Cross-Cultural Comparison of the Social Support System after Childbirth

Korea and Scotland were compared regarding the social support offered in the periods after childbirth. It was predicted that Korean mothers would be more satisfied with their form of support than Scottish mothers, on account of the different family structure in the two countries (extended family in Korea, nuclear family in Scotland). Fifty-two Scottish mothers and 105 Korean mothers were interviewed six to ten weeks after childbirth (using the Social Support Inventory). The results showed that this prediction had to be rejected. In fact, Scottish mothers valued their support more than Korean mothers, although Scottish mothers actually received much less support on the whole. It was concluded that in both countries the actual support received was of less importance than the support the mothers thought their due (i.e. in line with the customs of their culture).