• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.30 no.6 s.154
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• pp.939-947
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationships between vanity and materialism and fashion orientation. This study identified underlying factors of vanity and then grouped respondents into clusters based on the low factors of vanity. This study also examined their materialism and fashion orientation according to clusters. Data were gathered by surveying university students living in Seoul metropolitan area using convenient sampling, and 313 questionnaires were used in the statistical analysis. In analyzing data, factor analysis, cluster analysis, t test, correlation, and one-way ANOVA were conducted. Regarding vanity, low factors, 1) a concern id. physical appearance, 2) a positive view of physical appearance, 3) a concern for achievement, and 4) a positive view of achievement, were identified. Correlation analysis showed all four factors of vanity were significantly related with underlying dimension! of materialism and fashion orientation. Based on the factor scores, three clusters were identified. There were also significant differences in the dimensions of materialism and fashion orientation according to the clusters.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.97-129
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• 2005

Korean society recently witnesses a rapid lllcrease of suicide across all ages. In particular, suicide in old ages jumps up ill a very unexpected way. Furthermore, the order of suicide in the cause of death across all ages is becoming higher and higher in Korea. This study provides details of suicide that occurs in Korean society with the comparison to that of Japan at the descriptive level. It is not well known why suicide in Korean surges recently. Several previous research show the possibility that surging suicide is closely related to the worsened economic conditions especially since the economic crisis in 1997. They adopt economic growth, unemployment rate, income distribution, household finance index as economic indicators in their research. This study also adopts those indicators and conducts a correlation analysis in two periods, 1990-1997 and 1998-2004. It is found that there is no correlation between economic indicators and suicide in the period of 1990-1997. On the other hand, there is a very strong correlation between income distribution and suicide in the period of 1998-2004. Other economic indicators except income distribution does not have any significant correlation with suicide. This finding suggests that currently increasing suicide in Korea may be a result of economic polarization, which has been worsened since the economic crisis in 1997.