이민자를 위한 사회통합 프로그램 교재의 한국 사회문화 관련 내용 분석

Abstract

The Social Integration Programs run by the Ministry of Justice play an important role in coping with growing immigration in Korea. All immigrants joining the Program use two kinds of textbooks: (1) Korean Language and Culture and (2) Understanding Korean Society. In December 2020, the newly revised textbooks were published; it is necessary to examine if they are assisting immigrants’ anticipatory socialization into Korean society.
 This study aims to analyze the two newly revised textbooks used for the social integration programs run by the Ministry of Justice and to suggest implications on how to further improve them. For this purpose, the content on Korean society and culture in the revised textbooks were analyzed. These are the major findings. First, Korean Language and Culture mostly deals with Korean society and culture while rarely touching on Korean politics, laws, history and geography. Second, both textbooks partly reflect the comparative view of culture. Third, the holistic view of culture can be found only in the second book (Understanding Korean Society), but not very often. Fourth, Understanding Korean Society covers more current issues and statistics than Korean Language and Culture while Korean Language and Culture deals with more useful items for daily lives and traditional Korean culture than the other. Fifth, considerable relevance when it comes to topics has been found between the two textbooks.
 In order to develop further improved textbooks on Korean society and culture for future immigrants, the developers of the textbooks should select more current and useful materials on Korean society and culture with holistic and comparative views of culture. In addition, it is necessary for the developers of each book to work in closer cooperation with one another.