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Kim and Kim: Maternal Acculturation Process of Married Immigrant Women in Korea
Original Article

Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing 2014; 44(1): 1-12.

Published online: 28 February 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2014.44.1.1

Maternal Acculturation Process of Married Immigrant Women in Korea

Kyung Sook Kim1, Min Kyeong Kim2

1Department of Nursing, Namseoul University, Cheonan, Korea.

2Department of Child Welfare, Namseoul University, Cheonan, Korea.

Address reprint requests to: Kim, Kyung Sook. Department of Nursing, Namseoul University, 91 Daehak-ro, Seonghwan-eup, Sebuk-gu, Cheonan 331-707, Korea. Tel: +82-41-580-2712, Fax: +82-41-580-2931, kgs4321@hanmail.net

Received 17 August 2013       Revised 3 September 2013       Accepted 13 December 2013

© 2014 Korean Society of Nursing Science

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution NoDerivs License. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/) If the original work is properly cited and retained without any modification or reproduction, it can be used and re-distributed in any format and medium.

Abstract

Purpose

This study was done to explore and understand acculturation focusing on reproductive health of immigrant women.

Methods

For the research sixteen immigrant women were selected by snowball sampling. Qualitative data were accumulated by in-depth interviews and private document collection. Raw data was analyzed following Mandelbaum's conceptual framework.

Results

The dimensions of immigrant women consisted of existence: emerging from the new environment in which it was hard to communicate and to get acquainted with others, reproduction: in the absence of learning and experience, reproductive health crisis, parenting: unmanageable burden. Turnings of life involved 'Inconvenience in one's eyes, vent for conflict and tension: pregnancy', 'strange medical care: accoucheur, rapid medical service', 'pain of morning sickness: poor maternal nutrition', 'manifestation of protective instinct for life'. In adaptations, content was as follows. 1) Standing alone as a Korean housewife, 2) Becoming aware of Korean maternal instinct: thirst for education supporting, 3) Rediscovery of family: growing maternal sense of existence.

Conclusion

The results of this study show the acculturation process and the meaning of events related to reproductive health in current lives and can contribute to an integrated understanding of married immigrant women in Korean culture.

Keywords: Migrants women, Reproductive health, Qualitative research, Acculturation

Figures and Tables

Table 1
Characteristics of Participants
jkan-44-1-i001

All cases this is the first marriage.

Table 2
Domain of Life History in Reproductive Health of Immigrant Women
jkan-44-1-i002

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