1st Edition

The Dark Side of our Society An Ethnography of Suicide, Mental Health, and Education in (Post-) COVID South Korea

By Bryce Anderson Copyright 2026
164 Pages 6 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge India

164 Pages 6 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge India

164 Pages 6 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge India

This book is an ethnography of the South Korean education system, the cultural pressures it reflects, and how these contribute to the mental health struggles of the Korean youth. It focuses on the young adult population of South Korea and examines how experiences of stress, alienation, and institutional pressure relate to Durkheimian themes such as anomie (normlessness) and fatalism (oppressive... Read more

List of Figures viii Acknowledgements ix Introduction: Beginnings Prologue 1 1 Transitions and Private Education in South Korea 11 2 Engaging Narratives and Methodological Insights 30 3 The Kkondae: Social Expectations and the South Korean Boomer 41 4 Hell Joseon 68 5 Consequences of a Changing Society: Youth Suicide Amid an “Enlightened” South Korea 90 6 Mental Health and Support Systems in the South Korean Context 115 7 Art, Symbolism, and Social Reflection 141 Epilogue: “The Suicide Guy” 147 Index 151

Biography

Bryce Anderson received his PhD in social anthropology from Dalhousie University, Canada, in 2023. He teaches classes in anthropology, cultural studies, and sociology, while conducting research in social theory and suicide.