The relationship between social support and acculturative stress from cultural adaptation of people displaced from North Korea to South Korea

Abstract

This study analysed the relationship between social support, financial independence, self-enhancement bias, and stress from cultural adaptation. For an empirical analysis, the data from 225 people displaced from North Korea were analysed. Our results suggest that social support has a positively significant effect on financial independence and self-enhancement bias; furthermore, financial independence has been shown to reduce stress from cultural adaptation. Therefore, social support reduces stress from cultural adaptation through financial independence. These results demonstrate that the social support of South Korea is very important for people displaced from North Korea in terms of their safely establishing settled living. In addition, considering the fact that the status of China is rising in international society, the results of the present study provide important insights into the provision of psychological stability to people displaced from North Korea.

本研究分析社会支持、财政独立、自我提升的偏见及来自文化适应的压力之间关系。研究的目标是探究一个容许逃离自北韩的韩国人可以独立健康、快乐生活并完全有能力在南韩生活的社会环境。对于实证分析，本研究分析225名逃离自北韩的人之资料。研究显示，社会支持对财政独立及自我提升的偏见有正面积极显著的影响。此外，显示财政独立减低来自文化适应的压力。换言之，社会支持可透过财政独立减低来自文化适应的压力。这些结果证明南韩的社会支持对逃离自北韩的人在建立一个安全的定居生活是相当重要的。加上，考虑到中国在国际社会上的地位正在提升，此研究的结果提供一个重要对逃离自北韩的人提供心理稳定的见解。

Keywords:

• people displaced from North Korea to South Korea
• social support
• economic independence
• self-enhancement bias
• acculturative stress