AUTHOR : 윤종희
INFORMATION : page. 65~83 / 2007 Vol.14 No.1
The purpose of the study was twofold. One was to explore Korean\'s cultural image of successful child synthesized from qualitative responses of father-mother-teacher triads about three most important characteristics that a child needed in order to become successful in Korean society. The other was to investigate whether parenting beliefs as reflected in their cultural images was practiced as parenting behaviors in their daily interactions with children. The subjects consisted of father-mother-teacher triads, whose children were 6th and 9th grades, residing in the Northern part of Seoul, Korea. A total of 158 fathers and mothers, respectively and 75 teachers participated in the study. An open-ended qualitative questionnaire was used. The subjects were asked to freely write down priorities of, and reasons for three most important characteristics/qualities that a child needed, in order to become successful in Korean society. They were also asked to freely write down priorities of, and reasons for three most important daily behaviors that they encourage/discourage in their children. The findings indicated that Korean\'s cultural image of successful child was associated with clusters of such descriptors as diligence, professionalism, leadership, intellectual curiosity and concentration, and friendship: that daily behaviors encouraged commonly by father-mother-teacher triads were diligent and honest behaviors of children; that those discouraged were physical and verbal violence, lying, stealing, and inconsiderate behaviors. Discrepancies were also found in that parents encouraged their children to take a good care of mental and physical health, and to love and respect parents and families, while teachers to foster leadership and to take considerate care for others; that parents discouraged their children from ruining their health, borrowing money, and consuming conspicuously, while teachers from troubling others. These findings suggested, in part, that Korean\'s parenting beliefs as reflected in the cultural image of successful child was practiced daily as parenting behaviors. The results were interpreted in ecological terms. Implications for the cultural universalities and particularities were further discussed.
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