The purpose of this study is to identify the multicultural competence of
university students majoring in social welfare studies and to verify the influence
of human rights attitude and spiritual intelligence that affect multicultural
competence. In doing so, the study seeks to identify measures that can promote
multicultural competence in university students majoring in social welfare
studies. Spiritual intelligence was set as an independent variable and
multicultural competence was set as a dependent variable. Human rights attitude
was established as a mediating variable. The study subjects who were
university students majoring in social welfare studies were categorized by
sociodemographic characteristics such as age, gender, grade year, religion,
experience in multicultural education and human rights education according to 6
questions. Study subjects were 259 university students majoring in social
welfare studies at 5 universities in the Daegu, Gyoungbuk area.
The measurement of multicultural competence in this study was done using
the tool by Sojung Park (2013) that excluded the practice skills that can be
better acquired in practice and that focused on the measurement of the subjects’
perception and knowledge of multi-culturalism. Multicultural competence was
measured on a five point scale which consists of two factors of perception of
multiculturalism and knowledge of multiculturalism and a total of 19 questions.
The spiritual intelligence scale is the one developed by Gyoungyul Lee(2005)
and used by Junghee Jeon(2010). It consists of the six elements of transcendence,
meaning and purpose of life, mercy, internal resources, self-recognition and
connectivity, with a total of 30 questions. The scale for human rights attitude
was developed by Getz(1985) and translated by Seungmi Lee(2000). It consists
of four elements of freedom of press, equal opportunity, right to survival and
health and right to religion, political activity and privacy, making it a total of 40
questions. SPSS 18.0 was used for frequency analysis, technical statistical
analysis, t-test and ANOVA, as well as multiple regression analysis. To
analyze the structural relationship, AMOS program was used to review the
adequacy and structural model.
The findings were as follows. Study question 1. What is the difference in
multicultural competence, spiritual intelligence and human rights attitude across
different sociodemographic characteristics of university students majoring in
social welfare studies? Multicultural competence measured 3.41, spiritual intelligence
was 3.32 and human rights attitude was 3.35. Multicultural competence showed
significant difference according to experience in multicultural education and human
rights education. Human rights attitude had significant difference according to
age, grade and experience in multicultural education and human rights education.
:Study question 2. What is the effect of human rights attitude and spiritual
intelligence on multicultural competence? Spiritual intelligence and human rights
attitude appeared to have a significant effect on multicultural competence,
indicating that a higher level of spiritual intelligence and human rights attitude
were correlated with a higher level of human rights attitude.
Study question 3. What is the mediating effect of human rights attitude in
the effect of spiritual intelligence on multicultural competence? In the pathway
of spiritual intelligence on multicultural competence, human rights attitude had a
significant mediating effect. When the university student majoring in social
welfare studies had a high level of spiritual intelligence including transcendence
and meaning and purpose of life, their perspective on human rights which is
important in the practice of social welfare and affected the multicultural
competence required to assist immigrants of various identities.
The implications of this study are as follows. First, the study verified within
a single model the variables associated with the multicultural competence of
university students majoring in social welfare. Second, by empirically analyzing
spiritual intelligence as an associated variable of multicultural competence, it
specified spiritual intelligence as a practical study theme. Third, it verified that
human rights attitude is an important variable in multicultural competence,
expanding the discourse of human rights. Fourth, by investigating the
correlation of the sub-factors of spiritual intelligence and techniques of spiritual
intelligence based on the 4quadrants, it presented that a comprehensive
theoretical perspective can be useful in a spiritual approach to social welfare. As
practical implications, the study showed that first, there is a need to recognize
the importance of spiritual intelligence and supply programs for developing
spiritual intelligence. Second, seminars or workshops are needed to educate on
human rights attitude. Third, more opportunities for multiculturalism education
to instill multicultural competence are needed. In terms of policy implications,
the study showed that first, there is a need to establish a comprehensive and
inclusive educational system that reflects the variables promoting multiculturalism
competence, and second, legislation of human rights education is needed for
universities and a society where human rights are valued.
The study is however limited for the following reasons. First, the subjects
were limited to university students majoring in social welfare studies at 4 year
universities located in Daegu and Gyounbuk. Second, while the correlation
between spiritual intelligence techniques and spiritual intelligence elements as
suggested using a comprehensive theoretical framework was investigated, the
correlation with multicultural competence was not addressed.
The following is suggested for follow-up studies. First, in-depth analysis
including additional influence factors that may increase multicultural competence
is needed. Second, given the lack of preceding studies on spiritual intelligence
and human rights attitude, the causal relationship between spiritual intelligence
and human rights attitude must be identified to enrich the measures needed for
promoting multicultural competence. Third, the study subjects need to be
expanded to make the study results more representative and generally applicable.