Too Much of a Good Thing: Social Capital and Academic Stress in South Korea

Abstract

In intense academic environments such as in South Korea, students experience extreme levels of academic stress. This stress peaks as students prepare for the college entrance exam in the final year of high school. Stress is associated with a host of negative outcomes, and academic stress is the leading cause of suicidal ideation among youth in South Korea. Research suggests that in high-stress contexts such as this, social capital can improve academic success and mental health, while reducing risky or deviant behaviors. However, this research has predominantly focused on Western contexts. Because of the unique intensity of educational pursuits and intense investment in education by parents, South Korea provides a compelling case for research on the effects of family and school social capital on youth academic stress. Using data from the Korea Youth Panel Survey (N = 2753), we find that particular components of family and school social capital can both reduce and exacerbate academic stress. While measures of closeness and connection to parents reduced academic stress, school social capital had a limited impact on academic stress. Furthermore, there may be a limit to the effectiveness of social capital to help with academic stress before it becomes too much of a good thing.

Routes Out of Child Abuse to School Adjustments: A Comparison Between North Korean Adolescent Refugees and Native South Korean Adolescents

“…Self-control is a key element of positive adjustment and is related to essential aspects of adolescents’ daily life and positive development (e.g., interpersonal relationship, academic achievement; Li et al, 2019 ; Tangney et al, 2004 ; Willems et al, 2019 ). While research often indicates the linkages between child abuse, self-control, and various adolescent outcomes across disciplines (Bunch et al, 2018 ; Hay, 2001 ; He & Xiang, 2021 ; Jo & Zhang, 2014 ; Kort-Butler et al, 2011 ), to our best knowledge, no study to date has investigated the role of self-control on the link between child abuse and school adjustment among North Korean adolescent refugees. Additionally, there has been a limited comparative research on North Korean adolescent refugees.…”

“…Students with high self-control tended to display better adjustment to school settings as a higher level of self-control implies a greater capacity for altering their responses to pursue goals in the long run (Baumeister et al, 2007 ). Research often links familial factors to self-control among children and adolescents (Bunch et al, 2018 ; Hay, 2001 ; Jo & Zhang, 2014 ; Kort -Butler et al, 2011; Li et al, 2019 ; Malatras & Israel, 2013 ). While family stability may foster the development of self-control, which can lead to positive adjustment (Malatras & Israel, 2013 ), child abuse is associated with a lower level of self-control.…”

Academic Achievements, Satisfaction with Studies and Risky Behaviours among First-Year Students of Kaunas (Lithuania) Universities, 2000–2017

“…Many students leave the parental home and face a variety of challenges such as new relationships with peers and lecturers, the need for independence and social approval, academic requirements, and managing finances [5,6]. These challenges can increase the stress that some students find difficult to overcome [7]. It is well-known that a healthy lifestyle promotes well-being and reduces health problems, including mental disorders [8].…”

The Role of Universities on Improving Literacy, Numeracy, and Character Education at Schools

“…Actually, the PISA model test has a weakness because in countries with high PISA scores, many students experience stress due to the learning load demanded by the education system [6]. This indicates that students still do not have the mental strength required by character education.…”