• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.207-227
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to investigate conceptual representations of the self in Korean culture by analyzing normative conception of the self present in Sohak. The method of this study was the historical method and the material for analysis is 'Reverencing for the Self of Sohak, which was the textbook for childhood education and contained normative tasks that the society of the Chosen Dynasty period held for what people should do in their lives. According to the analysis, the Chosen Dynasty had interdependent conception of the self, which had strong emphasis on connected relationships, especially between self and parents, and regarded respect, rightness, and politeness as important attributes of the self, and expected reciprocal exchange of mutual support in social roles. Also, there were many instrumental and terminal goals in normative expectations of the self, which were toward harmonious interdependent relationships. Finally, the attributes of the self that were thought of as positive characteristics served collective interests rather than individualistic ones. In addition, the society of the Chosen dynasty regarded socially disengaged emotion such as pride, anger, and pleasure as negative ones.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.165-193
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• 2013

This study purposes to explore the growing process through spousal bereavement in later life, and to develop the theory. A qualitative research was conducted, and the participants were 17 seniors. The analysis according to Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory(1998), resulted in 143 concepts, 43 subcategories, and 19 categories. Range analysis according to paradigm showed that the causal conditions were 'marital relationships', 'independent/dependent tendencies', and 'emotional readiness for the death of a spouse', and the phenomena were 'depression', 'hopelessness', 'daily stress', 'psychological intimidation', 'regret', and 'sense of being freed'. The contextual conditions that affect these phenomena were 'desire for intimate personal relationships' and 'desire to maintain independence'; the action/interaction strategies to manage the phenomena were 'facing reality' and 'efforts for construction of the new life'; and the mediating conditions that promote or suppress these action/interaction strategies were 'social support' and 'spirituality'. The results were 'reconstruction of the meaning in life', 'increase in self-esteem', 'reinforcement of social network' and 'embrace and acceptance'. Furthermore, when personal growth after bereavement of a spouse was analyzed focusing on changes over time, the growth process consisted of three steps: 'sadness and despair', 'embracing and moving forward', and 'personal growth'. The pattern analyses were performed to typify recurring relations by category, and 5 types were derived. The results of our study show that personal growth after spousal loss is an integrative process in life after crisis, and can be conceptualized as the process of overcoming the despair that immediately follows the death of a spouse, seeking a new life by actively taking control, and discovering a strengthened self.