North Korean women defectors's experiences of rearing children in early childhood in North Korea

Abstract

본 연구는 탈북 여성이 북한에서 경험한 영유아기 자녀양육의 실제가 어떠했는지 이들의 일상생활을 통해 알아보는 것을 목적으로 하였다. 연구 참여자는 북한에서 영유아기 자녀를 양육한 탈북 여성 7명이었으며, 연구 방법으로는 심층면담을 실시하였다. 연구 결과, 첫째, 여성들은 먹고살아야 했기 때문에 자녀양육에 집중하지 못했으며, 자녀를 자유롭게 키웠고, 훈육은 엄하게 하였지만 귀하게 여겼다. 둘째, 가족과 친척, 동네 이웃 등 여러 어른이 육아에 함께하거나 도움을 주었다. 셋째, 여성들은 자녀들에게 영양이 부족하게 먹였고, 대소변 가리기는 일찍 가르쳤으며, 학교 갈 준비를 위해 유치원에 보냈다. 본 연구는 북한 여성의 영유아기 자녀양육 일상을 분석함으로 평범한 삶 속에서 북한 사회를 이해한 연구로써 의의가 있다.The purpose of this study was to find out what North Korean women defectors were like in rearing children in early childhood in North Korea through examining their daily lives. Participants in the study were seven North Korean women defectors who reared children in early childhood in North Korea, and as a research method, in-depth interviews were conducted. For the result of the study, firstly, women couldn't focus on rearing their children because they had to make a living. They reared their children freely but disciplined their children strictly. However, they still considered their children preciously. Secondly, several adults, including family members, relatives, and neighborhoods, joined or helped each other out with childcare. Thirdly, they were fed their children undernourished, taught toilet training early, and sent to kindergarten to prepare for school. This study is meaningful as a understanding North Korean society in ordinary life by analyzing the daily lives of North Korean women in rearing children in early childhood.