A Study on Sociocultural Adaptation of Immigrant Workers in Korean Society

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to examine the actual conditions of adaptation of foreign workers who have immigrated to Korea and to search for policies supporting their sociocultural adaptation on the basis of the survey results. Immigrant workers have to accommodate themselves to new cultural, moral and value standards. They must understand Korean society and people and make new personal relationships; otherwise their usual lives would be under a condition of conflict and tension. Especially in Korea, known as culturally exclusive and ethnically homogeneous, immigrant workers will have more difficulties in adaptation. As important factors of sociocultural adaptation of immigrant workers, this study investigates the level of comprehension of Korean language; the degree of understanding of Korean value standards and the Korean way of thinking and living; and the rate of contacts with a social network and their own culture. The results are as follows. Foreign workers show differences among themselves in terms of their degree of sociocultural adaptation. The more they know about Korea, the less they tend to be stressed. The more they understand Korean language, society and culture, the more they are satisfied with Korean life. However, the more they experience discriminations, the more they feel stresses. Frequently keeping contacts with their own culture, they get in touch with their compatriots. Also, they sometimes take part in Korean organizations as well as meeting Koreans. For social integration, Korean society must support both adaptation?related education for foreign workers and multicultural education for Koreans.