Korean temporary migrant mothers' conceptualization of parent involvement in the United States

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to gain insight into how Korean temporary migrant mothers conceptualize the nature of parent involvement in the USA. The participants in this study consisted of Korean mothers who were educated in Korea, migrated temporarily to the USA for educational purposes, and sent their children to American schools. Using the perspective of figured worlds, this study examines how these Korean mothers enact their figured worlds of parent involvement. Year-long qualitative case studies were conducted with six Korean mothers in Maxwell, a city in the Midwestern USA. The data included individual interviews, a focus group interview, observations, and document collection. The study found that the mothers engaged in a process of “figuring out” what it meant to be parents as they interacted with schools. In this process, they improvised, creating strategies to negotiate their social positions so that they can influence the school life of their children. The Korean mothers were authors of their worlds, and their engagement was a story of improvisations.