The purposes of this study are to analyze the new trends of consumption
culture enjoyed by the modern women that appeared in the rapidly changing
society due to the inflow of Western culture into Korea and to discover one of
the aspects of the modern women of the day.
In the beginning, the word ‘modern women’ were mostly interpreted as those
women who received the new modern education at school, used as the opposite
word for ‘old fashioned women or traditional women.’
The modern women appeared as the new main agent of product consumption
pursuing new changes and trends for their look and style. However, as the
category of the modern women gradually and socially became broadened, the
men-oriented society began giving them a negative look. Accordingly, the image
of the modern women also changed; they were considered as negative factors that
habitually spend their money and have extravagant tastes.
When it comesto the flow of modern commercials, advertisements of cigarettes
and alcohol, which frequently appeared before 1900s and between 1910s and
1920s, slowly disappeared giving other products spots of the advertisements.
Medicine and medical supplies had the largest number of advertisements during
modern times, placing themselves as the most popular advertiser. In 1910s,
accessories such as shoes, watches, hats, and glasses ranked the second taking a
37.4% of advertisements followed by cosmetic advertisements. These product
commercials and advertisements prove that new consumption culture appeared in
the modern times. The increase of the advertisements of accessories, cosmetics, and
clothes especially show that consumption of woman consumers also gradually
increased in the modern times.
Various products were actively consumed by modern women such as cosmetics,
clothes, and accessories that can enhance their appearance; the modern women
clearly showed differences in their appearance from the traditional women.
Furthermore, there also had been a social conflict between the traditional women
who pursued traditions and the modern women who actively accepted new
cultures.
These analyses imply that the modern women who received the new education
pursued new things and changes placing themselves at the center of new
consumption culture; this image has settled as one of the general characteristics
of the modern women separated from the traditional women.