Clothing acculturation of North Korean female defectors in South Korea

Jeyeon Jo,Jisoo Ha

doi:10.1186/s40691-018-0127-3

Jeyeon Jo, Jisoo Ha

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40691-018-0127-3

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to observe how female defectors from North Korea acculturate in South Korean clothing culture and to discuss possible policies to help their cultural settlement. North Korean defectors can experience culture shock and feel much pressure to adopt new lifestyle in terms of South Korean mode of fashion. Therefore, this research examines cultural points where NK female defectors recognize differences between two clothing cultures. To this end, in-depth interview was conducted with 11 participants. Researchers observed three types of clothing acculturation and drew a paradigm model that depicts the phenomenon of clothing acculturation of North Korean female defectors. Lastly, this study discussed about three possible policy suggestions based on the observed acculturation strategies by acculturation types. This study involves academic implications for investigating clothing acculturation by an immigrant group in a new society in a broad sense. There is a limit on this research that there can be some biased responses from participants because of the uniqueness of the group.

Highlights

One of the main topics in acculturation is a reaction of immigrant group to clothing culture of the new society (Berry 1997)
This study is an exploratory research on the clothing acculturation behaviors of North Korean female defectors
According to the research on North Korean female defectors, every North Korean female defectors in this study testified early culture shock for the difference between the culture that they experience at North and the new culture in South

Summary

Introduction

One of the main topics in acculturation is a reaction of immigrant group to clothing culture of the new society (Berry 1997). The immigrants’ behaviors of selection and compromise between two clothing cultures are related to factors such as aesthetic taste, consumption value, and clothing norms. The purpose of this research is to observe North Korean female defectors’ clothing acculturation process in South Korea so that discussion about effective supports for their cultural settlement can be conducted. It is revealed that North Korean defectors typically undergo the acculturation period in South Korea because of cultural differences of two Koreas. This research conducts in-depth interviews to investigate the whole clothing acculturation process including the topics like the attitude toward South Korean clothing culture, assimilation pressure, and the ways to adjust South Korean

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