‘위로’의 소통학: Supportive Communication (지지적 소통)의 문화적 번역과 ‘관계적 동행’ 모델 제안

초록

In an era characterized by increasing demands for consolation and encouragement, individuals paradoxically experience emotional isolation despite living in a hyper-connected society. While supportive communication plays a crucial role in alleviating distress, existing theoretical frameworks remain fragmented and culturally limited. This study introduces and critically examines the theory of Supportive Communication, primarily developed in Western contexts, and reinterprets it through a process of cultural translation within Korean communicative culture. Whereas Western models emphasize message explicitness and cognitive reappraisal, Korean communication is shaped by high-context dynamics, including face concerns, nunchi, jeong, and we-ness. Based on this cultural distinction, the study proposes the Relational Companionship model, which reconceptualizes consolation as a relational and ontological practice of being-with others in their suffering. The model is guided by the principle of Low Threat–High Empathy and is operationalized through four interrelated mechanisms: Attentive Understanding, Emotional Resonance, Staying-With, and Relational Pacing. By integrating universal principles of supportive communication with the cultural particularities of Korean interaction, this study offers a culturally grounded framework for understanding consolation and provides theoretical and practical implications for addressing emotional disconnection in contemporary society.

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