청소년의 능력주의 신념과 사회갈등 인식이 공동체적 책임의식에 미치는 영향: 매개효과 중심의 구조모형 분석

In contemporary Korean society, young people increasingly internalize meritocratic beliefs that emphasize individual effort and ability as the sole determinants of success. This belief system risks undermining awareness of social inequality and the development of civic virtues such as collective responsibility. This study explores the structural relationships between meritocratic beliefs and civic responsibility among adolescents, focusing on the mediating role of perceived social conflict. Meritocratic beliefs are conceptualized in two dimensions: individual meritocratic belief (emphasizing effort and personal agency) and structural meritocratic belief (emphasizing institutional fairness and system trust). Results from structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that individual meritocratic beliefs negatively influenced perceptions of both perceptions of social conflict and civic responsibility. Conversely, structural meritocratic beliefs showed a positive association with social conflict perception but a direct negative association with civic responsibility. However, a statistically significant indirect effect was found that suggests structural meritocratic beliefs may, through heightened social conflict awareness, weakly promote civic responsibility. These findings highlight the ambivalence of meritocratic beliefs and underscore the importance of critical civic education aimed at fostering structural awareness and collective responsibility.