Chapter 03
“I” and “We”
Individualism, collectivism, and the self
01 What Is Cultural Psychology?02 The Korean Heart03 “I” and “We”04 Side by Side05 Happiness and Sinmyeong06 Meeting the Unfamiliar07 Koreans in Korean Society08 Fate and Ritual
In preparation · The essay for this chapter is in preparation. Meanwhile, start with the key papers below — each has a plain summary and an in-depth explainer.
Key papers in this chapter
The studies that became reference points — each opens a plain summary and an in-depth explainer.
Unlike Japanese, Koreans hold strong "positive illusions" about themselves — a theoretical paper proposing to explain this through the Korean "subjective self."
A Comparison of Positive Illusions between South Koreans and Japanese: Explanation by Subjective Self and Objective Self
이누미야 요시유키, 김윤주CH 03Key paper
When 1,465 Koreans freely described “who I am” in different situations, their sense of self turned out to be defined by roles in relationships — and to shift sharply depending on whom they were with.
Conception of Self in Korea: Indigenous, Cultural and Psychological Analysis
김의철, 박영신2006CH 03Key paper
Korean and American men felt about the same overall sense of community, but Koreans felt it more toward alumni associations and relatives, Americans toward family, religion, and friends.
A Cross-Cultural Analysis of the Sense of Community from Individualist-Collectivist Perspectives
이종한1992CH 03Key paper
A review concluding that Korean relationships remain clearly collectivist, rooted in Confucianism, but have already begun shifting toward individualism.
The Psycho-social Characteristics of Korean Adults: Collectivist and Moving toward Individualist
2000CH 03Key paper
A survey of 580 married adults found that collectivism is stronger in older groups and weaker among the more educated, and is unrelated to sex, type of marriage, or living with parents.
Collectivism and Its Relationship to Age, Education, Marriage, and Living Arrangement
1990CH 03Key paper