With the improvement in quality of life led by rapid economic growth, Korea has seen the weekly 5-day work system from 2004 and the weekly 5-day school system from 2012, which are aimed at creating family centered leisure culture. As economic affluenc...
With the improvement in quality of life led by rapid economic growth, Korea has seen the weekly 5-day work system from 2004 and the weekly 5-day school system from 2012, which are aimed at creating family centered leisure culture. As economic affluence and hours to be spent for leisure and hobbies have increased, cultural interests and desires of teenagers as well as adults have risen. Therefore, now is time to prepare and improve systematic approaches related to leisure-time utilization and needs satisfaction.
Juvenile policy necessary to draw and increase their interest in a culture is considered considerably significant in every country in the aspect that the policy helps develop the potential of the youth and help them grow as socially responsible adults.
Therefore, in order to prepare measures for juvenile needs satisfaction and to help them develop their potential and thus grow as responsible members of the society, among juvenile facilities, a juvenile cultural center, which is a physical training facility located at the easy-to-access place in a local community, was chosen. Based on the investigation of the center, this study is intended to propose a plan to improve the center as a facility reflecting juveniles' environmental psychology and behavior and thus increase its utilization value.
In chapter 1, study background, purpose, scope, and methods were described, and previous studies were investigated to analyze the trend of relevant studies and make this study's differentiation.
In chapter 2, based on literature survey, theoretical examinations on definition of environmental psychology and behavior, definition of juveniles, issues and policies, juveniles' environmental psychology and behavior and their development were conducted.
Environmental psychology and behavior study, which is about human behavioral system relevant to physical environment, is applied to this study as fundamental theories for a rational and systematic plan of the juvenile cultural center. Therefore, this researcher investigated the characteristics of juveniles' environmental psychology and behavior, based on 8 theories-environmental perception, environmental cognition, environmental evaluation, personal space, territoriality, overcrowding, privacy, and noise.
Juveniles including young people and children are those from 9 to 24 years old according to Framework Act on Juvenile. They are beings in the transitional period, featuring the partial traits of children and adults. Also, they experience growing-up, and are in unstable state. Since they are physically, intellectually, and emotionally in the maturity, they are easily vulnerable to environments. For the reason, it is necessary to induce them to voluntarily approach a culture and provide a space suitable for their traits.
Depending on juvenile activities, environmental psychology and behavior was largely divided into 6 types-voluntary and one-time activity, regular activity based on purpose, static activity, dynamic activity, personal activity and collective activity.
In chapter 3, facilities for juvenile activities were investigated, and theoretical examinations on the concept of juvenile cultural center, its spatial structure, and its function were conducted through literature survey. After investigating the state of a juvenile cultural center, this researcher interviewed users of the center and instructors to figure out any issues.
A juvenile cultural center refers to a physical training facility which is equipped with physical training related tools and devices and focuses on information, culture and arts. It is the smallest facility among juvenile training facilities. And, since it is located at the easiest-to-access place in a local community, young people can easily use the center in their everyday life. There are 198 juvenile cultural centers across the nation, and 19 of them was established in Seoul as of 2012.
The most highly used spaces in the center are cafeteria, reading rooms, open spaces, sports facilities, music practice rooms, club activity rooms(static and dynamic), multi-purpose rooms (auditorium), learning rooms, special facilities for professional activities, and resting places. Depending on activities and behaviors occurring in each space, different problems were found in each room, and thus, it was necessary to improve the spaces in order to positively affect the youth in physical, psychological, and intellectual aspects.
In chapter 4, the necessities for environmental psychology and behavior in the juvenile cultural center were investigated. And juveniles' behavior types and the relations between the types and spaces were analyzed. Based on the analysis framework and problems of each space, this researcher prepared an evaluation list. On the basis of the theory of environmental psychology and behavior, the evaluation list was prepared in details, and the evaluation items of the juvenile cultural center consisted of suitability of a space, accessibility of a space, and supportability of an environment, and safety.
In chapter 5, The study subjects were 5 juvenile cultural centers located in Seoul as of 2012. This researcher visited the subject facilities to analyze them through field survey technique. A space depending on activities taken in a space was divided into 4 types according to frequency of juveniles' behavior types.
This researcher performed a questionnaire survey to analyze the characteristics of those using the juvenile cultural centers and evaluate each space.
The survey of users' characteristics revealed that young people wanted to get along with and have relations with those of the same age, but in fact, there were a lack of leisure time and places, and that their academic centric living pattern prevented them from using the centers. Therefore, it seemed to be necessary to make systematic changes and prepare programs and secure equipment helping achieve their physical, intellectual, and emotional development, and to change to a facility where they can meet and communicate with each other and thus freely use the centers.
The evaluation survey of 11 spaces was conducted on the basis of evaluation items. And the survey result showed that the spaces with high evaluation points were open spaces, multi-purpose rooms, special facilities for professional activities, and that the spaces with low evaluation points were practice rooms and club activity rooms (dynamic). Therefore, it seemed to be necessary to thoroughly manage and maintain spaces where a lot of physical activities occur.
In chapter 6, based on the evaluation results of each space and evaluation list, this researcher came to four conclusions as follows.
First, a static individual space should be placed in well accessibility due to high affinity for the facilities. Second, a dynamic individual space needs the place and equipment for physically and mentally healthy leisure culture. Third, a dynamic group space needs to provide ensuring service hours, setting proper size of space, comfortable indoor environment considering the relationship between physical activity and others. Fourth, a static group space needs to vary the programs to develop potential abilities by a variety of experiences to maintain the correlation the layout adjacent to leader's office.
The study results indicated that juveniles, the main users of the centers, wanted the centers to be improved as spaces reflecting careful interest and consideration, and that spatial planning requires the investigation on the characteristics of each space. Accordingly, it is necessary to figure out the characteristics of a proper space, and investigate juveniles' environmental psychology and behavior types, such as reasons for using the centers, frequency, activity features, and units of activity objects and thus reflect the investigation when a space is designed.
In the future, more profound studies on the relations between juveniles' environmental psychology and behavior and spatial environments should be conducted to improve juvenile cultural centers which help young people develop right emotion, and enhance psychological and physical health.