• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• 제12권5호_spc
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• pp.169-203
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to compare happiness between Korean elderly residing in South Korea and those residing in New York City area in United States (Korean American elderly), and to investigate important factors determining their happiness. We collected data from 1,988 elderly residing in Chuncheon and Seoul in South Korea and 173 elderly residing in New York City area. All samples were over 65 years old in 2005. In general, Korean American elderly seemed happier than Korean elderly. Our specific data analysis showed that Korean American elderly had higher scores in non-agitation, satisfaction for aging, and satisfaction for life than Korean elderly. And they showed secure attachment more and insecure attachment less than Korean elderly. Social support network, satisfaction in psychological need, health, daily routines, and social background predicted happiness significantly for both Korean American elderly and Korean elderly. For American Korean elderly, satisfaction in psychological need predicted satisfaction for aging, satisfaction for life, and secure attachment significantly when social background, health, and daily routine were controlled. For Korean elderly, satisfaction in psychological need predicted all sub-factors of happiness significantly, and social support network also predicted happiness significantly when social background, health, and daily routine were controlled. Additional data analysis compared social support network, satisfaction in psychological need, health, daily routine, and social background between Korean American elderly and Korean elderly. Korean American elderly seemed to have more solid social support network and to have higher satisfaction in psychological needs than Korean elderly. Korean American elderly perceived themselves as healthier, and their life style related health was much healthier than Korean elderly. In social background, Korean American elderly had higher education and economic level than Korean elderly. Roles of social support network and satisfaction in psychological need for happy aging were discussed in terms of previous theoretical explanation of successful aging.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.13-25
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• 1998

Aim：We think that the most important etiology in parent abuse is the psychodynamic and psychopathology in the family. So, we investigated the adolescents being admitted in SNMH, whose chief complaints were parent abuse. We were trying to explore families psychodynamic and psychopathology, especially mother-child interaction and to differentiate them in according to developmental psychopathology. Method：Our objects were the adolescent patients admitted in SNMH from 1987 to 1997 because they attacked parents verbally and physically. We examined 21 adolescents except those with psychosis, organic mental disorder, autism and mental retardation by means of interview or chart review. Result and Conclusion：The number of male patients was 14 and the number of female patients was 7. The most common diagnosis was conduct disorder and borderline personality disorder. The mean age was in the mid-teens. We observed 4 subgroups that were divided developmentally in object relation. 1) Symbiotic group with mother：(1) They did not separate and remain in symbiotic relationships with their mothers based on insecure attachment. Fathers were abscent emotionally and physically, and their mothers were prominent in close relationships with the patients in their family , where as the patients were the only man in the family. Adolescents entered the second separation-individuation. They expressed anger and internal tension involved with the close attachment with their mothers and also attempted separation from their mothers through physically attacking them. (2) These patients had suffered from physical illness and developmental delay since birth. Therefore the parents overprotected their children. The children had persistent infantile omnipotence and fantasies of power, so they could not deal with unrealistic states, adapt to reality, and depended on their parents overtly. They easily acted out unless their demands were fulfilled. 2) Borderline personality disorder：We observed deficiencies in care taking. Their parents had personality problems and immaturity. They coulden’t help their children to be separated in the rapproachment phase. Their conflict about dependence-independence was revived in the second separation-individuation adolescent period. We understand parent abuse as an attempt to overcome the conflict. 3) Conduct disorder：They did not build up basic attachment with their parents. They think of their parents as only a means of fulfilling their needs. When patients’ need were not fulfilled and remained in a conflicted state, they attacked their parents, unable to control their aggressions and impulses.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• 제11권3호
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• pp.91-119
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• 2005

This study examines the perception and trust of Korean society and people among students and adults using the indigenous psychological analysis. A matched sample of 1,107 participants, consisting of 369 students, their mothers and their fathers completed a questionnaire developed by the present researchers. The results indicate that parents more likely than adolescents to hold negative views of Korean society. Adults are more likely than adolescents to view Korean society as showing high ingroup favoritism, to be insecure, to be conservative, to be corrupt, and to have social inequities. Both groups agree that Korean society is not rational nor democratic, but believe that it has the potential for progress. Second, parents are more likely to hold negative views about Korean people. Adults are more likely than adolescents of viewing Korean people as overly conscious about social face, emotional, selfish, exclusionary, and conceited. Both adolescents and their parents agree that Koreans are cooperative, full of jung (deep affection and attachment), and sincere. Third, adults are less likely to trust Korean institutions than adolescents. Adults are less likely than adolescents to trust National Assembly, political parties, and unions. Adolescents are more likely than their parents to trust family members, school friends, teachers, and government employees. These results indicate that adolescents have higher trust of Korean society and people than their parents. Fifth, the overall results indicate that both group perceive Korean society as showing high ingroup favoritism and corruption. In terms of Korean people, respondents had a more balanced view of perceiving them as highly sensitive to social face and being emotional, while also perceiving them as cooperative and full of jung. The trust of Korean institutions were generally low, especially the National Assembly and political parties. However, the trust of family was very high, followed by trust of school friends and teachers. The trust of government employees was low and this was especially the case for politicians.