• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.34 no.10
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• pp.1731-1741
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• 2010

Personal appearance attitude about the ideal beauty is influenced by the context of the culture one belongs to. In a cultural sphere the higher public self-consciousness individuals have then the more sensitive one would be to the sociocultural pressure about thinness and thus the higher the expectations about the ideal appearance. Accordingly, in that culture one would have more body shame when they do not reach the ideal beauty standard. This study examines the difference between Korean and German culture, with a focus on the age group of university students who are especially sensitive to aesthetic consciousness. The results are as follows: There were differences of public self-consciousness, perceived sociocultural pressure, appearance internalization, appearance awareness and body shame between the two cultural spheres; in addition, Korean female university students were significantly higher in all the variables when compared to German female university students. The higher public self-consciousness and perceived sociocultural pressure then the higher the internalization of the ideal appearance; the ideal appearance awareness increased the body shame. In the case of the German female university student group, public self-consciousness influenced body shame directly; however, in case of the Korean female university student group public self-consciousness were not directly affective. Rather, perceived sociocultural pressures directly affected body shame and showed the difference between the cultural spheres. Finally, in regards to the direct effect about body shame, the German female university student group noted the influence of public self-consciousness as the most significant; however, the Korean female university student group noted the influence of sociocultural pressure as the most significant.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.523-530
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• 2011

This study aims to make a comparison between variables influencing female college students' body shame and appearance change intention in individualist culture(Germany) and collectivist culture(Korea, China), that which variable among individual's physical character(BMI), psychological character(public self-image), and sociocultural pressure has the biggest influence in each culture. The findings of the research are as follows. 1. The German group of female college students had the highest BMI, and there were no difference between Korean and Chinese group. Public self-consciousness, sociocultural pressure, ideal appearance attitude, body shame, and appearance change intention were highest in Korea and lowest in Germany. 2. The variables that affected body shame were powerful in the order of sociocultural pressure, appearance internalization, BMI, and appearance awareness in the Korean group of female college students. In the Chinese group, the order was sociocultural pressure, appearance internalization, and public self-consciousness. On the contrary, in the German group the order was appearance internalization, appearance awareness, sociocultural pressure, and public self-consciousness. 3. The variables that affected appearance change intention were powerful in the order of sociocultural pressure, body shame, and appearance awareness in the Korean group of female college students. In the Chinese group, the order was sociocultural pressure, body shame, and appearance awareness, and in the German group, the order was appearance internalization, body shame, and BMI.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.241-251
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore preserved belief system supporting Korean immigrant women's Taekyo practices and influencing factors while they observe the tradition within US sociocultural context. Methods: Leininger's exploratory focused ethnographic approach was used. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with purposive sample of sixteen Korean immigrant women who gave birth in the US within last 6 months. Researcher's observation and reflective field notes were also integrated into the interview data. Leininger and McFarland's four phases of ethnographic analysis guided data analysis process. Results: The perceived belief system supporting Taekyo practices included Taekyo as an enculturated Korean tradition, connecting parents with fetus, and positive impacts on fetal development. And Korean immigrant women's Taekyo practices were influenced by resources of information, woman's orientation toward Taekyo, pressure from local Korean community, and child order. Conclusion: The findings from this research would serve as an important knowledge base to expand US health care providers' understanding of Korean traditional Taekyo practices observed by Korean immigrant women's as important prenatal self-care practices. The findings could also aid in providing more patient-centered and culturally-tailored prenatal care plan to Korean immigrant by including Korean traditional belief system supporting Taekyo practices.