Michael J. Lawler | University of South Dakota, USA
Changyog Choi | Seoul National University, South Korea
Joan Yoo | Seoul National University, South Korea
Juyeon Lee | University of California, Berkeley, USA
Soonhee Roh | University of South Dakota, USA
Lisa A. Newland | University of South Dakota, USA
Jarod T. Giger | University of Kentucky, USA
Ramu Sudhagoni | University of South Dakota, USA
Barbara L. Brockevelt | University of South Dakota, USA
Bong Joo Lee | Seoul National University, South Korea
Abstract
The study examined subjective well-being of 10- to 12-year-old children from rural South Korea (n =489) and rural United States (n =1286) using the Children's Worlds Survey within the framework of the ecological, relationship-based model of children's subjective well-being. Applying Structural Equation Modeling to the analysis, a large proportion of the variance was explained and children's subjective well-being was predicted in both countries by microsystem factors of family relationships, parent involvement, and school quality, and individual factors of age (younger), and gender (male). Additional microsystem factors predicting subjective wellbeing were neighborhood quality in South Korea, and peer relationships in the United States, which may reflect contextual influences of collectivistic (South Korea) and individualistic (United States) macrosystems.
Keywords: Well-being, Child, Rural, South Korea, United States
Children and Youth Services Review 85 (2018) 158–164