KWDI Korean Women’s Development Institute

 

The objectives of the research are to delineate the characteristics of Korean males' gender consciousness; to investigate relationship between gender consciousness and psychological wellbeing; and to develop gender consciousness enhancement program based on the results of the first two steps. The gender consciousness factor is composed of gender equality consciousness and gender role conflict stress. The psychological well being is measured by stresses felt in job, marital/romantic relation, parental role, financial matter and health; self-esteem; and satisfaction with life.

The Korean men's gender consciousness can be characterized as relatively low level of gender equality consciousness and higher level of gender role conflict stress. Gender consciousness turns out to be correlated to psychological wellbeing. Especially, gender role conflict stress is related to stresses in the five areas and self-esteem and gender equality consciousness is related to self-esteem. Gender consciousness is also shown to influence psychological wellbeing. In other words, gender role conflict stress indirectly influences satisfaction with life by influencing stresses, which influence self-esteem, which again influences satisfaction with life.

Korean men are divided into four clusters by the ways in which gender consciousness is related to psychological wellbeing. The first cluster is composed of men whose both gender consciousness level and psychological wellbeing are relatively low. The second cluster has the men whose psychological wellbeing is relatively good even though gender consciousness level is as low as the first cluster. The third cluster has the men whose level of satisfaction with life as well as gender consiciousness is highest. The fourth cluster is composed of the men who are not very satisfied with life even though their level of gender consciousness is relatively high. There exists correlation between gender consciousness and psychological wellbeing in the clusters 1 and 3 while in the clusters 2 and 4, correlation between the two factors does not exist.

Since gender consciousness is proven to influence men's psychological wellbeing, intervention to enhance gender consciousness is justified and programs to enhance gender consciousness are developed. One is the gender consciousness measurement for men by which Korean men can measure their gender consciousness and psychological wellbeing levels. Recognition of one's gender consciousness level and its relationship to psychological wellbeing will provide a momentum to initiate his gender consciousness enhancement efforts. The second one is gender consciousness enhancement workshop. The workshop is composed of four steps of 1. gender consciousness measurement, 2. grouping the participants by four clusters, 3. discussion of gender role conflicts and 4. initiation of gender role journey.

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