• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.35-45
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• 2021

Focusing on increasing of single-person households this study aims to develop a scale to measure the healthiness of lifestyle among single-person households. The concept of healthiness of lifestyle is based on the theories of family strength and family ecology. We draw 50 items that encompass basic needs, individual, familial, and social aspects of single-person life. Using a sample of 317 persons who live alone, this study examined a factor structure of the items and selected 44 items based on the results of factor analysis. Reliability and criterion- and construct validity were also examined. The final scale consists of four domains; basic needs (finance, housing, consumption, and future plan), work·life balance (time management, health, and stress), family relations, and social participation (social network, social interests, and community participation). This scale can be used as an assessment measure of the healthiness of lifestyle of single persons who participate in programs in Healthy and Multicultural Families Support Centers.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.421-436
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• 2013

International marriage is composed over 10% among total marriage in Korea. This study tried to know what kinds of social networks, especially transnational networks, the immigrant wives use for the process of being married and for the adjusting to marriage and Korean culture, and how their Korean families also are affected by the transnational networks. For the purposes of this study FGI and the interviews were applied for the immigrant wives, the multicultural husbands and the specialist groups in metropolitan city DaeGu. 18 migrant interviewees from Vietnam, China, Philippine, etc. were collected by the snow-ball sampling. 5 husbands were collected from the self-help meeting in multicultural families support center. The transnational networks of the immigrant wives in DaeGu were deterritorialized and reterritorialized actively. Migrant wives managed the close relationship with their family members of motherland, and had the networks sticky with relatives, friends, and other fore-immigrant wives from the same countries. Their migrations are characterized as 'chain migration'. Even though they acquired the Korean nationality, they have the transnational identities. They and their Korean families are interrelated and internetworked in exchanging economic resources as goods and money, human beings, love, child caring, foods and culture over local boundaries.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.171-194
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• 2012

This study focuses on immigrant women who are married to Korean men and who live in a multicultural family situation in Gyeonggi-do. These women experience acculturative stress and marital conflict and this study aims to determine how social support seeks to mediate the effects of those stressors. The women in this study participated in activities and received services from one of Gyeonggi-do Province's civic organizations, religious organizations, or social service organizations, such as the Social Welfare Agency and the Multicultural Family Support Center. In order to verify the study's hypothesis, the researchers used the following statistical analytical methods : t-test, two-way ANOVA and multi-regression analysis. Analysis of the study's results showed that the highest degree of marital conflict was found in the sub-zones and variables that were personal. Those variable were : the difference in mindset and values (personal domain), economic problems (communal living area), a child's upbringing and education issues (third party area), and the participant's sex life (in the marital relationship). The hypothesis was tested using the research model validation and the results are summarized as follows. First, in order to analyze the relationship between the marriage migration females' acculturative stress and the impact of that stress on marriage conflict, the hierarchical regression analysis was used. It identified that a direct correlation existed between acculturative stress and marriage conflict; where a higher degree of acculturative stress was present, a higher degree of marriage conflict was found. Second, the study found a statistical significance in the correlation and relationship (${\beta}$=.208, p<0.05) between the acculturative stress of the marriage migration female and material support. In other words, the material support can be seen as having a moderating effect on the acculturative stress, which is the independent variable, and the marital conflict, which is the dependent variable.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.95-120
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to find the factors that facilitate married female immigrants' early adjustment in Korea. For this purpose, 14 immigrated female participants living in Daegu were interviewed in-depth by using an open-ended questionnaire. The major findings are as follows: Through content analysis of participants' responses, three major factors were found to influence successful adjustment of married female immigrants personal factors, familial support and the social support system. Among the personal factors, having a conservative marital attitude, optimism and liking the partner rather than economic concern for the reason of marital decision making are contributing factors to the successful marital adjustment. Above all, familial support, a husband's good personality, care, and active support are the important factors in a foreign wife's adjustment and life satisfaction. Parent-in-law's help and tolerance playa role in a foreign daughter-in-law's successful adjustment. In the social support system, joined activities and the support of mends from the homeland make a contribution to decreasing the sense of isolation and to giving mental well-being for married female immigrants. The center for support of multicultural family gives them the opportunity to meet people from their homelands and to expand the social network.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.337-356
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• 2017

The purpose of the research is to explore the main cause and effect of successful marriage that Korean husbands, who are multicultural families had. To do the research, the experiment has been done with 7 husbands for 2 months. The 7 husbands took depths interview and analyzed the result by grounded theory approach. As a result, the husband experienced 'repentance of marriage' because of 'unready marriage', but 'Raising children', 'Helping housework' and 'recognition from friends and colleague' have affected the husbands to have a successful marriage adaptation. Based on the result, a political and practical proposal has been proposed to the Korean husbands who are multi-cultural family. Here are the examples of the proposal. As a social welfare policy, 'obligation of information offering for prospective spouse', 'following the Labor Standards and parental leave', 'expansion of visiting supervise system' and 'making guidance for husbands and distribute map of Immigration Office, Multicultural Family Support Center and Community Center' have proposed. And as an alternative plan for a practical social welfare policy and continuous social awareness improvement, 'various education program', 'a program with domestic married couple', 'a program with parents-in-law', 'a specific program to increase the housework participation for husbands' and necessity of development and practice of group program for husband have been emphasized.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.1-11
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• 2012

As the immigrant population is rapidly growing in South Korea, it is important for the next generation of Korean adolescents to foster unprejudiced attitudes towards immigrants. This paper thus seeks to shed light on adolescent prejudice towards immigrants, by addressing the following three questions: (1) Does a mother's prejudice towards immigrants and parenting style influence their adolescent children's prejudice towards immigrants? (2) Does an adolescent's prejudice towards immigrants influence his/her self-identity? (3) Does an adolescent's prejudice towards immigrants influence his/her coping styles? The sample consisted of 288 pairs of Korean adolescents and their mothers. According to hierarchical regression analyses, a mother's prejudice towards immigrants significantly predicted her adolescent's prejudice towards immigrants, after taking sociodemographic variables into account, whereas her parenting style did not. In addition, having a low level of prejudice towards immigrants among adolescents predicted high levels of self-identity (e.g. independence, proprioceptive, and mission orientation), and a greater use of positive coping skills (e.g. support-seeking and problem-solving). Overall, results showed that mothers played a significant role in shaping their adolescent's prejudice towards immigrants. Results also provided evidence that prejudice towards immigrants may interfere with the healthy development of self-identity and coping style during adolescence. In conclusion, this study suggests that multicultural education for adolescents can be more effective, when it is provided in partnership with a parent education program that is designed to raise parental multicultural awareness.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.477-487
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore health-related experiences of the foreign wives. Methods: A qualitative research design was used to understand the health-related experiences of foreign wives. Ten informants were interviewed from December 2007 to December 2009. Results: The health related life experiences of foreign wives were analyzed within a self development process; Choice and struggle, Change and opportunity, and Settlement and expectation. The theme of choice and struggle includes physical and emotional stress in the initial stage of marriage. The second process of change and opportunity focused on the coping strategies of the women having power after knowledge acquisition from the multicultural family support center. The last theme was health and happiness from the women' perspectives. Conclusion: This study has emphasized the health condition of the foreign wives. Since foreign wives are members of Korean society, health care professionals need to design health services to meet their needs.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.1-22
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to determine the characteristics of Filipino marriage immigrants' acculturation stages in regards to their Korean family life culture and to identify the source of the support for each stage, hence to provide information for educational programs that would promote successful acculturation for each stage. The following findings have been obtained through in-depth interviews with 18 female Filipino immigrants to Korea. In a range of obstacles from the Honeymoon Stage to the Confusion stage, the first are the language and the aspects of the food/cooking/ingredients/diet that are different from their own culture. Especially, pregnancy/childbirth is a major change in one's life and the biggest challenge in the acculturation process. As food and cooking are the first change that the immigrants have to face and get accustomed to in the early stage of their Korean life, the food culture is rather easier for the immigrants to get accustomed to than other parts of Korean life. From the Honeymoon Stage to the Harmony Stage, the immigrants make efforts to help their family in the home, while they look to their future in their children during the Autonomy Stage. Regardless of how long they have been in Korea, from the Honeymoon Stage to the Autonomy Stage, the immigrants have a hard time with the patriarchal environment in Korea due to the bilateral nature of kinship in the Philippines. Secondly, the immigrants receive the most support from their husband, family, and the tutors in Korean culture, while their mothers-in-law are the main source of the support for the Korean diet. At the Confusion Stage, the immigrants start visiting the regional multicultural family support centers and get help from the friends they meet there while depending on the TV for cooking tips. From the Harmony Stage, they may seek a job through the community network with their own effort and their children's help. In the Autonomy Stage, they are concerned about their children rather than their own parents, and they find their own identity as a Korean and realize that their effort is important.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.63-81
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• 2011

This study examined social integration policies for multi-cultural families in Korea and the United States through a literature review and internet research. Because the United States has developed and maintained its own culture, this was an appropriate country to compare to Korea in terms of social integration policy. There were four main results. First, both countries enforce assimilation policies for multi-cultural families. Second, most social integration programs and services for multi-cultural families in Korea are carried out by the Multi-cultural Family Support Centers, which are supported by the national and local governments in Korea. However, because the U.S. government has preserved a laissez-faire approach to policies for immigrant families, there are no government-based support centers for multi-cultural families in the United States. Third, both countries focus on the assimilation of multi-cultural families. Nevertheless, the U.S. government promotes a balance between ethnic identity and U.S. citizenship. Fourth, the U.S. government strongly supports second-generation education and development programs that recognize the second generation as a human resource for the future of society. In summary, even though there were some cultural differences between the two countries, the United States' assimilation policies based on ethnic identity would be useful for Korean integration policies. In addition, it is very important to offer opportunities for mutual integration in everyday life between Korean families and multi-cultural families.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.385-395
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• 2022

Purpose: To support implementation of comprehensive, person-centered healthcare, this study aimed to explore immigrant women's public health center (PHC) service experiences and needs while considering Photovoice's feasibility for this purpose. Methods: This qualitative study included 15 marriage-based immigrant women. Participants were recruited from churches and multicultural family support centers using purposive and snowball sampling. Data were collected through four focus group interviews and were subjected to inductive content analysis. Results: Five categories of experiences were identified: language barriers, hectic environment, affordable and practical primary healthcare, feeling ignored and discriminated against, and feeling frustrated. In addition, five categories of needs were identified: language assistance services, ease of access, healthcare across the lifespan, expansion of affordable healthcare, and being accepted as they are. This study provides preliminary evidence that the Photovoice approach can facilitate the interview process in a qualitative inquiry involving participants with limited ability to express their perspectives in the researchers' language. Conclusion: Study findings highlight the need to implement institutional policy and procedural changes within PHCs and to provide culturally competent, personcentered care for South Korea's marriage-based immigrant women and other ethnic minority populations. The findings also provide evidence-based direction for PHC service planning.