A Conceptual Review of the Korean World View for the Development of Nursing Theory

Key words : Nursing theory, Theory development, Korean world view A Conceptual Review of the Korean World View for the Development of Nursing Theory Lee, Young-Ja* Ⅰ. Introduction the popularity of the modern hospital system. However, the Western health care system, in In the 1980s, remarkable attention was paid particular nursing, has not been successfully to the conceptual developments of nursing from integrated with indigenous health care in Korea. indigenous cultural bases in the Korean nursing For instance, the Western concept of self-care community. In early 1980, the Korean Nurses based on individualism has never been Academic Society began to realize the implemented in the family oriented Korean importance of an indigenous view of Korean society. Independent self-care without family nursing and declared the decade of the 1980s as intervention is not often seen in Korea. The "The Years of Nursing Theory Foundation"(Ha, family member's intervention in the modern 1980). The underlying assumption of this hospital in Korea makes a unique Korean style, attention was that the basic theoretical concepts triad human relationship instead of the of nursing in a society should be derived from exclusive Western type of dyad relationship their indigenous cultural materials. between the patient and the health care Unfortunately, most nursing theories in Korea professional. Visitors from Western countries are were directly introduced from Western societies often surprised to find another small bed for the without any filtering. family caregiver beside the patient's. In this Western nursing was first introduced in Korea regard many problems in the health care system in the early twentieth century and rapidly in Korea seem to have originated from the expanded after the Korean War. During this differences between Western and Oriental process, the Western concept of nursing, which culture. These discrepancies which originated was yet unfamiliar to the majority of the Korean from Western individualism and oriental people had been exclusively adopted along with collectivism have resulted in a difference in * Professor, Department of Nursing, Inha University 투고일 2002년 7월 31일 심사의뢰일 2002년 8월 4일 심사완료일 2002년 11월 1일 - 612 - 성인간호학회지 제14권 제4호, 2002 meaning of "health" and "nursing". perceived. According to Jung, each society has The fact that the conflict between Western its own system of "archetypes" that manifests a approaches and the present Korean situations of unique form of beliefs(Jung, 1931). The world nursing practice has demanded new theoretical view or the archetype of thought is not a frameworks which help explain the Korean logico-empirical system but a broad conceptual nursing phenomena. The construction of theory view which has emerged from the total culture for practical activities should proceed step by and has accumulated from physical, step beginning from a general, cultural socioeconomic, cultural, and spiritual meanings background to the specific concept formation. throughout the history of a society. It assumed The identification of a philosophical foundation that all types of behaviors were generated by means the formation of a metaparadigm of a the archetype of traditional world view. A discipline and is preliminary work for theory theory based on a different world view could be construction(Sarter, 1988). Two decades ago significantly different (Leininger, 1987). In this Alexander(1982) asserted that there is regard the identification of a typical Korean fundamental role of presupposition in theory world view seems to be the prerequisite of construction as well as an empirical test of theory construction and nursing practice for a theories. This presupposition, which entails a society which has its own unique historical and culturally preset world view, affects every step cultural background. of theory construction such as the orientation of Thus this study has attempted to configure an ideology, the derivation of a concept and a the Korean world view and the major principles model, and the implicit direction of every step of this world view from classic literature in of the empirical test of theories and data order to develope a more appropriate nursing collection. The study design is always bound in theory in Korea. the basic cultural orientation of the society, which means the presupposition of a society Ⅱ. Study Methods leads scholars to choose certain types of research method and data collection. 1. Study materials Unfortunately, few theoretical works in the Korean nursing community have paid attention The materials on the Korean world view was to the nature of a world view as a foundation selected by the following two criteria: (a) the of theory construction. Even the pioneer studies, nature of central ideas expressed in the that attempted to construct theories from materials and (b) their assumed impact on traditional culture, simply derive their key Korean society. concepts from manifesting attitudes and It seems clear that almost all scholars in behaviors without reference to the unique world Chosun Dynasty including such distinguished view of a traditional Korean society. Neo-Confucian scholars as Yi T'oegye(李退溪), Yi Therefore, it seems critically important to Yulgok(李栗谷), and Kwon Keun(權槿) have identify a basic theoretical perspective which derived their disciplinary principles from a very can generate various propositions and working concise treatise, Taegeukdosul(太極圖設). All the hypotheses. Such a perspective is often called a classic texts of the Chosun Dynasty in Korea "world view"(世界觀) or "archetype of thought"(思 are based on the ideas of the Taegeukdosul. 考原型), which involves how the life-world is Therefore, the world view of the Chosun - 613 - Dynasty came to be formed within this Ⅲ. Study Results Neo-Confucian framework and has been predominating belief system up to the present 1. The Configuration of Korean World View time. The major literatures of analysis were 1) Foundation of Korean World View Taegeukdosul(太極圖設), I Ching(易經)and Tao Te Scholars agree that the fundamental sources Ching(道德經). In addition to these texts, To of Korean thought are Confucianism, Buddhism, Become a Sage or The Ten Diagrams on Sage Taoism, and Shamanism(Kim, 1973). However, Learning(聖學十道), The Analects(論語), The it is well-known that Neo-Confucianism has Mencius(孟子), The Great Learning(大學), and been the most influential system of thought in The Doctrine of the Mean(中庸) were also late Korean history. Neo-Confucianism is a reviewed. belief system synthesized during the early Sung Dynasty, (宋)(11th and 12th centuries) by 2. Methods of Analysis incorporating Taoism and Buddhism into the principles of orthodox Confucianism(Chan, The purpose of the study was to configure the 1967a). Although Taoism and Buddhism can be Korean world view from classic cosmological identified as independent belief systems, there works such as Taegeukdosul, I Ching, and Tao is no question that Neo-Confucianism has Te Ching. To achieve the goal, this study played a dominant role in Korean society employed an ordinal method of literature review throughout the last kingdom of the Chosun to examine the major context of the materials. Dynasty(朝鮮王朝)(Chang, 1991; Yoon, 1980). Two criteria were set for an objective review of Some scholars also argue that Shamanism has the works. The first criterion involved the been another influential source of Korean identification of major principles and thought. However, it has been largely subprinciples. The study adopted ideas over intermingled with the three other philosophies which a majority of scholars could reach an (Kim et al., 1988; Lee, 1981). For the purpose agreement. To meet this criterion, the study of the present study, it is important to establish cross-checked various commentaries and related how key ideas have been integrated within the works on the core classics to confirm the framework of Neo-Confucianism and how this agreement. system of beliefs has been adopted by Korean The second criterion involved the impact of society. the ideas on Korean society. The objective was The Chosun Dynasty was exclusively ruled by to consider any principles or subprinciples that the principles of Neo-Confucianism(Hahn, 1970), have persistently circulated as important and its classics became the textbooks for civil concepts in society such as "harmony." The service examinations. Many villages opened application of the criterion was largely based on Neo-Confucian influenced schools called the current works related to classics. HyangGyo(鄕校), which taught the classics. Since a systematic world view was too broad Shrines for worship of Confucius were built to conceptualize into a single term or principle, within these Hyang-Gyos. During this process, the study attempted to differentiate the schema the ideas of Neo-Confucianism began to into several subprinciples, although the permeate deeply the political, social, and subprinciples are not mutually exclusive. cultural spheres of Korean society and personal - 614 - 성인간호학회지 제14권 제4호, 2002 life. In particular, the rules of family rituals (無) and the Buddhist conception of emptiness such as weddings, funeral services, and ancestor (空) into his newer ideal form of Orthodox worships were designed by the great master of Confucianism(Hwang, 1969; Chan, 1967b). The Neo-Confucianism, Chu Hsi(朱熹). These ideas of the Taegeukdosul were stated in a principles were officially adopted as standards of condensed treatise, which consists of only 249 civil conduct, and a strict normative system of Chinese characters with a diagram. It was so behavior persisted in Korean society for more condensed and complicated in its meanings that than 500 years. One of the chief characteristics only the great masters such as Chu Hsi could of this ritualistic system is its male dominant interpret Chou's theory. In fact, Chu Hsi was hierarchical principle. Thus far the system has not just the interpreter of Chou's theory but a restrained females in the Korean society, and great scholar who could develope the theory their activities have been strictly limited within further and successfully integrate all of its ideas the family circle.

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