This study examines how individual attitudes towards government and society are affected by political conservatism and liberalism. With survey data from 533 adults(M=249, F=284) who live in Seoul and surrounding areas, we examine the general attitudes towards society, expectation on general government and differences in attitudes towards the Roh Moo-hyun Gov’t and the Lee Myung-bak Gov’t between liberals and conservatives. Results show that liberals and conservatives vary by age and residence, whereas attitudes towards the general government and society are not. By contrast, liberals and conservatives are distinctly different evaluating governments with specific political tendency. Liberals are more positive to the Roh Moo-hyun Gov’t than conservatives whereas the evaluation appears conversely on the Lee Myung-bak Gov’t. These differences of attitudes are more distinctive when dividing liberals and conservatives by subjective judgement and political party preference than conceptual measurement of political ideology. These findings suggest that political conservatism and liberalism is the factor that has powerfully affected individual attitudes in the specific political context rather than a consistent ideological framework in Korean society.
This study examines how individual attitudes towards government and society are affected by political conservatism and liberalism. With survey data from 533 adults(M=249, F=284) who live in Seoul and surrounding areas, we examine the general attitudes towards society, expectation on general government and differences in attitudes towards the Roh Moo-hyun Gov't and the Lee Myung-bak Gov't between liberals and conservatives. Results show that liberals and conservatives vary by age and residence, whereas attitudes towards the general government and society are not. By contrast, liberals and conservatives are distinctly different evaluating governments with specific political tendency. Liberals are more positive to the Roh Moo-hyun Gov't than conservatives whereas the evaluation appears conversely on the Lee Myung-bak Gov't. These differences of attitudes are more distinctive when dividing liberals and conservatives by subjective judgement and political party preference than conceptual measurement of political ideology. These findings suggest that political conservatism and liberalism is the factor that has powerfully affected individual attitudes in the specific political context rather than a consistent ideological framework in Korean society.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of retirement stress, character strengths and marital dissatisfaction on depression. Additionally this study examined direct effects and indirect effects of character strengths and marital dissatisfaction. The participant group was composed of 197 retired men living in Daegu and Gyongsangbuk-do. The Retirement Stress Scale (RSS), Character Strengths Test (CST), Korean Marital Satisfaction Inventory (K-MSI), and Center for Epistemology Studies Depression scale (CES-D) were administered to participants. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with AMOS was used for the purpose of analysis. The results of the study were as follows. First, an increase in retirement stress was associated with higher levels of depression. Second, hierarchical regression analysis indicated that higher levels of optimism significantly predicted higher depression. Also hierarchical regression analysis indicated that lower levels of appreciation of beauty and excellence without optimism significantly predicted higher depression. Furthermore, increases in marital dissatisfaction were associated with higher levels of depression. Third, the constructed model including both direct effects and indirect effects appeared to fit better than alternative model in explaining relationships between retirement stress and depression. In other words, character strengths and marital dissatisfaction appeared to affect the depression levels of retired men directly and indirectly. To sum up, this study demonstrated that the factors which had an effect on depression in retired men, character strengths and harmonious marital relationships appeared to act as a buffer against depression in retired men. The current results might serve as basic data for psychological well-being programs for retired men. Finally, the limitations and implications of the current study were discussed.
It has been known that it shows the negative correlation between social comparison and happiness. Nevertheless, the correlation depends on self-concept and motivation of comparison which a person take. Current study examined the effect of cultural self-concept (interdependent self, subjective-objective self) on social comparison and happiness (subjective well-being and psychological well-being), Total 2000 among 30-69 years old respondents participated in this survey. We found that, first, people with high interdependent self feel less happiness as they take more social comparison, but the people with low interdependent self do not show the relational pattern. Second, people with objective self show the negative correlation with happiness and social comparison, but there is no correlation with happiness and social comparison among people with subjective self. The implication for study were discussed.