A Comparative Analysis of Public Discourse and Academic Research Trends on Adult Recreational Dance: A Text Mining Approach

This study aims to compare and analyze the discursive structures of public perception and academic research on recreational dance for adults, focusing on differences in keyword usage patterns. Using Textom 6.0, user-generated content (UGC) from platforms such as Naver and Daum, along with domestic academic journal data, were collected and refined. A total of 3,909 public texts and 69 academic articles were analyzed. TF-IDF and CONCOR analyses were employed to identify key keywords and semantic clusters within each discourse. The results showed that in public discourse, terms such as “culture,” “art,” “performance,” “experience,” “health,” and “welfare” were central, indicating that recreational dance is perceived as an emotionally driven, experiential leisure activity. In contrast, academic discourse emphasized terms like “dance,” “education,” “content,” “instructor,” and “expertise,” framing recreational dance as a professionalized and institutionalized subject of research. The CONCOR analysis further revealed that public discourse was structured around practical keywords such as “health,” “experience,” and “healing,” whereas academic discourse was centered on policy-oriented terms such as “education,” “content,” and “expertise.” These findings suggest that while recreational dance for adults is socially expanding as an emotionally and welfare-oriented practice, academic approaches remain focused on institutional and policy frameworks. By comparing these discursive structures, this study provides foundational insights for bridging the gap between public engagement and academic discourse, and for informing future research and cultural policy development.