Wives In Korea Research Articles

“We will treat you well because you are helping our nation”: Migrant Wives and Functionalist Visions of Belonging in South Korea

Over the last three decades, cross-border marriages between non-Korean women and Korean men have become increasingly common, comprising between 4% and 10% of all annual marriages in South Korea since 2005. In this article, I explore the historically evolving gendered, racialized, and classed normativities that migrant wives have confronted during this period. Triangulating between state-collected statistical data; ethnographic, demographic, and legal studies on migrant wives in Korea; and the country’s changing laws and policies on marriage migration, I show how these normativities, or what I term “functionalist visions of belonging,” have defined the legitimacy of migrant wives’ presence primarily in terms of their imagined use-values. I suggest that migrant wives have been interpellated by at least three analytically distinct functionalist visions of belonging over the past three decades: (1) ethnonational, which interpellated them in terms of “blood (dis)similarities”; (2) social-Confucian, which interpellated them in terms of their ability to fulfill gendered Confucian social roles; and (3) biopolitical, which interpellated them in terms of their biological-reproductive potential and also as the molders, not merely the bearers, of future Korean citizens.

국제결혼한 한국인 남성의 결혼생활 경험에 관한 연구

The purpose of this study is to explore the married life experiences of Korean men who have married internationally, and to propose policies for multicultural families. The research method was conducted as a phenomenological study, one of the qualitative research methods. The study was analyzed after conducting in-depth interviews with six Korean men who have married internationally. As a result of the study, first, he faithfully played the role of a husband so that his wife could adapt well to Korean society. Second, couples worked together in child care and education. Third, employment and economic activities for wives in Korea were not easy. Fourth, spouses were forming social relationships in various forms. Based on these research results, this paper proposed a policy to strengthen the capabilities of multicultural families

The Impact of Ethnic Nationalism and Nouveau-Riche Nationalism on Foreign Wives’ Citizenship in South Korea

Foreign wives have been at the center of Korean multicultural policies since South Korea (hereafter “Korea”) adopted its “Grand Plan.” This plan consists of policies and programs aimed to quickly integrate foreign wives into Korean society. As a result, their legal treatment has been relatively favorable; however, some have claimed to be mistreated socially and culturally. While a variety of reasons behind such mistreatment might be highlighted, this study focuses on Korean identity and related nationalism. The study finds that Korean identity has been mainly ethnic, and as such, it is responsible for excluding foreign wives from the sense of belonging to the same nationhood. Furthermore, ethnic nationalism has affected the social context in Korea and the emergence of nouveau-riche nationalism from the 1990s onwards. Nouveau-riche nationalism has its roots in ethnic nationalism, and it asserts a belief in Korean cultural superiority over other nations, especially less developed ones. Therefore, nouveau-riche nationalism is responsible for evaluating others based on skin color and country of origin, signifying that fairer skin is associated with the Western and more developed world, while darker skin color is associated with poorer, less developed nations. As the majority of foreign wives in Korea come from less-developed Asian countries, and particularly South East Asia, they are often discriminated against because of their darker skin color and country of origin. The study found that this prevents their full integration into society and undermines the assimilation goals set by the Korean government. The study thus stresses the importance of education and raising awareness of human rights and equality to create a fairer, more inclusive multicultural society.

Case Study on Anxiety Experienced by Japanese Wives in Korea Due to Korea-Japan Relations -Focusing on the Situation in 2019-

This article examined the anxiety of Japanese wives in Korea (63 research collaborators) who are were raising children, discussing the specific content of how they perceive the “worst relations between Japan and South Korea after the war,” which took place in 2019. Through the research, the paper focused on the factors causing this feeling.BR Considering the events in 2019, a total of 95.2% of the respondents confirmed that they were anxious, which is an unusual situation compared to 58.7% who answered that they felt anxious because of their life in Korea so far. The most common specific contents were “Is there something bad for my child? My child may have said something bad at school.” (90.4%), “It may be harder for Japanese to live in South Korea.” (39.6%), and “These worsening relations between Japan and South Korea would cause concern for Japanese parents and relatives” (36.5%).BR This paper examined the relationship between these specific contents of anxiety and factors that cause anxiety. The following three factors were considered as anxious factors: the reaction of the Koreans around, the influence of the media, and the presence of knowledge about the modern history of Korea and Japan.BR As a result of the analysis and consideration focusing on what their anxiety, the following two ways to handle the situation were identified. The first way is to have a sense of balance without being influenced by the media, it was found that there were many people who were trying to grasp the relationship. The second way is there were not a few people who were actively trying to learn the modern history of Korea and Japan from the psychology of protecting children.

Coping With Foreign Wives’ Special Needs in Korean Emergency Management

This article examines how Korea has to improve its current measures to meet the special needs of foreign wives by applying the principles of transnational emergency management. The current private-led approach and the future-oriented public-led approach are systematically compared in terms of four factors: the central government, local governments, volunteers, and family. For the methodology, literature review is utilized. The key finding is that Korea has to rapidly transform its private-led approach toward the ultimate purpose of having a public-led approach. The research is valuable because it studies, for the first time, the special needs of foreign wives in Korea from the viewpoint of emergency management.

혼인이주여성의 결혼경로와 사회적응에 따른 만족도 격차 분석

혼인이주여성의 결혼경로와 사회적응에 따른 만족도 격차 분석

Investigating the Associations between Ethnic Networks, Community Social Capital, and Physical Health among Marriage Migrants in Korea.

This study examines factors associated with the physical health of Korea’s growing immigrant population. Specifically, it focuses on the associations between ethnic networks, community social capital, and self-rated health (SRH) among female marriage migrants. For empirical testing, secondary analysis of a large nationally representative sample (NSMF 2009) is conducted. Given the clustered data structure (individuals nested in communities), a series of two-level random intercepts and slopes models are fitted to probe the relationships between SRH and interpersonal (bonding and bridging) networks among foreign-born wives in Korea. In addition to direct effects, cross-level interaction effects are investigated using hierarchical linear modeling. While adjusting for confounders, bridging (inter-ethnic) networks are significantly linked with better health. Bonding (co-ethnic) networks, to the contrary, are negatively associated with immigrant health. Net of individual-level covariates, living in a commuijnity with more aggregate bridging social capital is positively linked with health. Community-level bonding social capital, however, is not a significant predictor. Lastly, two cross-level interaction terms are found. First, the positive relationship between bridging network and health is stronger in residential contexts with more aggregate bridging social capital. Second, it is weaker in communities with more aggregate bonding social capital.

Parity Specific Approach to the Birth Plan of Foreign Wives in Korea: Focusing on the Effects of Status Mobility and Proportion of Foreign Population

Parity Specific Approach to the Birth Plan of Foreign Wives in Korea: Focusing on the Effects of Status Mobility and Proportion of Foreign Population

The actual situation of the code-switching based on Korean of Japanese Wives in Korea

The actual situation of the code-switching based on Korean of Japanese Wives in Korea

The Study of Predictors Influencing Korean Language Proficiency among Immigrant Wives in South Korea

본 연구는 결혼이주여성의 한국어 습득 과정을 탐구하기 위해 이민자의 이주국가 언어습득에서의 노출, 효과성, 경제적 동기, 출신국가의 차이를 기반으로 한국어 능력에 영향을 주는 요인에 대한 분석을 실시했다. 이차자료를 활용한 분석으로 2012년 다문화실태자료를 바탕으로 12,531명의 결혼이주여성을 선별하여 한국어 실력 향상에 영향을 주는 요인에 대한 회귀분석을 실시했고, 처리효과모형을 통하여 내생성을 고려한 한국어교육 서비스의 효과성에 대하여 분석을 실시하였다. 가족과의 의사소통 시 결혼이주여성의 모국어 사용을 억제할수록, 아동수가 많을수록, 한국인 친구가 많을수록, 지역사회 주민과의 모임에 참여할수록, 본국 출신 이민자와의 모임에 참여하지 않았을 경우, 서울, 경기도 이외의 지역에 거주 할 때, 교육수준이 높을수록, 취업한 경우 한국어 실력은 향상되었다. 또한, 연령은 ‘U’자 형의 관계, 거주기간은 ‘∩’자 형의 관계가 있었고, 한국어교육 서비스는 비효과적이었다. 마지막으로 출신국가나 민족에 따라 한국어 실력은 차이가 있었다. 이러한 결과에 의하면 한국어 습득과 관련된 적응문제는 한국어 실력향상에 영향을 주는 요인을 강조할 때 감소할 수 있으며, 더 나아가 한국어실력 향상을 통해 통합의 가능성이 증가될 것이다.

여성전문병원 간호사들의 다문화 환자 돌봄 경험

This study explored the experience of clinical nurses caring for foreign wives in Korea. A narrative study approach within the qualitative research paradigm was applied in this study. The data were collected using individual in-depth interviews with 10 clinical nurses who had at least 5 years working experiences caring for foreign wives and their children in the Women and Children`s clinical setting. The narrative stories of the clinical nurses were analyzed in the frame of culture-bounded nursing care. In the culture-bounded nursing care, ethnocentric viewpoints, acceptable viewpoints, and culture-based viewpoints were identified within the time frame. Significantly, the narrator identified herself as a therapeutic caregiver in the culture-based viewpoints providing tailored caregiving for foreign wives. This study requires cultural sensitivity of nurses who care for the people with different cultural backgrounds. Self-awareness would be the starting point to reach culturally competent nursing care.

Neighborhood Effects of Ethnic Composition on Fertility among Foreign Wives in South Korea

This paper explores the effect of ethnic composition in a neighborhood on fertility among foreign wives in Korea. In order to reveal the different aspects of neighborhood effects, it employs two measures of ethnic composition, a short-term flow and a long-term stock. For the analysis, the individual level of data from the 2009 Korean National Multi-cultural Family Survey and the aggregate level of data, calculated from the proportion of foreign wife population for 251 counties by using vital statistics, are combined. Analyses show that a short-term flow of foreign wives in a county is positively associated with fertility behavior, having more children with shorter birth intervals. In contrast, accumulated proportions of the same ethnic group in a county repress the fertility of foreign wives, having fewer children with longer birth intervals. The results suggest that ethnic congregation in the short term is beneficial for foreign wives to adjust to Korea and have a child, but the effect may become negative in the long term.

Neighborhood Effects of Ethnic Composition on the Risk of Perceived Discrimination and Self-rated Health among Marriage Immigrant Wives in Korea

Neighborhood Effects of Ethnic Composition on the Risk of Perceived Discrimination and Self-rated Health among Marriage Immigrant Wives in Korea

Gender differences in the association between cohabitation with parents and stress among married adults: A propensity score-matched analysis from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES)

This study examined the gender-specific associations between cohabitation with parents and stress using an econometric approach. A total of 13,565 (41.7% men and 58.3% women) Korean adults aged 20–59 years from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2008 to 2011 were pooled. They reported their gender, age, marital status, education level, employment status, income, home ownership, and cohabitation status with their parents. The association of living with parents and stress, as well as the gender difference in the association, was investigated using propensity score matching and the average treatment effect on the treated. Adults with higher education and income, not owning a house, or living in larger cities were less likely to live with parents. Stress was associated with having children and participating in the labor market for both married men and women. Moreover, living with parents was a protective factor for stress among husbands, but a risk factor for wives in Korea. Gender differences existed in the association between cohabitation with parents and stress. Greater stress was related to cohabiting with parents and working for married women.

Factors Affecting The Spiritual Well-being of Foreign Immigrant Wives in Korea

Factors Affecting The Spiritual Well-being of Foreign Immigrant Wives in Korea

Effect of Residential Ethnic Composition on Life Satisfaction of Marriage Immigrant Wives in Korea

Effect of Residential Ethnic Composition on Life Satisfaction of Marriage Immigrant Wives in Korea

이주여성의 주관적 안녕감에 영향을 미치는 요인

This study investigated the factors that influence subjective well-being of immigrant wives in Korea. We initially grouped the factors into 3 categories: personal, domestic, and social. For personal factors, we included couple`s age difference, reason for entry, religion, marital duration, employment status, economical status, acculturation to Korean culture, acquisition of Korean language, and ego-resiliency. For domestic factors we included marriage process, reason for marriage, husbands` understanding of wife`s native language, husbands` understanding of wife`s culture, marital satisfaction, existence of children, head of the household, and parenting efficacy. Finally for social factors, awareness of welfare services and systems, use of public institutions and civil organizations, and participation in social groups were included. We recruited 256 immigrant wives who live in Asan City, Chungnam Province and the data were analyzed by multiple linear regression. The factors that statistically significant were: ego-resiliency, marital duration, acculturation to Korean culture and economic status among personal factors; parenting efficacy, marital satisfaction and marriage process (married without a matchmaker) among domestic factors; participation in self-help group of women from the same mother country, awareness of welfare services and systems, participation in hobby club, and participation in fraternal/religious society among social factors. It is hoped that this paper will yield general insights into subjective well-being of immigrant wives and may help them to develop inner talent and strength.

Depression in Non-Korean Women Residing in South Korea Following Marriage to Korean Men

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to examine the roles of acculturative stress, life satisfaction, and language literacy in depression in non-Korean women residing in South Korea following marriage to Korean men. MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed, using an anonymous, self-reporting questionnaire. A total of 173 women were selected using a proportional stratified random sampling method. The relation between acculturation, depression, language literacy, life satisfaction and socio-demographic variables and the predictors of depression among participants were analyzed. The analysis included descriptive statistics and hierarchical multiple regression. ResultsOf the participants, 9.2% had depression, which was almost twice the rate of depression found in the general Korean population. In hierarchical multiple regression analysis, acculturative stress (beta=−.325, P<.001) and life satisfaction (beta=−.282, P=.003) were significantly associated with the level of depression. This final model was statistically significant and life satisfaction, acculturative stress, language literacy accounted for 31.0% (adjusted R2) of the variance in the depression score (P<.001). ConclusionsElevated acculturative stress and less life satisfaction were significantly associated with a higher level of depression in migrant wives in Korea. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

Ethnic Variations in Factors Contributing to the Life Satisfaction of Migrant Wives in South Korea

Using data from the 2009 National Survey on Multicultural Families, we examined the factors associated with the level of life satisfaction among migrant wives in South Korea. Separate analyses were conducted for the four major ethnic and national groups of migrant wives in Korea: Chosun‐jok (Korean Chinese), Han Chinese, Vietnamese, and Filipinas. Overall, migrant wives' life satisfaction was significantly associated with health, Korean proficiency, relationship satisfaction with the husband, family material hardship, and family social status change regardless of ethnicity or nationality. Age, education, years in the current marriage, number of children, meeting with friends from the home country, community meetings, use of education and support services, discrimination, and Korean citizenship, however, were related to life satisfaction in different ways depending on ethnicity or nationality.

Social Contexts and Coping Strategies of Foreign Wives in Korea: Using a Conceptual Framework of Social Identity Theory

This study aimed to address the social contexts of Korean society in which diverse social interactions of foreign wives take place and to identify coping strategies to construct positive social identities. Social identities are often reconstructed as a result of dynamic interactions with various situations. Using the conceptual framework of social identity theory, this study attempted to uncover the social contexts that shape foreign wives' social identities. This study, using the qualitative approach, selected nine Filipino and Vietnamese participants who were married to Korean men. The data were collected by in‐depth interviews, a focus group with three Vietnamese participants, field notes, participant observation, and photo documents. In the section on study findings, this study addressed Korean social contexts, in which Korean government has been providing a variety of multicultural policies and services for helping foreign wives successfully adapt to Korea. This study also found various forms of stereotypes and discrimination against foreign wives and presented their discrimination experiences. Diverse ways to cope with such negative experiences are presented in the last section. Given the findings, the researcher suggests that policies and programs should promote foreign wives' integration in Korean society.