Self-expressive computer art with Korean women studying in the United States: Culturally related stress.

摘要

The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand the nature of culturally related stress for Korean women studying in the United States. Although many Korean women have freely chosen to study in the United States, known as the land of opportunities, which may present them with different life options from those available to them in their home land, they experience the stress associated with this choice because they are still influenced by the markedly different traditional values and the stereotypical feminine role in Korea. This research study strives to understand the identity crisis of these Korean women and the inherent nature of their personal conflict while living in the United States. As a heuristic research study, it focuses on the experience of the researcher, who is also a participant, and co-researchers (i.e., research participants) during a 4-week, secure online-based computer art therapy study, which incorporated individual expression as well as group interaction. The study demonstrates the possible contribution of computer art therapy with Korean women in alleviating the stress associated with this cross-cultural predicament. The scholarly context for this study offers a rich juxtaposition of the American and Korean cultures, in order to understand Korean women's stress. Limitations, delimitations, realization, and implication of the study are discussed.