• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.66 no.2
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• pp.127-157
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• 2014

The multicultural family support project provides support services to female marriage immigrants to promote their settlement in Korea and their adaptation to marital life. This study thus investigated whether utilization of such support services is indeed related to positive changes perceived among these female marriage immigrants, and these changes, in turn, contribute to less marital conflict, marital well-being, and hope. Data were drawn from a self-administered questionnaire study in which 558 female marriage immigrants participated through the 36 centers across the nation that provided multicultural family support services based on cultural relativism and a strengths perspective. Results of structural equation modeling analyses revealed that utilization of support services, as predicted, contributed to positive changes, and such changes, in turn, were directly related to less marital conflict, higher marital well-being, and hope. As expected, marital conflict was negatively associated with marital well-being, which, in turn, promoted hope. Thus, through these paths positive changes also contributed positively to both marital well-being and hope. However, when the effects of length of residence in Korea and an ability to command Korean language were controlled for, a positive significant relationship between service utilization and marital conflict was revealed. Therefore this paper discussed the ways in which positive functions of such service utilization can be strengthened while at the same time actively addressing the dysfunctional components of such support services.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.241-271
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• 2012

This questionnaire study examined the processes linking bicultural identity to self-positivity derived from taking multiple perspectives that, in turn, affects marital well-being among marriage immigrant women. Data were drawn from 281 marriage immigrant women residing in large cities in Korea including Seoul metropolitan area. Results of covariance structural analyses supported most study hypotheses: As predicted, bicultural identity contributed to self-positivity composed of taking multiple perspectives, self-acceptance and self-regulation, and the self-positivity, in turn, promoted marital well-being, conceptualized as marital satisfaction and marital stability. Bicultural identity also showd a significant direct positive effect on marital well-being. In path analyses conducted with observed variables, Korean cultural identity and home cultural identity both had significant positive effects on multiple perspective taking, through which these identity variables were positively related to self-acceptance and self-regulation. While self-acceptance was, as expected, positively related to marital satisfaction, thus indirectly promoting marital stability, the positive effect of self-regulation on marital stability was not signifiant. Taking multiple perspectives was found to promote marital well-being through encouraging both self-acceptance and consensus with a spouse. The effect of Korean cultural identity on marital well-being was found to be completely mediated by self-acceptance and consensus with a spouse fostered by taking multiple perspectives. In contrast, the effect of home cultural identity on marital well-being was partly mediated by such paths, and home cultural identity also had a positive direct effect on marital satisfaction and a negative direct effect on marital stability, suggesting its effect on marital well-being is complicated. Yet total effects of both types of cultural identity on marital well-being turned out to be positive. These results suggest that bicultural identity, supposed to be a psychological strength among marriage immigrant women, may indeed function as psychological resources that promote positive attitude as well as marital well-being. Finally, implications for multicultural social work practice are discussed.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.87-114
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• 2009

본 연구는 한국인과 결혼하여 국내에 살고 있는 남녀 국제결혼이민자들이 한국 사회에 적응하는 과정에서 겪게 되는 문화적응스트레스와 정신건강(심리적 안녕감)과의 관계를 분석하였다. 본 연구에서는 결혼이민자들의 문화적응 과정을 스트레스유발 생애사건으로 간주함에 따라 이 과정에서 겪게 되는 다양한 스트레스(원)들이 정신건강에 미치는 영향을 분석하는데 초점을 맞추었다. 경기도에 거주하는 여성결혼이민자 810명과 남성결혼이민자 203명을 대상으로 한 설문조사 자료 분석결과, 여성결혼이민자와 남성결혼이민자 모두가 결혼이주를 하면서 기대했던 생활수준 향상의 욕구가 충족될수록, 경제적 문제로 인한 스트레스를 덜 받을수록, 부부관계가 긍정적일수록, 또한 신체적으로 건강한 상태를 유지하는 사람들일수록 심리적 적응수준이 높은 것으로 나타났다. 반면, 여성결혼이민자는 특히 가족생활적응과 관련한 스트레스가 낮을수록 심리적 적응수준이 높은 것에 비해, 남성결혼이민자의 심리적 적응수준은 직장과 관련한 스트레스에 더 민감하게 반응하는 것으로 밝혀졌다.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.451-484
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• 2013

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.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.323-330
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• 2020

This study is to identify the types and meaning of 'Good Leisure' that married immigrant women perceived. 32 Q samples were extracted from the interviews and questions and 40 immigrant women were selected as P samples. The conclusion are as follows; First, the types of 'Good Leisure' were classified as 4 types. Second, the type 1, 'Psychological Stability Pursue Type' recognizes 'Good Leisure' when they feel comfort and relaxed through activities. The type 2, 'Emotional Stability and Self-development Type' recognized 'Good Leisure' when they are pleased, or engaged in self-development activities. The type 3, 'Practical Use Pursue and Information Acquisition Type', recognizes 'Good Leisure' when they learn things necessary for living with less cost, and type 4, 'Acculturation and Exchange Type' recognizes 'Good Leisure' when they learn Korean culture or interact with Korean people. Third, regardless of each type, married immigrant women perceived in having a good time with people as 'Good Leisure'.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.239-268
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• 2004

This study examined the role of self-construals in marital satisfaction among men and women, and explored how independent and interdependent self-construals contribute to or undermine marital satisfaction. Data were drawn from a self-administered questionnaire study in which 489 married people(aged 25-75) residing in Seoul participated. Path analyses were conducted using Structural Equation Modeling Program, and a goodness of fit of the proposed path model was evaluated. As expected, the positive impact of independent self-construal on marital satisfaction was mediated by self-esteem and clarity of communication, and that of interdependent self-construal on marital satisfaction was mediated by psychological stability and a sense of relational well-being. The direct effects of these two types of self-construal on marital satisfaction were opposite. As predicted, independent self-construal decreased marital satisfaction, whereas interdependent self-construal increased it. All of the direct and indirect effects of independent and interdependent self-construals on marital satisfaction were statistically significant, except the indirect effect of interdependent self-construal as mediated by psychological stability. The goodness of fit indexes of the path model indicated that the model was acceptable. However, the results of separate path analyses for men and women showed that some of the effects of self-construals on marital satisfaction differed by gender. Based on these results, implications for clinical social work practice were discussed.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.183-202
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• 2016

This research investigated the influence of subjective well-being on attitude towards minority group members. In a cross-sectional data, the higher subjective well-being predicted more positive cognitive beliefs, affective feelings, and behavioral intentions towards foreign laborers and children of international couples. The causal link from subjective well-being to greater tolerance for cultural diversity was found again in a large longitudinal sample. The rate of life satisfaction increase from Time 1 to Time 2 significantly predicted multicultural receptiveness at Time 2. Overall, the findings suggest that subjective well-being may contribute to the formation of favorable attitude towards minority group members.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.45-65
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• 2014

This study was designed to look into whether there is any mediated effect of psychological well-being and empowerment on the path of the negative emotions of mothers from multi-cultural families turning into the life satisfaction and tried to demonstrate empirically factors to mitigate the decline in the life satisfaction due to negative emotions of mothers from multi-cultural families. In addition, we verified the differences of psychological factors according to the characteristics of the sociology of population of mothers from multi-cultural families. For this, the survey was conducted with 400 mothers from multi-cultural families across the nation. The results are as follows. First, in case of negative emotions, there were differences among groups depending on ages, years of marriage and educational background. In case of psychological well-being and empowerment, there were differences among groups with different age, years of marriage, their own or their spouse's educational background. Second, as a result of looking into the path through which negative emotions turned into life satisfaction, there were the path effects between negative emotions and empowerment, between negative emotions and life satisfaction, and between psychological well-being and life satisfaction. This means that dealing properly with negative emotions can have positive impacts on the three dimensions of psychological well-being, empowerment, and eventually the life satisfaction. This study is meaningful in that it took psychological factors of mothers from multi-cultural families into consideration and the results can be used as useful data to come up with political measures for mothers from multi-cultural families in the future.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.291-318
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to find out the impact of psycho-social factors (social relationship and personal) as well as illness history and economic status on physical health and subjective well-being among the retired Koreans elderly. Data were collected from 1,315 elders (mean age = 72.70yrs) residing in Seoul and Chuncheon regional area via interviews(Time 1), and them were re-interviewed two year later(Time 2). Multiple regression analyses indicated that the retired elders' illness history, economic status, marital satisfaction, fulfillment of self-esteem need, drinking behavior, positive affectivity, negative affectivity and physical health to predict their subjective well-being at Time 1(R²=.705). The retired elders' economic status, marital satisfaction, positive affectivity, negative affectivity and physical health to predict their subjective well-being at Time 2(R²=.418). The retired elders' illness history, economic status, expectations for one's offspring, drinking behavior and subjective well-being to predict their physical health at Time 1(R²=.364). And the retired elders' illness history, economic status, marital satisfaction, positive affectivity and negative affectivity to predict their physical health at Time 2(R²=.265). In case of retired elderly, suggested for the psycho-social determenants of subjective well-being and physical health by occupational classification. The implications of this study and the suggestions for furture study were discussed.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.143-155
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• 2016

Objective: The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of psychological well-being on married immigrant women's parenting efficacy. Methods: The participants consisted of 145 married immigrant mothers who were members of multi-cultural family support centers in Andong, Young-ju, Uiseung, and Munkyung cities in Gyeongsangbuk-do province. Results: The main results are as follows. First, the levels of language competence and education were significantly related to psychological well-being, suggesting that the level of language competence as well as the level of education could be main factors for psychological well-being. Further, numbers of children and monthly household income were significantly related to parenting efficacy. Second, psychological well-being was correlated with parenting efficacy of married immigrant women, demonstrating that psychological well-being was the most effective variable for parenting efficacy. Third, self-acceptance, environmental mastery, and personal growth in the psychological well-being significantly predicted parenting efficacy. Conclusion: These findings suggested that we should reconsider the importance of psychological well-being in supporting programs for parenting.