The influence of Wangtta on God-images of Koren children : a pastoral assessment

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The need for this research arose from the phenomenon of Wangtta which has recentlybecome a widespread form of anti-social behavior. It causes tremendous stress toKorean children, especially affecting primary school children who are emotionallyvery vulnerable and who still are in the process of forming their self-image andworldview.The dissertation is an attempt to investigate the social and cultural phenomenon ofWangtta in order to provide some help to parents, teachers and pastoral care takersconcerned with meeting the needs of children who are victims of Wangtta.Wangtta is an extreme form of violent peer pressure which includes physical andverbal assaults. It takes the form of peer group tyranny. Individuals vent their anger,frustration, and feeling of defeatedness on victims among their own peers. Their aimis total excommunication of an individual from the group. In this way they achieve adistorted sense of superiority. Wangtta seems to be the outcome of confused identityand devastated spirituality resulting from the impact of clash between conflictingcultures, worldviews and spirituality. The phenomenon of Wangtta should there beassessed against the background of Shananism, Confusionism and Buddhism. Thusthe reason for cultural and systemic approach. Empirical research, usingquestionnaires, showed the self-image of Korean children to be extremely weak andfragile due to existing cultural processes of change and transformation. The basichypothesis is that in terms of a theological anthropology, self-images and God-imagesare interrelated to each other and to such a degree that they greatly affect the person'sability to cope with severe crises in life.In order to help children to establish a healthy self-image, pastoral care should focuson the refraiming of God-images. The establishment of appropriate God-images willnot only promote more constructive and purposeful coping mechanisms by children,but will also change their attitude to life. The God-images of children have to berepresented, redirected and reframed according to a worldview determined byChristian spirituality. The outcome of this dissertation is that pastoral care to the phenomenon of Wangttaimplies a God-image determined by a theopaschitic stance in pastoral theology: l.e.the notion of a suffering God.The dissertation opts for the notion: God as a Soul Friend and a Partner for life.Pastoral care to the phenomenon of Wangtta therefore implies a God-image which canfoster hope and grant forgiveness.The dissertation stresses the importance of the cross-cultural and spiritual dimensionof pastoral care within the postrnodem culture of the Korean society.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University