America Vs South Korea

The gaming community is a culture of its own and it differs greatly depending on where you are in the world. In comparison to America, South Korea’s gaming community seems far more intense in terms of its popularity nationwide. My goal is to discover the factors that contribute to the differences in importance and popularity of video games. I will tackle this by analyzing Korea through Marvin Harris’ theory of cultural materialism to determine how technological and economic components at the base affect the ideals of the country. This will be followed by a comparison of the gaming culture of America and Korea using the theory of cultural relativism to note the differences in a minimally biased way. Cultural materialism rests on three components: infrastructure, structure, and superstructure. The infrastructure includes things like the technological and economic demographic factors of a region. Technologically, South Korea has a higher broadband subscription rate than America. For every 100 people, they have a subscription rate of 25.4 compared to America’s 16.8 (Zhou). This allows for higher speed internet which contributes to a …show more content…
It is clear that the infrastructure has influenced the structure and superstructure of their society and the way that people interact. With the technological advancements and substantial economic contributions at its base, South Korea is a breeding ground for hardcore gamers. Considering the urbanization of Seoul and the lack of space, gaming is the best choice for an extracurricular activity. If the gamers are good enough, they could receive nationwide recognition and respect for their success. In America, professional gaming is not as mainstream, nor is gaming as much of a popular topic within the country. Through the theory of cultural relativism, I will compare and contrast the public opinion of both countries in relation to video