Effects of Children's Interests in Mothers' Native Culture and Use of Mother's Native Language on Mother-Child Relationship Satisfaction in Multi-Cultural Families

This paper examined the effects of children's interests and attitudes toward mother's native culture and use of mother's native language on satisfaction of the mother-child relationship in multi-cultural families. Data from the 2012 National Survey of Multi-cultural Families demonstrate that for children aged between 9 and 12 years, their fluency and desire to speak well in the mother's native language as well as father's encouragement for using the mother's native language at home were positively associated with satisfaction of the mother-child relationship. For those aged between 13 and 18 years, mother's nationality (i.e. Southeast or South Asia) was negatively related with mother-child relationship satisfaction. Both mother's and children' communication skills, children's interests in mother's native culture, pride for mother being a foreigner, and desire to speak well in the mother's native language were positively associated with mother-child relationship satisfaction. Therefore, there is a need for foreign wives to be educated in Korean language and culture as well as opportunities for children to learn their mother's native culture and language.

다문화 가족 자녀의 어머니 출신국가에 대한 관심 및 어머니 국가의 언어 구사능력이 자녀와 어머니의 관계 만족도에 미치는 영향