Westminster College Psychology Professor Continued Research in China
Posted on Tuesday, September 7, 2004
Dr. Sandra Webster, professor of psychology and faculty development officer at Westminster College, recently spent two weeks in China continuing her research on the Korean emotion Han to determine if that emotion also appears in Chinese society.
"I spent the first week on a study tour of Western China with an international group of 45 psychologists," Webster said. "Western China is the home for many of China's minority groups, and we were able to witness their cultural landmarks, some of their customs, and a lot of their tourist trade."
The second week Webster spent at the 2004 International Congress of Psychology, which was held in Beijing.
"I chose to attend sessions that were primarily Asian because I can easily learn Western psychology here, but not so easily learn Eastern," Webster said. "Two of the keynote addresses were especially relevant for my research area. San-Chin Choi is the most prolific author on Korean emotion. The second keynote presentation was given by Uichol Kim, who presented a very provocative report on human potential, creativity and action."
"My poster, 'Gender and Generational Effects on Perceived Consequences of Han,' co-authored with Ko Young Gun, was well received by Chinese and Japanese psychologists, although none of them knew what Han was. Han is considered a Korean national emotion of reacting to uncontrollable negative events with silence and inner emotion. It is believed to build character and spiritual strength." Webster continued. "I was often asked to explain why the negative consequences of Han were perceived as greater for young Korean women. I didn't witness as much oppression of women in China as I had seen in Korea. It may be that communism erased a lot of the inequality between men and women in China."
Webster is the McCandless Scholar for the 2004-2005 academic year. This award, designed to honor Dr. J. Bardarah McCandless and to encourage scholarly activity on Westminster's campus, is given to one full-time tenure track faculty member each year. The McCandless Scholar receives eight credit hours of reassigned time and monetary support for research and scholarship expenses.
Webster earned her undergraduate, master's and Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. For more information, contact Webster at (724) 946-7238 or e-mail websters@westminster.edu.
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