Relationship between Marriage Immigrant Mothers’ Acculturative Stress and Their Adolescent Children’s Career Decidedness in South Korea: Mediating Roles of Parenting and School Adjustment

Yangmi Lim

doi:10.3390/su132414066

Abstract

International marriages between Korean men and foreign women from other Asian countries have been increasing since the late 1990s in Korea. This study examines the mediating effects of parenting self-efficacy, career-specific parenting behaviors, and school adjustment on the relationship between immigrant mothers’ acculturative stress and their adolescent children’s career decidedness. Data were collected from 1181 third grade students (583 boys, 598 girls) in Korean middle schools and their foreign mothers who participated in the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study. A structural equation modeling analysis revealed the following multiple mediation process: immigrant mothers’ acculturative stress is indirectly related to their adolescent children’s career decidedness through (1) the dual mediation of parenting self-efficacy and career-specific parenting behaviors; (2) the serial mediation of parenting self-efficacy, career-specific parenting behaviors, and adolescents’ school adjustment; (3) the dual mediation of parenting self-efficacy and adolescents’ school adjustment; and (4) the mediation of adolescents’ school adjustment. This study provides directions for parent education and career counseling to enhance immigrant mothers’ parenting competence and support the positive career development of adolescents from multicultural families. The study, therefore, helps them grow into well-adjusted adults in Korean society, which, in turn, contributes to the well-being of immigrant mothers and their adolescent children.

Highlights

Published: 20 December 2021The increasing number of children from multicultural families in schools in Korea has ignited a social interest in their psychosocial development
Based on a review of previous research, this study aimed to examine the pathways in which immigrant mothers’ acculturative stress, parenting self-efficacy, career-specific parenting behaviors, and adolescents’ school adjustment influence adolescents’ career decidedness
This study used data from the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study (MAPS), which is a nationwide study administered by the National Youth Policy Institute

Summary

Introduction

The increasing number of children from multicultural families in schools in Korea has ignited a social interest in their psychosocial development. A multicultural family refers to one that has been formed through international marriages between men and women of different nationalities and cultures [1]. As of 2019, international marriages accounted for more than 10% of the total number of marriages in Korea, with the majority (75%) of international marriages taking place between Korean men and foreign women [4]. These women, most of whom come from other Asian countries such as China, Vietnam, and

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion