A Qualitative Case Study on the Educational Culture Experienced by Married Immigrant Women and their Acculturation

여성결혼이민자가 체험한 교육문화와 문화적응에 관한 질적 사례연구

This study investigated the educational culture experienced by married immigrant women in their own country, as well as their internalizing process of the educational culture in Korea, using a qualitative case study. The purpose of this study was to help married immigrant women solve the problem of acculturation based on their own educational and cultural experiences and to overcome limitations of previous studies, which dealt with the problem of acculturation superficially. Participants were 17 married immigrant women from eight countries who resided in Jeonnam and Jeonbuk provinces. They were selected by the sampling strategy of maximum variation. Data were collected through archives and in-depth interviews and analyzed using within-case analysis and cross-case analysis. The results showed that married immigrant women had no experience of attending private institutions and had good memories of their school life. Based on these kinds of experiences, they criticized Korean mothers who urged their children to attend private institutions. They respected their children's opinions and allowed their children to select private institutions. Despite married immigrant women apparently suffering from acculturation, they educate their children according to their own philosophy and method of education. That is, they solve the problem of acculturation actively and independently. Consequently, in order to help married immigrant women solve the problem of acculturation, it is necessary to respect the difference in the cultures and frame a system that develops the activity and subjectivity of married immigrant women.