Cross-Cultural Study on the Development of Self-Image in Korean, Korean-Chinese and Chinese Adolescents

Hong, Kang E M; Shin, Min Sup; Biao, Meizi; Woo, Jong In; Cho, Soo Churl; Jung, Do Un; Ha, Kyoo Seob

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
In order to investigate the effect of cultural and ethnic differences on the development of self-image, we conducted a cross-cultural study on Korean, Korean-Chinese and Chinese adolescents.
METHODS
A total of 1576 Korean middle and high school students in Seoul/Choongju, 665 Korean-Chinese students and 634 Chinese students living in Yunbyun, China participated in this study. The Korean version of the Offer Self-Image Questionnaire was administered to Korean students, and the Chinese version of the questionnaire was administered to Korean-Chinese and Chinese students. The data obtained from all subjects were analyzed according to ethnicity and age variable through ANOVA.
RESULTS
A significant difference across ethnicity was found in the 12 subscales and the total self-image score of OSIQ-R. Korean adolescents obtained significantly higher scores in all of the 11 subscales except the sexuality subscale than Korean-Chinese and Chinese adolescents. Korean-Chinese adolescents obtained significantly higher scores on the ethical value, idealism, family functioning, social functioning, impulse control, self-confidence and total self-image scores than Chinese adolescents, whereas Chinese adolescents obtained significantly higher scores in the subscales of emotional tone, sexuality, vocational attitudes, and self-reliance than Korean-Chinese adolescents.
CONCLUSION
The results suggest the possibility that the difference in ethnicity(Korean versus Chinese), the tradition associated with each ethnic group, and the cultural-political factor(democracy versus socialism) significantly affects the development of self-image in adolescents. Although Korean-Chinese adolescents seemed to show cultural pluralism between Korean and Chinese cultures, they were similar to Korean adolescents in their tendency to respond in socially desirable ways, which suggests that although raised under the different cultural systems, traditional Korean ethical values were learned and internalized within the family.