Embitterment in Asia: Losing face, inequality, and alienation under historical and modern perspectives

Abstract

Eastern Asia is a geographic region encompassing China, Japan, South and North Korea, Mongolia and Taiwan. These countries are in close proximity to one another and share Confucian and Buddhism culture historically. However, each country is home to a different race and each has an independent history of its own, so the cultures, personalities and attitudes toward life in the countries differ greatly. Following World War II, Eastern Asian countries industrialized at a great pace. Rapid westernization, industrialization and urbanization might be said to characterize most Eastern Asian countries, which underwent remarkable economic growth over a relatively short period. However, improvement in the quality of people's lives lags behind the rapid development and societal changes in the region. Man-made disasters, changes in familial structures, and economic inequality cause clinically significant depressed mood and adjustment problems. Traditional Asian culture may exert a significant influence on the profile of symptoms exhibited here. © 2011 Springer-Verlag Vienna.