Research Reports
Research about the Use of Community Center in Rural Area
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AuthorKim, Dongweon
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Publication Date2012.07.30
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Original
The community centers were established in the same shape as the present one in every town nationwide led by the government to promote the Saemaul Movement in the early 1970s. Since then, after about 40 years, there were large changes in the name and functions of the community center along with the changes in rural population and environment. But it is still used as the most important community facility in town.
Recently, as the population in rural areas has been reduced continuously and as the aging of population progressed faster than in cities, the central functions and users of the community center are changing, but its operational program and related policies and system to accept positively the changes of the community center are insufficient. This study was implemented for the purpose of suggesting a vitalization plan through research about the overall use of the community center. For the analysis on the use of the community center, we surveyed rural residents by mail for one month in June 2012 and analyzed 625 valid questionnaires to understand the factors that contribute to the users' satisfaction level.
According to the research results, 85.5% of the towns use the facility in multiple ways as a community center and a senior citizens center. Also, as operation programs and policy supports are made focusing on elders, the function as a community space for residents has been weakened and the trend that the community hall gradually becomes a senior citizens center is vivid. The use ratio of the community center is 85.6% but when considering only the original purpose of the community center, more than 3 of 10 are in idleness. Therefore, multiple use plans should be prepared.
The elders and housewives are the main users of the community center and in 82.3% of the towns, meals are served mostly for them. The most necessary parts in providing the meals are costs and manpower. Since the public services and facilities provided to the community center are mostly for elders, there is a limitation in using the facility as a multi-purpose community center where every resident participates. It is also investigated that 6 of 10 towns have conflicts related to the management of the community center. In the survey, 82.6% of the respondents said that the community center is the only community facility and 88.8% responded that the community center is very important in town.
Accordingly, it is needed to establish the function of the community center and prepare a vitalization plan with a futuristic viewpoint reflecting the changes in rural areas. In addition, since there is no clear entity to supervise the community center administratively, a policy support system for the community center should be established. Along with these, it is needed to develop a managing and operation model for the community center to provide customized services in consideration of population, distance from downtown, and cultural environment.
Researchers: Dong-Weon Kim, Byoung-Hoon Lee, Kwang-Sun Kim, Hye-Jin Park
Research period: 2012.4 ~ 2012. 7
E-mail address: dongweon@krei.re.kr
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