영유아기 자녀를 둔 중국 유학생 아버지가 경험하는 자녀양육의 어려움과 보람

Abstract

The purpose of this study aimed to understand the difficulties and rewards of parenting experienced by international male Chinese students who were fathers of young children. The participants were four male students in Korea who fulfilled the aforementioned criteria. For this purpose, the study used a qualitative case study approach with in-depth interviews, based on a semi-structured questionnaire survey conducted from August to October 2022. The results showed that difficulties in parenting faced by Chinese international student fathers with children in early childhood included ‘challenges due to legal constraints’, ‘limitations in parenting as international student fathers studying abroad’, and ‘concerns about their children’s adjustment to school life after returning to China’. Meanwhile, the rewards included ‘motivation for studying abroad’, ‘a good educational environment for children’, ‘support from reliable family members’, and ‘a support network within the university to help with parenting’. This study’s significance lies in its exploration of difficulties and rewards experienced by Chinese international students in raising their young children in Korea, which has not gathered much academic attention. The results contributes to establishing policies for international male students raising young children to carry out their desirable child-rearing.