This diverse array of approaches allows for a more robust and nuanced look at the E-O figuration of the body (Elias & Scotson, 1994) that grounded the production and reproduction of body capital and habitus in the fitness field. The findings also reveal that fit bodies are pivotal to the formation of symbolic power in Korean socio-historical contexts. E-O figuration of fitness media production teams influences media texts. Fitness media texts underline the virtue of fit bodies while disguising symbolic violence toward the outsider body. TV producers of fitness programs and star trainers as cultural intermediaries reproduce the belief in the notion of the fit body through media strategies that include storytelling, body models, and intellectualization. Fitness clubs, members, and trainers in Gangnam and Gangbuk are distinguished by their fitness capital, academic capital, and civility. Thus, in contemporary Korean society, fitness is a hidden path that allows for and consolidates the reproduction of Established-Outsider hierarchies; as such, it has a distinctive/civilized mode, a specific form of cultural capital, and undeniable connection to Western fitness culture. KEY WORDS: body, fitness, power, cultural capital, habitus, Established-Outsider relations. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am delighted to have this opportunity to express my gratitude to everyone who helped me during the Ph.D. process. This thesis would not have been completed without my supervisor‘s continuous encouragement, invaluable support, inspiring guidance, and heartfelt concern. Her abundant academic advice and knowledge, critical and insightful discussions and suggestions, and endless patience made my research project possible. I thus am happy to express my deepest gratitude to Dr. Jennifer Smith Maguire. I am also very thankful to Dr. Roger Dickinson, my second supervisor, for all of his contributions of clear-sighted academic advice, discussions, and suggestions, and support to make my Ph.D. experience productive and stimulating. Thanks are extended to Dr. Jessica Bain and Dr. Julian Matthews who provided their advice and assistance through annual reports. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Professor Grant Jarvie and Professor Helen Wood for examining my thesis and providing me with their very productive comments. They gave me invaluable wisdom that helped me to rethink my thesis and its future development. Thanks for Professor Joseph Maguire‘s influential support. It was an honour to attend his outstanding lectures in my school days, and I will always be grateful for all that he has done to help me and my family. Professor Choi Hyeon-cheol, with his endless encouragement and reliable support, made it possible for me to endure this Ph.D. process. My field research would not have been possible without his academic advice and realistic guidance. For 15 years, I have been greatly indebted to him, and I want to express my warmest thanks to my former supervisor in Korea. I extend my gratitude to other respected scholars who helped me during my academic journey, Professor Auh Taik-sup, Professor Kim Min-hwan, Professor Han Jin-man, Professor Choi Chang-sup, Professor Chang Ik-jin, Professor Lim Young-ho, Professor Chae Baek, Professor Lee Hae-gap, and Professor Ma Dong-hoon. I am truly grateful for all of the participants in this research. They gave me their precious time and experience without any remuneration. My thanks go especially to Lee Hyo- jae and Lee Deok-jae. My thanks go to my colleagues and friends, who have helped me in various ways, especially Chan-yee, Bo-young , Hee-kyung, and Oh Dae-gyu. I lost my dad during my Ph.D. studies. It would have been better if he could see my last day as a student, but at least he knew that day would arrive. I would also like to thank my mum and parents-in-law and the rest of my family for their endless love and encouragement. Myungsun and Curie were always there to comfort me and stood by me through the wonderful, the ordinary, and the bad days. iii LIST OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................... iii LIST OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... x Introduction: The Birth of Korean Consumer Bodies ................................................................... 1 1. The Context for the Research: Korean Consumer Body Culture .................................. 2 1.1 Korean Consumer Culture ............................................................................................... 2 1.2 Korean Body Culture ...................................................................................................... 4 1.3 Korean Fitness Culture .................................................................................................... 6 2. The Statement of Research Questions........................................................................... 8 Chapter 1 Established-Outsider Figuration of the Body in the Fitness Field: Bourdieu, Elias, and Their Complementary Usages .............................................................................................. 13 1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 13 1.2 Bourdieu ............................................................................................................................ 14 1.2.1 Fitness as a Cultural Field .......................................................................................... 14 1.2.2 Class, Capital, and Habitus ........................................................................................ 18 1.2.3 Cultural Intermediaries ............................................................................................... 20 1.3 Elias................................................................................................................................... 23 1.3.1 Established and Outsider Figuration .......................................................................... 23 1.3.2 The Civilizing Process ............................................................................................... 25 1.3.3 E–O Figuration of the Body and the Pronoun Model ................................................ 27 1.4 Theoretical Framework: E-O Figuration of the Body in the Fitness Field ....................... 28 1.5 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 33 Chapter 2 Literature Review: Bodies, Class and Fitness........................................................... 34 2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 34 2.2 An Overview of the Body Issues in Korea........................................................................ 34 2.3 Korean Consumer and Tastes ........................................................................................... 38 2.4 Hakbeol (academic) Capital .............................................................................................. 40 2.5 Fitness Culture .................................................................................................................. 43 2.6 Fitness Media .................................................................................................................... 44 iv 2.7 Fitness Media Production.................................................................................................. 46 2.8 Cultural Intermediaries of the Fit Body ............................................................................ 47 2.9 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................