불안의 전면화와 현대사회의 점복행위－점복인․점복관련업종사자들의 심층면접을 중심으로－

Abstract

For all ages and countries, divination is omnipresent as human finiteness and the desire for prediction coexist. Just as Korean society changes, divination exists, changing along with the society. Understanding the existence of ubiquitous divination helps apprehend the aspects of divination in modern society, and gives insight into changes in divination in the future. The purpose of the study is to interpret the transformation and social context of divination. The researcher interprets the transformation and characteristics of the influx of diviners, the change in the age of diviners, the tendency of divinatory practice, and the content of divination through in-depth interviews of diviners. First, the ‘Diviner as the Second Occupation’ type emerges. The resignation of highly educated is accelerated by the flexibility of labor, which is one of the characteristics of employment in neoliberalism. As a result, more people choose the divinatory field as their ‘second occupation’, due to its relatively low entry barriers and the fact that there is no retirement. Second, the educational degree of diviners is appreciated as people born after the 1980s, where the percentage of college graduates is high, flow into the divinatory field. The social treatment of diviners tends to improve as the diviners have higher degrees. Third, due to the influx and migration into the divinatory field with its low entry barriers, the phenomenon of layering in divination appears. The phenomenon appears to be a trendy change on the outside, but internally is an aspect of commercialization. The tendency of existing diviners re-entering the field by learning divination that is relatively easier is growing. Fourth, due to the generalization of anxiety, the age group of people approaching divination is not limited to a specific generation. In particular, the age group which uses mass media relatively freely and is highly adaptable to changes is receptive to new types of divination, such as tarot. Fifth, as the mass media develops and the educational background of diviners has appreciated overall, the entertainment and consolation of divination rather than blind faith in divination is highlighted. The public seeks divination to vent their anxiety and to find consolation. They require divination when facing null option due to the overflow of information of modern society. Therefore, divination has surfaced as a consolation factor.