The Research Journal of the Costume Culture (복식문화연구)

The Costume Culture Association (복식문화학회)
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Moderating effects of clothing-related barriers experienced by North Korean refugees on the relationship between their self-esteem and acculturation in South Korea

북한이탈주민의 자아존중감과 한국 사회 적응의 관계 - 한국에서 경험한 의생활 어려움의 조절효과를 중심으로 -

  • Choi, Yun Jung (Dept. of Fashion & Clothing, Mokpo National University) ;
  • Jang, Seyoon (Dept. of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design, Seoul National University,) ;
  • Lee, Yuri (Dept. of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design/The Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University)
  • 최윤정 (목포대학교 패션의류학과) ;
  • 장세윤 (서울대학교 의류학과) ;
  • 이유리 (서울대학교 의류학과/생활과학연구소)
  • Received : 2020.08.06
  • Accepted : 2020.11.08
  • Published : 2020.12.31
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Abstract

As the number of North Korean refugees increases in South Korean, their acculturation to life in their host country is coming to be an important social issue. This study explores some clothing-related barriers experienced by North Korean refugees and their moderating effects on acculturation to South Korea. Data were collected using a self-administered survey of 163 female and 37 male North Korean refugees in South Korea aged 20 to 69 years. Descriptive analyses, t-tests, ANOVA, Duncan tests, and moderated multiple regression were conducted using SPSS 20.0 and Process Macro v.3.3. The results show that the North Korean refugees who participated in the study had experienced clothing-related barriers regarding fashion terminology and shopping rituals in South Korea. In particular, those in their 60s perceived more clothing-related barriers than those in their 20s and 30s. Next, the clothing-related barriers experienced by North Korean refugees have a negative moderating influence on the relationship between self-esteem and acculturation in South Korea. This study provides a deeper understanding of the relationship between fashion and the acculturation of North Korean refugees to South Korea. The results of the study can be also helpful of government policy makers, practitioners, and academics to develop education programs for North Korean refugees.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by BK21 Plus project of the National Research Foundation of Korea Grant funded by the Korean Government.

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