Booking (clubbing): Difference between revisions

[[Korean Confucianism|Confucianism in Korea]] has had a profound effect on social interactions, in traditional Confucianism one was expected to give proper deference and respect to one another based on one's position within a five level hierarchy, only the bottom of which was of one between equals, onesone's position in this hierarchy was based on a mix of onesone's ancestry, family position, official offices if any and social status. With regards to marriage one was expected to find a partner of the same social status as onesone's own, an appropriate partner being one whose status was neither above nor beneath onesone's own, to facilitate this there was the traditional [[Matchmaking|matchmaker]].

As South Korea urbanised and industrialised, the hierarchical stratification of society remained, in addition to ancestry onesone's social position in Korean society now includes the level of onesone's education, alma mater, profession, which company one works for and onesone's position and seniority (whether one is a seonbae or hubae) within the company. Increasingly less so, social interactions would become paralysed unless people were properly introduced and so could determine onesone's social position with regards one another, fear of behaving inappropriately to onesone's own position leading to an outright refusal to interact with strangers. With regards to marriage meeting people outside one's established social circle is difficult, and within this circle, for example with work colleagues, one is constrained by what would be considered appropriate and inappropriate relationships depending on onesone's seniority and position in the hierarchy. The old professional matchmakers still exist, and friends and family will act as informal matchmakers, however even when both parties are interested in meeting a member of the opposite sex, such as when clubbing, a Korean would find it difficult to ask a stranger for a dance, a date, or more, and those who do would be seen negatively by the more conservative.

In booking clubs groups of men will pay for a booth or room, the higher priced they are the better placed they are to observe the dance floor, they will also order a set of drinks and snacks for their table. The male groups are assigned a waiter who for tips will try andto bring female patrons to their table, if they see a specific girl on the dance floor that they are interested in they may ask their waiter to try andto bring her to their table. Although to outsiders, these clubs have been mistaken for [[Host and hostess clubs|hostess clubs]], the women are not employees nor are they prostitutes but fellow clubbers, they are free to leave at any time, and male patrons should not make the mistake that their payment to the waiter, however much it may be, entitles them to anything but the opportunity to introduce themselves, or that it relieves them of the need to be gentlemen.

[[Category:SouthCulture Koreanof South cultureKorea]]