本文的目的是以「通文」(朝鮮時代士族自身輿論聚集之作)為中心，具體考察激變期朝鮮後期社會的各種實相。為此，以嶺南地區代表性的兩班協議機構慶州玉山書院所藏通文141件為資料。這批通文的完成時間主要從19世紀到20世紀初。通文的發給處總計有84處，分別從書院、鄕校、書堂、壇所等地發出。從發給處所在區域的不同來看，有首爾、湖南和忠淸地區等8處，以及嶺南地區30個地域中的75個所。
通文中論議的主題是建築物的新築與重建，以及有關山訟(與墓地相關的訴訟)、位次(位牌的順序)、嫡庶、文字是非等問題的鄕戰，尚有祭禮、文集刊行、儒林上疏、儒罰(儒林自身的處罰)、書院運營、孝子烈女褒賞等主題。在朝鮮時代，書院祠宇的新築及重建、祭祀先祖、文集刊行等顯彰先祖事業不停進行，因為兩班士族的社會地位和特權，是直接繼承自他們的先祖而來，在鄕村社會裡，這樣的事業是以維持兩班士族的既得權益為目的而進行的。
誠如前述，這批通文的完成時間主要是從19世紀到20世紀初，特別是19世紀前半期，存在著有關書院祠宇的新築和重建、文集刊行、儒罰、祭享等內容。這樣的狀況直到19世紀後半期也沒有太大的改變，但是在鄕村裡，為了得到既得利益，兩班間的對立和分裂變得更加嚴重。代表性的事例是和經濟權利有關聯的山訟，以及因為身分差別而出現嫡庶間的是非問題等。從另一方面來說，這個時期兩班保護的共同利益和理念，是為了避免傳統思想的崩壞和對抗外來勢力侵略；或者說是作為知識份子，為了克服國家陷入危機而踴躍地進行上疏。
1900年左右，兩班之間在文字是非等相關問題上，有較為重大的對立與紛爭。在日帝強占時期(即1910至1920年代)，由於兩班的社會、身分特權消失，儒敎理念也衰退。於是，一方面兩班致力於思想和身分根源(亦即祭祀先賢、書院及祠宇等)的重建，另一方面為了復興儒敎思想，擴大對於孝子與烈女的褒賞。這些活動，是兩班在鄕村社會中為了鞏固既得權益的舉措。但是，兩班如此固守與企圖恢復儒敎傳統思想的努力，與近代新式知識份子及勞動階層反儒敎的思想有所衝突，進而導致了社會問題。
因為1931年日帝侵略滿洲和1937年中日戰爭勃發等的戰時體制，1930年代兩班的社會活動也有所萎縮，故而此時期的通文內容是以確保日帝戰爭物資為目的，例如對書院財政運營進行通報監察等。
從本文所論的通文來看可以知道，兩班從19世紀以來到1920年代為止，為了維護他們的既得權益，或者相互合作，或者彼此對立，但是在1930年代以後，由於日帝的戰時體制，兩班的社會活動急劇萎縮。

The purpose of the study was to inspect aspects of the society in the latter half of Joseon Dynasty,a period of upheaval,base on Tongmun that Sajok in the era of Joseon Dynasty collected public opinions. The subject was 141 Tongmun at OksanSeowon in Gyeongju that was a representative Yangban(兩班) council at Yeongnam. Tongmun made in the 19th to early 20th century was published by 84 organizations in order of Seowon(書院),Hyanggyo(鄕校), Seodang(書堂)and Danso(壇所).Tongmun publication organizations consisted of 8 places in Seoul,Honam(湖南)and Chungcheong(忠淸),30 villages among 72 villages and 75 places in Yeongnam(嶺南).
Subjects of Tongmun included new construction, reconstruction, Sansong(山訟),in other words,lawsuit against the tomb,order of ancestral tablet,legitimate child and bastard child,Hyangjeon(鄕戰)represented by Munjasibi(文字是非),ancestral ritual formalities,publication of collection of works,Confucian scholars' Sangso(上疏),Confucian scholars' punishment, Seowon management and filial son and woman of chaste in order. In particular, new construction and reconstruction of Seowon and Sawoo(祠宇)for sacrificial rite of ancestors , ancestral rite attending , publication of collection of works of ancestors and other ancestral rite projects were constantly done during all of the periods. Yangban who could have social position and privilege owing to ancestors made efforts to keep rights at the community by those projects.
Tongmun was evenly made out from the 19th century to early 20th century to include contents of new construction and reconstruction of Seowon and Sawoo,publication of collection of works,Yubeol(儒罰,punishment against Confucian scholars),ancestral rites and others in the former half of the 19th century. In the 19th century when Yangban's social and economic state was rapidly destroyed,Yangban made efforts to keep rights by paying homage to famous ancestors. Such a phenomenon remained unchanged in the latter half of the 19th century, and confrontation and division between Yangban were worsened to get rights in Hyangchon(鄕村).At that time,Sansong concerning economic rights and dispute between legitimate child and bastard child at social discrimination occurred. On the other hand,Yangban fought against not only collapse of traditional thought but also foreign power aggression to keep common interests and ideology and to do Sangso(上疏)activity in order to overcome the government's crisis.
In the 1900s, Munjasibi and other dispute between Yangban were worsened. From 1910 to 1920 under Japanese Colonist's rule, Yangban lost social and status privilege and Confucian ideology was declined. Yangban made efforts to rebuild not only ancestral rite being foundation of thought and status but also Seowon and Sawoo,and gave reward to filial son and woman of chaste to revive and expand Confucian thought. Yangban made effort to keep rights at Hyangchon society again. Yangban kept Confucian thought to recover it and to conflict with anti-Confucian thought of modem intellectuals and laborers and to produce social problems.
Japanese Colonists' attack against Manchria(滿洲)in 1931 and Sino-Japanese War(中日戰爭)in 1937 and other wartime systems weakened Yanban's social activities. As a result, Tongmun informed inspection into financial operation of Seowon to let Japanese Colonists get war materials.
Tongmun showed that Yangban cooperated each other to keep rights and to fight each other for their profits from the 19th century to the 1920s. After the 1930s under Japanese Colonists' wartime system,Yangban's social activity was rapidly weakened.