• Child Studies in Asia-Pacific Contexts
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.25-38
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to examine the attachment representations of Korean immigrant mothers in America. The subjects were 25 first-generation Korean immigrant mothers who reside in Los Angeles. The Adult Attachment Interview (George, Kaplan, & Main, 1985) was used for assessing their attachment representations. As a result, 36% of the mothers were classified as secure-autonomous (F), 52% as insecure-dismissing (Ds), and 12% as insecure-preoccupied (E). It was concluded that there were lower rates of the secure type among Korean immigrant mothers who had immigrated to the U.S. during the 70's and 80's and higher rates of the dismissing type compared to mothers in South Korea.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.165-180
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• 2012

The purpose of the study was to prove the effect of the "Picture Book Reading Program for Mothers" developed to enhance the language competence of married immigrant women and their children. Twenty immigrant mothers with three-year-olds were recruited, and they participated in an 8-week-Picture Book Reading Program developed by the reseacher. The REVT and U-TAP were used to measure linguistic abilities for mothers while PRES was used to measure their children's linguistic abilities. Lee(2004)'s "Effect of dialogic picture book reading teacher training program for toddlers" was used to measure the mother's and children's verbal and non-verbal behaviors. The results of the study were as follows: First, by participating in the PBRPM, the mother's linguistic ability as well as children's vocabulary and receptive language have increased. Second, by participating in the PBRPM in terms of mother-child interaction, mother's verbal behaviors to children (i.e. attention and inquiring) and children's verbal behaviors(i.e. responding and imitation) have increased. In conclusion, "PBRPM" for married immigrant women and their children proved to be effective in enhancing the language competence and verbal interactions between married immigrant women and their children.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.675-687
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to investigate the difficulties and needs for adaptation program of married immigrant women raising children in Korea. Data were collected from 27 Day care centers in Guemsan County, Chungnam Province. 20 senior teachers of day care centers and 58 mothers who had immigrated into Korea by international marriage were asked to complete a packet of questionnaire designed by researchers for this study, and in-depth interviews were conducted to 20 senior teachers and 6 mothers who could communicate in Korean. Data were analyzed by using frequency analysis, one way ANOVA, and cross-section analysis. The outcome of this study showed as follows: 1) The number of entire married immigrant women's children attending day care centers at Guemsan area was 102 persons. 2) Immigrant mothers felt that the lack of their understanding Korean culture makes them difficult in raising children in Korea, whereas the day care teachers felt that children's language development was delayed. 3) According to the survey of adaptation program a for married immigrant women's children, there was few program at the time of survey, only two daycare centers conducted multi-cultural education and Korean language education once or twice a year. Teachers required Korean language education, grievance counseling (?) for the mothers. Immigrant mothers required multi-cultural education and Korean language education.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.780-792
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was conducted to develop a customized birth control program and identify its effects on attitude, subjective norm, behavioral control, intention, and behavior of contraception among immigrant postpartum mothers. Methods: In this experimental study, Vietnamese, Filipino or Cambodian married immigrant postpartum mothers were recruited. They were assigned to the experiment group (n=21) or control group (n=21). The customized birth control program was provided to the experimental group for 4 weeks. Results: The experimental group showed a significant increase in the score of attitude, subjective norm, behavioral control, intention, and behavior of contraception. Conclusion: Findings in this study indicate that the customized postpartum birth control program, a systematic and integrative intervention program composed of customized health education, counseling and telephone monitoring, is able to provide effective planning for postpartum health promotion and birth control behavior practice in married immigrant women.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.1049-1069
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to examine post-divorce adjustment and new partnership of immigrant single mother after divorce. 4 immigrant single mothers from Vietnam were interviewed and data were analyzed by qualitative method. The results were as follows. First, immigrant single mothers coped with stress after divorce through sending their children to Vietnam, working and remittance. Second, they began dating a new man in the work place who were of various nationalities, such as Korean, Vietnamese, Uzbekistan and developed partnership to remarry, cohabit or date with deep intimacy. Third, single immigrant mothers in various partnership like remarriage, cohabitation or dating were satisfied with intimate and loving relationships and support from both sides parents and the birth of new child. However, participants were anxious about the new partner's favoritism toward the biological child and discrimination against the new partner with an unfamiliar cultural background, for example, being from a like a Muslim country. The results suggested immigrant women after divorce showed various partnership on a path towards marriage and that we should pay attention to the aspects of change in multicultural families after divorce.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.48-60
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was to explore the postnatal care experiences among first time Chinese immigrant mothers living in Korea. Methods: Data were collected by focus group interviews with 12 first time Chinese immigrant mothers utilizing 3 focus groups. After obtaining written informed consent from all participants, each session of the focus group was audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed by content analysis to identify major themes. Results: Four major themes for postnatal care experiences were extracted from the data as follows. 1) Range over traditional, modern, Korean or Chinese postnatal care, 2) Struggle with newborn care, 3) Another struggle with breastfeeding, and 4) Difficulties in becoming a mother as an immigrant. Conclusion: Based on their postpartum care experiences, it is concluded that participants requested more professional practical and individualized education/training for successful breastfeeding and newborn care. Health care providers need to develop and implement integrated support and mentoring programs that include information and peer support system for the first time Chinese immigrant mothers living in Korea. This would decrease the difficulties of becoming a mother.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.43-61
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• 2013

This study examined the effects of Korean language levels and years of residence in Korea of marriage-immigrant mothers on their parenting behaviors. It also examined the mediating roles of parenting knowledge and acculturation patterns. To do this, this paper made use of data collected from 130 mothers participating in Multicultural Family Support Centers. The main findings are as follows. First, parenting knowledge did not mediate Korean language levels as well as years of residence in Korea and parenting behaviors. Second, years of residence in Korea indirectly affected parenting behaviors through the acculturation patterns of integration and assimilation but did not appear to do so directly. Third, Korean language levels did not have a linear relationship with acculturation. Fourth, higher Korean language levels were correlated with higher levels of overprotection of children.

• Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.54-64
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• 2018

This study aims to understand the information needs of Korean immigrant mothers in the United States for their high school children's college preparation. A content analysis was conducted for the messages posted to a "motherhood" forum on the MissyUSA website. In total, 754 posts were analyzed in terms of a child's grade, college preparation stage, type of post, and topic of post. The study found that there is a range of information needed at different stages in a child's education. Many of the demonstrated information needs showed similarities to those of other immigrant groups, but there were also community-specific themes, such as an emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and standardized tests. The forum was mainly used for factual questions, not emotional support. We concluded that the findings of the study would help researchers in understanding immigrant information needs for the college application process and how information professionals and educators could combine the needs of different ethnic groups to create customized services for them.

• Korean Journal of Family Social Work
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• no.57
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• pp.39-67
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to gain a deep understanding of immigrant single mothers' parenting experiences. Seven immigrant single mothers were recruited as research participants. Data were collected by in-depth interviews which were conducted once or twice for each participant and analyzed by using a Giorgi's phenomenological method to delineate about participants' individual and unique experiences. Participants' statements were divided into 201 meaning units, which were analyzed into 29 sub-elements, 13 elements, and then structuralized with 5 intrinsic themes of 'marriage with unexpected hardships', 'troubled relationship with children due to emotional trauma', 'double whammy of being an immigrant woman and a single mother', 'struggles in becoming a head of household' and 'power of mothers' love for children'. Based on the above results, this study suggested some implications for social welfare policies and social work practices.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.103-117
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• 2015

Family environment plays a significant role in adolescent development. Multicultural adolescents in Korea are brought up in a distinctive family environment, where they get to experience two different cultures within their families. Thus, it is important to examine how internal characteristics of the family environment in multicultural families and interactions between family members influence adolescents. The aim of the current study was to examine structural relationships among Southeast Asian mothers' and Korean fathers' bilingual socialization, adolescents' attitude toward mothers' native culture, and mother-adolescent relationship satisfaction. Specifically, the following two questions were addressed in this study: 1) Does bilingual socialization of each parent affect adolescents' attitude toward mothers' native culture? 2) Does children's attitude toward mothers' native culture affect mother-adolescent relationship satisfaction? To answer these questions, the survey data from the '2012 Nationwide Survey of Multicultural Families' was analysed, using SEM. The sample consisted of 318 multicultural adolescents (aged 9-17) living with Korean fathers and immigrant mothers from Southeast Asia. The main findings were as follows. First, Korean fathers' bilingual socialization had a positive effect on immigrant mothers' bilingual socialization. The path from Korean fathers' bilingual socialization to adolescents' attitude toward mothers' native culture was significantly mediated by immigrant mothers' bilingual socialization. Second, adolescents' attitude toward mothers' native culture had a positive effect on mother-adolescent relationship satisfaction. Results suggest that Korean fathers' bilingual socialization is an important factor for bilingual socialization of multicultural adolescents. It is also worth noting that each parent's bilingual socialization helps multicultural adolescents to form a positive identity as a member of multicultural families.