중국조선족 서신데이터베이스를 통해 본조선족 노인의 위상 - 1980년대 조선족 노인협회를 중심으로 –

Abstract

This study examines the roles and statuses of the elderly in the Korean-Chinese community through the correspondences of the Korean-Chinese. The old age period is very vague and it is difficult to establish a starting point. However, the nationally established age of retirement is often considered to be the start of the old age period. According to correspondence data of the Korean-Chinese, those ages 55 to 60 were established to be in their retirement period during the 1980s in Korean-Chinese societies and a certain standard of living was guaranteed after retirement. Elderly groups were active with the Senior Citizens Association at the center and their representative activities were embodied in the conveyance of folk customs and traditional etiquette to future generations and in the discovery, collection, and organization of folk art. As the Cultural Revolution came to a close, efforts were actively made to recover the unique culture and traditions of the people to restore their ethnicity and the Senior Citizens Association greatly contributed to the restoration of tradition. The Korean-Chinese elderly played the roles of memory messengers and cultural transmitters and they were also the true enjoyers of traditional art.