Aging & Society: Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

Anticipated changes in senior citizen demographics in South Korea, characterized as both super aging and multicultural, suggests a future coexistence that will require participation from all sectors of Korean society to address. This research takes on the proposition put forward by a number of scholars who urge for a non-othering conceptual framework for how we approach and advocate on issues of access, aging, disability, and multiculturalism (Mingus 2011; Kafter, 2013). Specifically, this study takes on the inquiry of how our shared present can better integrate an understanding of our future selves in relation to who will all have a direct experience with aging and disability, and applies it to the fields of art education and wellness studies. Within the context of South Korea, although the government supports and implements art education programs via social welfare agencies, and despite the benefits identified by numerous descriptive studies on art and wellness, and art therapy and rehabilitation, very few senior citizens spend any of their leisure time engaged in art education activities. Beyond upholding the assumption of art serving as a source of vitality in everyday life, the main research question reconsiders the impact of the changing demographic on education. It follows that this study combines mixed-methods research–drawing on survey and then in-depth interviews with elderly participants, social workers, and teaching artists for insights. The findings thus far highlight specific potential for further research on designing, engaging, and evaluating aged and intergenerational learner experiences.