Out-group Perceptions and Resentment in South Korea and Japan

Resentment toward perceived out-groups in societies seems to be growing around the world, possibly intensified by social comparison and media portrayal of the `out-groups`. In Europe and North America, these `out-groups` tend to be those who are racially and cultural different. In East Asia, the population is thought to be homogenous and yet divisions exist-where people are divided by age, region, perceived social class, etc., which can hamper social cohesion and tolerance for others. Resentment toward the elders and the privileged amongst young people in Japan and South Korea seems to be strong, as young people in these countries struggle to feel secure and satisfied with their lives. In South Korea, for instance, young people are aware of the increasing wealth gap, and many share the sentiment that their lives will never be as good as their parents’. In our study, 210 university students in South Korea and Japan (19-25 years) rated scenarios on the perceived deservingness and resentment for different target groups (by age and perceived social class). We found general relationships of high deserving scenario inducing perceived deservingness which in turn reduced resentment. Furthermore, we found that this effect may be explained in part by entity theory, or participants’ levels of entity beliefs. We discuss possible explanations for the different effects and plans for future research. The findings of the study have implications as such intergroup processes and emotions can be important contributors for the overall wellness of the young citizens in these countries and the larger societies.