• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.325-354
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• 2012

The current research intends to analyse the construction process of gender in the biographies of migrant women. Ten autobiographical-narrative interviews with Korean female migrant workers in Germany were conducted and the following conclusions were ascertained through the analysis of Schutze's autobiographical-narrative interview: The genders in their biographies were constructed similar before their marriage, but different after their marriage according to the work-family balanced type and the family centered type. Before their migration the 'process of life' as female high school students and female workers showed that both types had partially deconstructed a sex-segregated gender. The process of life as female migrant workers after their migration showed that both types had partially constructed a sex-neutral gender. The process of life after their marriage exhibited that the former strengthened and strengthens a sex-neutral gender in a double position as female migrant workers and female marriage migrants, but the latter reconstructed a sex-segregated gender again and intensifies this in a process of time. Based on these results, some implications for the social work practice were addressed, which emerged from the understanding on the gender in the biographies of migrant women.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.95-108
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• 2016

The objectives of this study are to analyze the characteristics of multi-cultural families in rural areas and to classify their types by applying multi-variate techniques and cluster analyses. Data for the study were obtained by a surveying 120 married migrant females in rural areas of Chungchengnam-do, South Korea. By utilizing the factor analysis to analyze the characteristics of multi-cultural families, 16 basic variables related to these female subjects were categorized into 6 factors: 'marriage length and age', 'language skill of migrant female', 'language skill of husband', 'family satisfaction', 'income and education', and 'general living satisfaction in Korea with remittance'. By appling the cluster analysis, multi-cultural families in rural areas were divided into the following 5 types: 'stable settlement', 'average but stagnant', 'below average yet positive', 'high- income with little communication', and 'young low-income'. In all types, it is strongly recommended to develop various programs regarding vocational education for the migrant females in order to increase their economic opportunities as well as social status.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.185-194
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was to explore situations that might put the middle-aged Korean-Chinese female migrant workers at risk for work-related musculoskeletal diseases (WMSDs). At the development phase of a continuing health project, the study aimed to clarify health promotion program needs of the migrant population. Methods: A qualitative description research design was used with three focus groups of 23 Korean-Chinese female migrant workers. Each focus group interview was conducted for 70-minutes using semi-structured interview guidelines. The data were analyzed using directed qualitative content analysis techniques. Results: The majority of the participants were household workers and their work included heavy material handling, standing for a long time, and working in awkward postures. They experienced discrimination from employers, lack of control at work, limitations in open-communication, job insecurity, and acculturation. They had needs to have health promotion programs for preventing and managing chronic diseases, depression and menopause as well as WMSDs. Conclusion: The participants were situated in work environments with physical demanding tasks, acculturative and job-related stress and lack of opportunities to participate in health promotion programs. It is suggested to develop a comprehensive program to better meet the needs of middle-aged Korean-Chinese female migrant workers rather than targeting the reduction of WMSDs.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.222-228
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• 2023

Background: This study aimed to explore relationships between job stress and psychological adaptation and how they related to interpersonal needs through mood states among female migrant manufacturing workers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 16 factories in Shenzhen, China. Sociodemographic, job stress, psychological adaptation and other psychological information of was collected. Structural equation modeling was performed to delineate the internal relationship between variables. Results: The hypothetical structural equation model exhibited acceptable model fit among female migrant manufacturing workers (χ² = 11.635, df = 2, χ²/df = 5.82, p = 0.003, RMSEA = 0.090, CFI = 0.972, SRMR = 0.020). Job stress was directly associated with mood states and interpersonal needs; Psychological adaptation was directly associated with mood states and indirectly associated with interpersonal needs; Bootstrapping tests demonstrated mediation effect of mood states in the way from psychological adaptation to interpersonal needs. Conclusion: Female migrant manufacturing workers who suffered stress from job and the process of psychological adaptation may have worse mood states and workers with worse mood states are more likely to develop unmet interpersonal needs, a proximal factor of suicidal ideation.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.126-137
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• 2008

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in gender related to health status, occupational environment, occupational safety and health and hazardous chemicals use of migrant workers in Korea. Method: The survey was conducted in clinics that provided free healthcare services for migrant workers. Of the 413 respondents, 66.3% were males and 33.7% were females. Result: In the case of male migrant workers, many worker were not fluent in Korean, had illegal status in the country, and had moved jobs frequently. There were many cases in which migrant workers worked in small-scale enterprises and worked long hours. Job stress score was high for many workers and they dealt with heavy materials and risky machines. Many workers had not received proper occupational health and safety education and those that were previously injured had repeated injuries. Among the female migrant workers, many worker received low salary and shift work was common. Many worker complained of gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal illnesses and treated toxic substances. Conclusion: As a result, it will be necessary to focus on the strategies for decreasing occupational injuries from physical risk factors for males and from chemical risk factors for female migrant workers.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.40-53
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• 2008

A case study has been conducted on the changes in the identity and agency of international marriage migrant women who experienced a shift from a immigrant worker to a foreign spouse and a Korean citizen. The life histories of the eight female migrants living in Gumi area, a representative inland industrial complex in Korea, have been investigated by in-depth interview. The aim is to examine how the female migrants reconstruct and interpret their lives. The results reveal that the identy of a female migrant is flexible depending on her social positionality. The identities established from the past experiences in their native countries have been changed by their situations and conditions in Korea. The female immigrants recognize that their problems have been an important issue both in government policy and mass media. However, the female migrants express a strong revolt against the fact that they are considered as underclass victims or innocent people from underdeveloped countries. This implies their ambivalence toward international marriage that they selected subjectively. There is a finding to show a new possibility; the Transnational Marriage & Family Support Center supported by Government may provide a good ground for the female migrants to be a active group agent. The results illustrate that the international marriage migrant women could not be classified into a single group as wives. Called for are diverse researches reflecting the complex situations of migrant women.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.180-194
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• 2016

The local identity of a female marriage migrant is not fixed to certain boundary or location, but rather comprised flexibly according to geographical movement or new settlement to different place. This research focuses on the local identity and life change of female marriage migrants that are constituted/reconstituted according to spatial transition, or migration. The analysis was conducted to find out traits of changes in the periods of migration and settlement based on the following categorization: multiculturalism and bicultural identity, assimilation and host country identity, exclusion and origin country identity, marginalization and marginal identity. The results are as follows; while having identical experience in terms of a migration, the local identities of marriage migrant women differed according to individual/regional characteristics as well as their respective roles within those traits. In addition, most of females showed passivity in maintaining and exposing their cultural identities of original states. Moreover the life satisfaction change of female marriage migrant that is type of assililation and host country identity is appeared more than others. through this assimilation and accommodation mean adaptation to female marriage migrant lived in Korea. However the intercultural competences of both marriage migrant woman and children in multicultural families facilitate the connection among different cultures. Based on these outcomes, with the transition to multicultural society and space, this research proposes the necessity of fostering global citizenship for mutual recognition of each culture, thus enabling coexistence.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.47
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• pp.243-271
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• 2001

This study examines family relationship among North Korean migrant families in early adaptation (approximately, up to $5{\sim}6$ years after arrival in the South). Family cohesion, communication, power relationship, and conflicts and domestic violence among family members were examined by the perceptions of 67 male and female householders and their spouses. In the four areas of family relationship, the subjects have quite positive perceptions and shows no critically significant difference on the perceptions between before and after arrival. However, positive perception on family relationship gradually decreases as the length of time of in the South increases with linear or nonlinear patterns according to subcategories of family relationship. These findings suggest several social work practice implications in resettlement assistance for the North Korean migrant families.

• Korean Journal of Family Social Work
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• no.61
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• pp.35-57
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• 2018

This study explores how married migrant women in Korea create social capital in their everyday lives, and how their social capital influences cultural acculturation. This study performs a structural equation model, using two-year data of female migrant women. The results suggest that network elements, including official supports from public organizations and unofficial supports from personal ties, contribute to creation of perceptual elements, including social trust, community involvement and relations. Also, these two elements of social capital have positive impact on acculturation of married migrant women in Korea. The longitudinal analysis provides a basic understanding of the creation of social capital and the relationship between social capital and acculturation of married migrant women and also clearly suggests the importance of public supports rather than personal supports from family or friends.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.183-193
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• 2011

Objectives: A rapid increase in the population of migrant workers in Korea has brought new challenges regarding the possible effects of acculturation on health. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of acculturation- and work-related psychosocial factors on work-related musculoskeletal disorders among migrant female workers living in Korea. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used. A translated, structured questionnaire was administrated to 156 southeastern Asian female full-time workers living in Korea. Results: About 35% of the participants experienced some type(s) of work-related musculoskeletal disorder(s), which were more prevalent in Vietnamese women than in Thai and Filipino women. Women who preferred to maintain their own heritage and to reject the host country heritage were at risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Conclusion: Acculturation strategy and nationality were found to be significant factors associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Health professionals need to accommodate acculturation contexts into risk assessment and intervention development for work-related musculoskeletal disorders separately for different nationalities.