THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CULTURAL ASSIMILATION MODELS, RELIGIOSITY, AND SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING AMONG KOREAN-AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS IN KOREAN CHURCHES INSOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

In this study. 234 male and female Korean American collegians and young adults participated. The instruments used were Traditional and Americanized Korean Cultural Value Scale (T-A KV), Aae Universal Intrinsic -Extrinsic Reliaiositv Scale lAOS) (Gorsuch & Venable. 1983) and Soiritual lAeliaious. Existential) Well-Beina Scale (SWB/RWB. EWB) (Paloutzian & Ellison , 1982). First , Traditional Korean Cultural Value Scale (TKV) was found to be positively. significantly related to the Intrinsic Reliaiositv Scale (I) and RWB. SWB for both the first and second generations , and the whole group. Thus. the more traditionally Korean cultural oriented the Korean Americans, whether first or second generation, the more intrinsicness they have in their religion and the higher their RWB. SWB. Second. Americanized Korean Cultural Value Scale (AKV) was negatively , significantly related to I. and RWB. SWB for all groups. but positively, significantly related to the Extrinsic Reliaiositv Scale (E) for all groups. However. EWB for the second generation and whole group was negatively. significantly related to AKV. Thus. the more Americanized Korean culture oriented Korean Americans are. the less intrinsic and the more extrinsically oriented in their religion and the unhealthier they are in their RWB, SWB for all groups. and in EWB for the second generation and whole group. Third. the Americanized Korean Americans (AK model) who tend to reject TKV have significantly less intrinsic (I) in their religion than the Traditional Korean (TK), Bi-cultural Korean (BK), Neo-Korean (NK) models for the first generation and the whole group. and than the TK. NK models for the second generation. Fourth, the AK model has a significantly lower sense of relationship with God, and lower life satisfaction and purpose (RWB, SWB) than the TK model for all groups. The AK model has a significantly lower sense of relationship with God (RWB) than the BK model for the first generation, and than the NK model for the second generation. Fifth, the oldest age group ( 29 years old and up) has significantly higher external forms in religion (E), while it has a significantly lower sense of relationship with God (RWB) than the other two younger groups. The males were significantly higher in life satisfaction and purpose (EWB) than females. The longest staying group (24 years and up) in the U.S. has significantly less intrinsicness in their religion (I) than the other four groups.